You can learn a new or foreign language in different ways. You can take a class, speak with foreign acquaintances, hire a tutor, or watch a lot of foreign movies with subtitles. Any of these methods will help you learn.
But there is one method that can take you to the next level and that is reading! This exercise is your best bet to learn a new language, even if you’re a beginner who has yet to embark on a learning journey.
Improves your vocabulary
One of the best ways to expand your vocabulary is through reading. Often, while reading, you come across words that you haven’t encountered before. Looking for the meaning of those words will help you discover and understand what you’re reading.
Repetition of these new vocabulary words will help you recall them better. You can pick up new words while reading books, articles, and even while having conversations. Reading comprehension becomes a lot easier when you become familiar with keywords too.
This is one of the reasons why new vocabulary is often presented then practiced at the start of a lesson at school. You can learn then practice the pronunciations of words, which you can later use while talking to other people too.
Learn other languages too
When you read books in a foreign language, you can feel more comfortable with the grammatical rules and the words of the language. This allows you to express your own thoughts as though you’re reading in your own native language.
Seeing the text of new concepts and words will help reinforce your memory of them. This also gives you the ability to stop, look up, or recall the meanings of words to provide you with an individualized pace for your mental absorption.
Even when reading at a slower pace, you can read more sentences in a given time than an average TV show or movie. This is the reason why voracious readers speak more articulately compared to “average speakers.”
One more word about books
Many people all over the world learn English and other languages through books. One excellent example of a book to read that will help you understand English better is 1984 by George Orwell.
After reading books, you can take your learning further by writing or going through samples of college essays. For instance, you can visit https://samplius.com/free-essay-examples/books/ to find what you need. With sites like these, studying becomes much easier, whether you want to read just 1 essay or you can read up to 198!
Essays about 1984
Speaking of the book, 1984, you may receive a writing assignment like an essay or a research paper where you would have to write about this book. This is a very interesting book to read while honing your comprehension skills.
Writing college essays on 1984 by George Orwell is quite common in universities. To have an idea of what to write, you can look at samples from WritingBros. Here, you can also see other essays with various topics for you to learn from.
An example of a book to read
Many have read the masterpiece novel of George Orwell entitled, 1984, which he wrote in the year 1948. This dystopian fiction is about a society ruled by an oligarchical dictatorship.
The setting is in Airstrip One, an Oceania province. This world is in perpetual war, incessant public mind control, and pervasive government surveillance. The people in Oceania always follow the state and this philosophy has allowed “The Party” to control and manipulate humanity.
The protagonist of the novel is Winston Smith, a civil servant who works at the Ministry of Truth. His meager existence has disillusioned him to the point of seeking to rebel against Big Brother.
If you want to brush up on your English reading and comprehension, this is one of the more interesting books you should try to read.
Read simple books too
You can improve your mastery of the English language in several ways through reading. Just remember that it is essential to find the methods and books that will work best for you.
Choose books that suit your personal interests and even your level of English. Remember, reading should be a fun and interesting experience. If you pick a book that’s difficult, boring, or doesn’t arouse your interest, look for another one.
To help you out, here are some tips for choosing the perfect book in any language:
- You must find it interesting
There are so many books out there you can choose from. If you will start reading, make sure to choose one that you really love.
- Choose the right level
The book you should choose should neither be too easy nor too difficult. Try out a book by reading the first 2 or 3 pages. If you encounter an average of ten 10 new words on each page, this might be too difficult for you. Choose a simpler book.
Remember that reading shouldn’t be a vocabulary exercise. After reading the first few pages and you find the book easy to understand with only a couple of new words, then the book is a good choice.
- Watch the movie adaptation
If you feel that an original English (or foreign) novel is too overwhelming, try watching the film adaptation first. Many of the bestselling novels usually have these. This gives you a basic understanding of the plot before reading the novel itself. Moreover, watching a movie is often a great practice experience too.
Conclusion
One great thing about reading books is that you can do it anywhere. Make a habit of reading by spending at least half an hour each day on focused reading. This is a very simple way of honing your reading skills while learning new things. The more you practice reading, the more you improve.
