Reading English not only helps people develop their vocabulary, it is also the best way to strengthen their spirits, keep focus and especially expand their knowledge.
Have you ever thought of how limited your work would be without a book by your side?
Or, would anyone have succeeded without reading habit?
I) Benefits of reading English books
Reading English is not just about finding the right information for the job, it has benefits that sometimes even people who are reading do not know.
1. Create motivation to learn English every day: Reading a lot of English documents will gradually become a habit. You will no longer search for knowledge on the internet in your own language. Instead, you’ll acquire new knowledge that helps you at work.
2. Think in English: Of course when reading English, words and phrases will be repeated a lot. The image in your brain will turn into thoughts.
3. A good way to review and memorize vocabulary: You will gradually forget what you have learned without daily contact with it. So are English vocabulary, common words and phrases that are repeated many times will help you remember them more deeply.
4. How often do you have to write reports and essays? Reading is indispensable for each person. Because from famous books in English, you will have better thinking, more coherent writing when you learn from the author.
5. Update knowledge faster and improve income simultaneously. If you have new suggestions and a logical way of working, then your income will be much higher.
II) 4 steps to practice English reading effectively
Table of Contents
Step 1: Preparation
Many people often fall into sleep immediately when start reading.
There are many reasons for this problem:
- You do not have the habit of reading
- You will get boring faster if you do not understand what the book present
- You are tired and sleepless
- You do not have enough spirits for this adventure
Therefore, the preparation for what’s going to happen is very important. Get ready for everything before reading: pencils, notebooks, dictionary, etc.
Above all, you need to prepare an extremely serious attitude, sit up straight, take a deep breath. Start right away, do not let anything else distract you.
Step 2: Skimming
This step helps you to get a rough idea of what the book is about to present so that you can go further into the analysis later. This step for many people is redundant, but if done correctly, you will see the effect for your ability to read English.
Ways to apply:
- Skim through the title: taking the outline of the book, what is presented through this title
- Skim through the beginning and the end to understand the main idea
- During skimming, do not stop and see details you do not understand but note with a pen to remember what impresses you, what to read carefully or which parts can be ignored
Think back to what you remember? Note the questions you are most concerned about.
Step 3: Adjust the reading speed and read related phrases
Now actually read what the book writes. Since you have already skimmed once, this step will be a lot easier if you focus.
Read by phrases and intonation
Certainly there will be vocabulary that you have never met or forgotten. Do not rush to look up immediately after seeing. Calmly guessing is the tactics that will save a lot of time.
This way of learning also helps you practice judgment skills and develop your vocabulary every day.
Ways to apply:
- Adjust the reading speed in order to understand what the author wants to present. Quickly read the parts that are easy to understand and read slowly the important ones
- Note the gist that brings value to reinforce your knowledge
- Find related verbs, phrasal verbs, and answers to the questions posed in step 2
- At the end of the reading, you need to know what the book presents
Step 4: Retell the story
What is presented in the book only belongs to you when you can put it back. In one or many different ways: mindmap, presentation in text form, retelling to others,etc. Using English will help you once again learn the knowledge and make sure you remember it for a long time.
Remember:
- Don’t spend too much time learning English vocabulary before you practice reading skills
- Start with a short story when your level is pre-intermediate
- Read English fluently but understand the meaning of the book. Otherwise your try is useless.
- Noone has already been skillful. We only have skill when we practice regularly. So take 30 minutes every day to read.
III) 5 notes to improve your English reading skills quickly
1. Always spend time reading English
Find out what is your favorite topics?
Follow the steps:
- Find a quiet place with fresh air, enough light to sit
- Set aside at least 30 minutes and enjoy your books
You may not notice the small things above, but they greatly affect the quality of your focus. Ideally, adhere to the instructions for the highest quality of work.
2. Read your favorite books or essential ones for work
Unlike other methods of learning English, you can read books wherever you are. The key is to find a book that is interesting and appropriate for your level.
Now,
What’s your job? Which major are you studying? Or what have you been concerned lately?
Read something more useful to you to make sure you enjoy the books.
What is your English reading level? You cannot choose a novel with thousands of pages while your English is too weak. Surely no one can keep calm and spend 30 minutes reading. So choosing a book at the right level is very important.
Finally, choose English books. You can read about any topics you like but remember that it must be in English
3. Self-questioning during reading and after reading
You will ask yourself questions when reading books. Asking a variety of questions and answering these questions will help practice your reading, speaking skills and you will have a long time memory.
Several types of questions corresponding to “what, when, where, why, how”… help you understand the problem more deeply. The way you answer the questions will be diversified in different ways to improve your English proficiency.
You can apply this by noting the key words of the text you have read and then asking questions around the words.
4. Practice reading fluently
Ideally, with a passage or an English book, you should read it over and over again. Each time with a different reading speed.
- The first time: skimming
- The second time: read slowly and select the main ideas
- The third time: summarize what you have read
Remember that reading English is a skill, which needs to be practiced every day. There is a tips for you: “you cannot understand what you read if you only read each word instead of the whole sentence”. Even if you read it silently in your head, you should read in the rhyme, read the related phrases as if you were speaking.
In this section, remember that what I mean is how to practice reading fluently, not reading comprehensively. Please apply this when you have completed step 3 of the “4 steps to practice English reading effectively“.
5. Read a variety of documents and books
On the same topic of interest, you can choose from many other reading formats, they are email, blog, tweet, facebook …
Changing reading material in order to learn different ways of presenting the issue. This will also expand the sources of information that some of the previous documents have not covered. Selected topics will change according to each format.