Improve your English through Reading
Josef Essberger
Right now you are reading English. That means that you are using your brain in a very active way. Reading is a very active process. It is true that the writer does a lot of work, but the reader also has to work hard. When you read a text, you have to do some or all of these:
* imagine a scene in your head
* understand clearly what the writer is trying to say
* agree or disagree with the writer
Advantages of Reading
When you learn a language, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. There are many advantages associated with reading, including:
Learning Vocabulary In Context
You will usually encounter new words when you read. If there are too many new words for you, then the level is too high and you should read something simpler. But if there are, say, a maximum of five new words per page, you will learn this vocabulary easily. You may not even need to use a dictionary because you can guess the meaning from the rest of the text (from the context). Not only do you learn new words, but you see them being used naturally.
A Model For Writing
When you read, it gives you a good example for writing. Texts that you read show you structures and expressions that you can use when you write.
Seeing "Correctly Structured" English
When people write, they usually use "correct" English with a proper grammatical structure. This is not always true when people speak. So, by reading you see and learn grammatical English naturally.
Working At Your Own Speed
You can read as fast or as slowly as you like. You can read ten pages in 30 minutes, or take one hour to explore just one page. It doesn't matter. The choice is yours. You cannot easily do this when speaking or listening. This is one of the big advantages of reading because different people work at different speeds.
Personal Interest
If you choose something to read that you like, it can actually be interesting and enjoyable. For example, if you like to read about football in your own language, why not read about football in English? You will get information about football and improve your English at the same time.
Five Tips for Reading
Tip #1
Try to read at the right level. Read something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every three words to look in a dictionary, it is not interesting for you and you will soon be discouraged.
Tip #2
Make a note of new vocabulary. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your vocabulary book. But you don't have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meaning as you read; mark them with a pen; then come back when you have finished reading to check in a dictionary and add them to your vocabulary book.
Tip #3
Try to read regularly. For example, read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. Fix a time to read and keep to it. For example, you could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up, or at lunchtime.
Tip #4
Be organised. Have everything ready:
* something to read
* a marker to highlight difficult words
* a dictionary
* your vocabulary book
* a pen to write down the new words
Tip #5
Read what interests YOU. Choose a magazine or book about a subject that you like.
Things to Read
Newspapers
You can find English-language newspapers in all large cities around the world. Newspapers are interesting because they are about real life and the news. BUT they are not easy to read. Try reading newspapers if your level is intermediate or above.
Some British newspapers:
* The Telegraph
* The Times
* The Independent
* The Guardian
* The Financial Times (business)
* The Sunday Times
Some American newspapers:
* The International Herald Tribune
* The New York Times
* The Wall Street Journal (business)
Magazines
Some magazines are published weekly, some monthly. You can find English-language magazines in many large cities around the world. If you cannot find the magazine you want in your town, you may be able to order it for delivery. Many magazines have pictures which can help your understanding. You will need an intermediate level for most magazines, but a pre-intermediate level may be ok for some magazines.
There are magazines on every subject:
* Politics
* Sport
* The House
* Cars
* Music
* Romance
* Travel
* Language
* etc
Books
Books are divided mainly into:
* Non-fiction (history, biography, travel, cooking etc)
* Fiction (stories and novels)
Some books are easier to read than others. It often depends on the author. Agatha Christie, for example, wrote in an easier style and with simpler vocabulary than Stephen King. You can buy books in specialised English-language bookshops in large cities around the world. You may also be able to find some English-language books in libraries. And if you have a British Council in your city, you can borrow many English-language books from their library.
Short Stories
Short stories can be a good choice when learning a language because they are...short. It's like reading a whole book in a few pages. You have all the excitement of a story in a book, but you only have to read 5,000 or 10,000 words. So you can quite quickly finish the story and feel that you have achieved something. Short stories are published in magazines, in books of short stories, and on the Internet. You can also find short stories at EnglishClub.com English Reading.
