Making reading fun
READING in another language is an important skill to develop.
Besides helping you become a better reader, it expands your grammar and vocabulary. These in turn help your writing and speaking skills. However, people often regard reading as “too difficult” or timeconsuming.
Below are tips for reading in English and points to consider when approaching a text.
How to read
How we read a text depends on why we read it. Consider your objective – to find the time of a bus or train departure, you do not need to read every word.
Your eyes will scan the text until you find the information you need.
If you are reading a scientific journal for a writer’s opinion, you will still read quickly, but it will be to get the general idea of the text.
Choosing the right text
Some people find reading in English boring. To remedy that, choose texts on topics that interest you to make reading fun and informative. Try reading newspaper articles on subjects that you follow like football or fashion.
Do not to pick a text that is too difficult. If you find yourself reaching for a dictionary every sentence, then the text is above your level. If there are five to 10 new words on the page, the level is just right for you.
Vocabulary
Reading is a good way to learn vocabulary. Before you use the dictionary, try inferring the meaning of the word from the context of the article and the words around it.
Contemplate if the word is used in a positive or negative way and the word form (verb, noun, etc).Often, you will be able to correctly guess the meaning.
Reading time
Try to incorporate reading into your day. Once you start doing it on a daily basis, it becomes fun and that is when learning starts.
You could try reading the international news on your phone as you commute to work each day, or set aside 15 minutes of your lunch break to read a chapter of a novel.
The British Council Malaysia offers yearround courses that focus on reading as well as other skills.