ENGLISH 3

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The ABCs of reading English: tips and tricks

By Phil Stoneman -August 18, 2018

________ common complaint of English learners is that they know some vocabulary and grammar, but struggle to put
what they have learned into context. Reading is __________great way to connect everything together.

Reading is less and less popular nowadays, at least if you believe many newspaper headlines. But reading is still
________ vital skill, and even more beneficial when you’re doing it because you actually want to. When you choose
what you want to read, you’ll be motivated to learn a lot more.

What to read… and how to do it

The good news is that there are more and more places that offer the chance to read in English. As well as
traditional outlets like libraries, bookshops and newspapers, it’s so easy now to find websites, blogs and apps that
help you practice. The question is: what interests you? What do you want to read?

Another vital question is why you are reading. This is important as it will help you choose the right reading material.

Make it easy

If you want to be ________faster and more confident reader, then you choose _______ interesting field , something
______ little below your level of English. This means that the grammar and vocabulary won’t be a problem, so you can
enjoy the story and see how English is used as a whole as you read.

______ good option for this is to look for something called a ‘reader’ in a good bookshop or library. _____ reader is a
kind of book specifically designed for English learners. For example, the original version of Dracula has a lot of difficult
expressions: it was written in 1897, you know! However, ________ Dracula reader might be written for students with
an A2 level of English, so the difficult parts would be removed or simplified. If your level is B1, then an A2 reader is a
good way for you to feel more confident about reading.

Checking the dictionary

As you read, there will most likely be words you don’t understand and want to check. __________traditional printed
dictionary is _______ good tool, but there are great online resources too. Just understand one thing: Google Translate is
not your friend! It’s very fast, but often wrong. There are much better options, such as Word Reference and Macmillan
Dictionary. Word Reference can be used to check definitions in English or translations from English to Spanish, and
Macmillan gives users the chance to listen to the pronunciation of words in either British or American English.

There’s a useful trick you can use called the ‘five-finger rule’. Choose a book, and read the first two or three pages. Every
time you find a word you don’t understand, raise one finger. If you’ve raised five fingers before you’ve finished the first
few pages, then watch out: this book might be too difficult for you at the moment. __________*easier book might be a
better choice.

One good option is to read something in English that you already know in Spanish. This doesn’t have to be a great work
of literature: fairy tales, for example, are excellent ways to practice your reading. You already know that Prince
Charming will arrive at the castle to wake up Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, which helps a lot when you are reading and
seeing how the words work together to tell the story.
Reverse translation

A good exercise to check how well you understand a text is to reverse translate it. For this, choose a short English text
and translate it into Spanish. Wait a few days, then try to translate it back into English. Then compare your new English
version with the original. What did you change? Did you use the same grammar and vocabulary? This exercise lets you
see the difference between your current English level and the level you want to have.

Ready for a challenge?

On the other hand, perhaps you really want to push yourself to learn new grammar and vocabulary. If that’s the case,
then choose a more difficult book. Authentic English can be very challenging for English learners, but if your goal is to
learn natural English, then being exposed to real English is extremely valuable.

Related: learning English grammar and vocabulary

For this type of reading, it’s best not to read too much: short stories and texts are ideal. It’s also good to go ‘old-school’
when you read like this – have a photocopy or printed version of the text, and have your favourite pencils, pens and
highlighters ready. When you read, try to attack the text. Circle information, make notes, check vocabulary (see the
dictionary box on this page) and write a reminder if there’s anything you’re not sure about that you need to check, or
ask about, later.

Practice makes perfect!

It’s important to remember that reading is a skill: it takes time and practice. You need to become a friend of reading, and
the only way to do that is by spending time together: you, and a good book. If you can read just a little every day, then
you’ll soon see your skills get better and better. If you only read a little once a week, then you won’t feel so comfortable
when you’re faced with a text in English. So don’t be afraid of becoming a bookworm: find the sort of reading that
works for you and, most importantly, enjoy it!
Originally from Sheffield, England, Phil Stoneman has been living in Bogotá and teaching English since 2004. He teaches
at Externado University, where he tries to share his love of reading with his students.