Readers
Readers are books that are specially published to be easy to read. They are short and with simple vocabulary. They are usually available at different levels, so you should be able to find the right level for you. Many readers are stories by famous authors in simple form. This is an excellent way for you to start practising reading.
Cornflakes Packets
By "Cornflakes Packets", we mean any product you can buy that has English writing on or with it. If you buy a box of chocolates, or a new camera, why not read the description or instructions in English? There are many such examples, and they all give you an opportunity to read real English:
* airline tickets
* cans or packets of food
* bottles of drink
* tapes and CDs
* user guides for videos, computers...
* etc
Poetry
If you like poetry, try reading some English-language poems. They may not be easy to understand because of the style and vocabulary, but if you work at it you can usually get an idea - or a feeling - of what the poet is trying to say. You'll find some classic poems, with explanations of vocabulary, at EnglishClub.com English Reading.
Good luck with your reading. It will help you make a lot of Progress!
reference : http://www.englishclub.com
Tips for Vocabulary
Hello everyone,
This is one part of the series "Tips for learning English". The series is today created in the sake of collecting and assembling tips which come from English learners. Post your own tips which really work :!: Other members can learn from them, and if necessary we could discuss :idea:
You are in VOCABULARY section 8) .
"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
English Vocabulary lessons: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/
reference : http://www.englishclub.com
Listen to English by TV and Radio
Listen to television or radio news in English on your computer. From this page you can get instant access to English language TV and radio news programmes wherever you are in the world, without a TV or radio. Perfect for listening practice.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera English
Al Jareera presents news and current affairs from a Middle East perspective with videos and podcasts. Not all of their content is free.
BBC World Service
The BBC (British Broadcastic Corporation) presents free news and current affairs programmes with a mainly British English accent and Western bias.
Russia Today
Russia Today
Russia Today presents free news events and interviews from a mainly Russian viewpoint. Generally speaking excellent and clearly-spoken English.
VOA Special English
VOA (Voice of America) offers free news coverage spoken in simple American English with a core vocabulary of 1500 words and an American bias.
VOA Special English.
Listening: A good way to learn English
Weena Kanadpon
Everyone knows that there are four skills in learning a language, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. They are always related in terms of usage, and speaking is viewed by learners as the most desirable skill in face-to-face communication in the globalization era. However, what is the answer to the following questions?
* What do you have to do before you can speak?
* What does a child learn before he talks?
* What do we do before chatting?
Listen, of course!
Naturally, children begin listening to their parents when they are babies. They are often greeted, spoken to and admired without any response expected. Though nobody knows if the baby understands the spoken words, the process continues. Children automatically acquire such language over some time, and later on gradually produce it through actual experience. The production may be incomplete at first, but successful at last. That leads to speaking skill which is quite applicable to daily conversation.
In learning English, listening can help improve speaking considerably. Although it is the first of all skills, it is neither the easiest nor the most meaningless. We need to hear various types of English repeatedly and continuously if we want to communicate properly, meaningfully and naturally.
Why is listening good?
1. When listening, we are reviewing a lot of English usage such as vocabulary, grammatical structures, intonation, accent and our own interpretation.
2. We can learn new words and expressions by hearing them frequently.
3. Besides the English revision, general knowledge from news, features, or even advertising spots is certainly beneficial for regular listeners.
4. We can imitate what we hear and apply it with great confidence.
5. Listening can be a good "hobby" while we do other things such as cooking, ironing, exercising, relaxing etc. In other words, we have no wasted time at all.
6. Listening is also a great way to train our attention.
How can we listen to English?
Nowadays, radio cassette recorders are household appliances, but we often overlook their radio function. We can experience English language radio programmes almost anywhere in the world. They are usually picked up on FM bands and aired particularly for foreigners. Short wave radio programmes are another option. Two of the most easily found English language broadcasters are the BBC and Voice of America. Today, you can even access them by internet. You'll find some useful links for listening to the radio by internet, including "News in Easy English",
reference : http://www.englishclub.com
