5 tips to: improve your reading skills
- Joanne
- Aug 26
- 4 min read
I'm guessing that if you opened this blog post then reading is not your favourite pastime. Unfortunately though it's something we all need to do to some extent or another.
Reading to learn a foreign language
Whether you need to learn a new language for school, or because you have moved to a new country, getting a grip on reading in that language is a great way to progress. Reading gives you new vocabulary and an insight into the culture associated with the language.
Check out these 5 tips to help you on the road to better reading skills:
Read at your level
How do you know what your level is?
Open a book at any page and try to read it. If there are more than 5 words on the page that you don't know, then the book is too difficult. If you know all of the words on the page, then the book is too easy. Don't be afraid to start with children's books, you'll be amazed at how quickly you progress.
Money saving tip: Use your local or school library to borrow books in the language you want to improve / learn. The return date on the book will naturally give you a deadline to complete your reading and 'force' you to spend time on this activity. The more you read a novel, especially at the start, the more you will want to read it. I speak from experience here! You never know, you might actually enjoy it.
Set aside time for reading
Some people suggest setting aside 30 minutes a day for this, which sounds like a long time to invest in an activity that you don't enjoy. Personally, I find reading in a foreign language very tiring as it requires a lot more mental energy.
My solution: read for 10 minutes at a time, but try and do it 3 times a day. You will have achieved your 30 minute target and will hopefully feel less tired at the end. Reading shouldn't be a chore so keep it short and manageable.
Grammar and vocabulary boost!
Sitting down to learn a list of words is quite a chore, never mind falling asleep over a grammar book. Reading at your level will naturally assist you in learning grammar and vocabulary. As I mentioned if there are more than 5 words that you don't know on a page then you are not yet ready for the book.
Focus on a book that is appropriate to your level, even if it's a children's book. This will give you the vocabulary that you're missing. You don't need to look up every word you don't know, sometimes you can get the gist of it from the sentence it's used in. If you see the word repeated throughout the book it can then be a good idea to look up it's exact meaning.
Don't look up every new word, try to work out the meaning from clues in the sentence. Don't interrupt your reading to translate every time you see a new word otherwise this will ruin the flow of the story and make the activity of reading less enjoyable. You will find that your grammar naturally improves through reading and the exercises that you were struggling with before now make more sense. I have personally seen an improvement in my Dutch grammar as a result of reading more.
Read a variety of texts
First and foremost read something you think you will enjoy. I like a good mystery so tend to choose a book along those lines to keep me engaged in the reading process. Before my Dutch was at a level where I could do this though I found myself reading a children's book that had an element of mystery to it, or a good 'beach read' that I knew wouldn't take me long in English.
Remember, reading in a foreign language will take longer. Reading something you enjoy will give you new vocabulary, but try to also read short articles that are outside of your usual 'go to' texts. You don't have to read these articles for long, maybe just use one of your ten minute slots, but it can be very beneficial.
If you're living in your foreign language perhaps you receive a free newspaper through the door? This can be a great way of learning about your local area and picking up the new language. What used to just be put down in the cat litter tray is now a weekly read!
Start now
You've reached the end of this blog post and I don't think you've been reading for ten minutes yet...
Not sure where to go next? Why not try some of the travel blog posts on this page, or check out some reading for understanding activities from the BBC: Practise English reading skills | LearnEnglish
The above website from BBC Learn English is a great place to start as you can easily identify your level from A1 to C2 and use this to search online for other level appropriate texts.
Try one of these 5 tips to improve your reading skills:
Read at your level
Set aside time for reading
Boost your grammar and vocabulary at the same time
Read a variety of texts
Start now! - 10 minutes is all it takes to get started
Follow these tips and you'll be amazed at the improvement. I speak from experience. It's not easy and it's not always fun, but it's definitely worth it.
Click here to talk to me about English language coaching.
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