There is a phrase that says “Reading is fundamental” and that is a statement perfect for those learning to speak English. For those learning English, it can accelerate the process of pursuing that goal. People use reading every day for complex and simple tasks both in their personal and professional lives. Customers in a store are constantly looking at prices or they’re looking for signs that alerts them there is a sale going on. When driving down the street, there are numerous traffic signs to be followed for safety reasons, in addition to freeway signs that tell which exits to take. There is no way to get around reading, it is a vital skill embedded in our daily walk of life, a basic skill that we need to function every day.
Reading has a double meaning for new English learners. For them, when they read English on a consistent, fluent level it means they have arrived at a point where they can understand it, and possibly speak it, naturally. It is a signal that the goal is accomplished after a long, hard-working, dedicated journey. For those practicing English reading skills, there are many different methods and strategies that can help reach this goal. In the process of learning English, it helps with vocabulary, comprehending grammar, and enhancing comprehension skills. These are also attributes that can be used in all aspects of learning English. This blog post will explore various tactics that can help you with practicing English reading skills. After finishing this article, if you still need assistance with your English reading skills, you can always use HiCafe Private English Tutoring services.
Why Should you Practice English Reading Skills
Reading provides numerous benefits that allow us to function on a daily basis. Before English learners get to that particular point, they have to learn the language through various components and concepts introduced to them. However, they can navigate through these obstacles as reading allows them to build their vocabulary, improve their grammar, develop their comprehension skills and build confidence.
Expands vocabulary
English learners are going to constantly run into new words practicing their English reading skills. Some words might be more advanced than others and might require some more looking into, such as looking through a dictionary or thesaurus.
Improves grammar
Grammar is a big part of learning English and reviewing its rules will help with reading skills. When you understand how words fit based on their grammatical role then reading in English will flow naturally for you.
Develops comprehension
Reading consistently can help with developing comprehension. Comprehension is one of the most important reading skills as it makes you understand the content you are consuming. The better you understand what you read or study, the more effective you can be when applying what you learned.
Builds confidence
Practicing your English reading skills consistently will bring you results that you can be proud of. Each time you do it, you become a better reader and also improve your understanding of the English language. Now that you feel good about yourself, you can apply what you learned throughout daily aspects of your life. You can start having regular conversations with friends, as well as with new people. Your communication at a new job will be more effective. A whole new world of opportunities will be unlocked to you.
Strategies to Practice English Reading Skills
It’s good to have a plan when trying to practice English reading skills. There are various strategies that you can use to help read at an efficient level. These strategies include starting with basic principles, building up your vocabulary, developing comprehension, practice reading fluently and integrating other skills.
Start with the Basics
Knowing the basic principles of reading will do wonders for your English reading skills. One of those principles is phonemic awareness. This will help you understand the relationship between sounds and letters. Be cautious of certain words that are spelled one way but have a different sound, such as “ph” words. Phonics show how the letters and sounds work together to form words and their sounds. For example, sight words are high-frequency words that learners can recognize instantly. These might be found in common phrases or could be just basic words you are used to seeing in your daily life.
Build Vocabulary
Vocabulary is going to be an essential part of practicing your English reading. Some content might contain challenging words that you need to understand in order to fully comprehend the content. One of the ways you can do this is by looking for context clues. Context clues will encourage you to infer word meanings from surrounding text. The surrounding text can be before, after or within the sentence of the word you’re trying to figure out. Word walls are also another way to build your vocabulary. These are just visual displays of new vocabulary words that you come across. Refer to these when you need a new word to use or practice. In addition to word walls, you can do vocabulary journals, where you record new words, definitions, and examples that you come across.
Develop Comprehension Skills
When it comes to practicing English reading skills, comprehension is a key component. When you comprehend something, you are demonstrating that you understand the message that is intended to be delivered. You can start developing this with pre-reading activities. This is when you activate prior knowledge about the content, set purpose for what you are about to read, and predict what you will find in the content. Write down questions that you may have when you’re going through the text. Summarize the content that you are reading and see if you can determine what the actual main idea is and break it down into a single statement. You can also try inferencing, which will allow you to draw conclusions on how the text will end. This is especially fun when trying it on a story.
Practice Reading Fluency
Reading fluently might require a little more physical effort of some sorts. You can begin thi strategy by reading a text repeatedly. The more you read something, the more you read it naturally and be comfortable with it. Read out loud so you can hear yourself, while making sure you’re using the right pronunciation. Time yourself when reading so you can track your reading speed and accuracy to monitor progress.
Integrate Reading with Other Skills
Feel free to integrate other skills into your reading. Read with other English learners so you can view each other’s progress. This will also be helpful as far as giving tips to one another on how to improve as well as giving encouragement. Write about what you just read to ensure your comprehension. This could be where you write down the main idea or the inferred conclusion. In that same group of readers, everyone should discuss what they just read, and compare how everyone has viewed the same content
Reading is a skill that is used in all facets of life., so it is essential to practice English reading skills. If it seems like there are a lot of strategies to use, that is because it is a lot of work to actually get good at this. However, there is a reason you should still practice these methods daily. It will expand your vocabulary, improve your grammar, develop your reading comprehension and build confidence within you. Once you accept that then you can start your strategies by starting with the basics, practice reading fluently and then integrate other skills into your reading. After that, you can probably do a regular assessment to monitor your growth. Create a journal that might track how many difficult words you’ve encountered or track how long you read in one sitting. By implementing these strategies and fostering a supportive environment, you can become a confident and proficient reader of the English language. Remember, progress takes time, so just put the time into it and be patient. .
The more that you read, the better it will help you with other areas of learning English. Your writing and speaking will certainly improve and likely reach a level where you can communicate effectively. This will be helpful to you when you are out in the real world, interacting with different English speakers in your daily routine. When you are in the workplace, you will be receiving email on a constant basis, so it’s best to recognize different words and spellings that you will likely come across as well as various sentence structures since some emails do not follow strict grammar guidelines.
When practicing English reading skills, HiCafe site can provide guidance with all of these things mentioned. HiCafe site helps English learners with subjects such as grammar, writing and reading. The platform offers blogs, videos and other resources for English learning students to access at their own leisure and learn at their own pace. In addition to the resources, there is private online tutoring that can be scheduled so students can get engaging help and feedback on their progress.
Also, you can download HiCafe App for either Android or iOS and have it at your disposal, to practice English conversations. So don’t waste any more time. Click here to download the App today, and choose your path on the journey to learning to speak English in a fluent manner.