10 Tricks for Improving your reading in english

Reading or comprehension is one the linguistic components that you must master if you are in the process of learning English.

In this blog we will give you good pieces of advice for improving you reading in english. With patience and determination, you will achieve it.

1. A Quiet Place to Read

This first point, although very basic, is important to remember, no matter where you are.

You must avoid distractions at all costs. Don’t forget the aim of reading and make this possible by isolating yourself in a place without interruptions.

The more concentrated you are, the better your ability to take in the language will be.

2. Read Daily

This isn’t the first time we are recommending this. Reading is good to improve your writing level, to learn more vocabulary and in general, to widen your culture in all levels.

Read every day: books, pages on social media sites, the news … Everything that you can, try to do it in English.

It is the most effective way of widening your vocabulary, understanding a text, and increasing your reading speed and comprehension.

3. Start with Simple Texts

It is important to start small rather than too big. Start with writing that you can follow without difficulty and that is interesting to you.

Do you like football or the cinema? Look for content of this type in English.

Revise vocabulary, and bit by bit you will be learning new terms.

It is recommended to start here so as not to throw the towel in when coming face to face with the complexities of the language.

4. Encountering New Terms

If you encounter a word that you don´t know, highlight it to look up its meaning.

But if in the moment of reading you are capable of deducing what it means by the context, ignore it.

It is important to have the ability to extract the general idea from a text without going straight to a dictionary.

But with this we don’t mean to say that you should remain without figuring out the exact meaning of new concepts.

5. Consult a Dictionary at the End

If you want to improve your reading in english, you shouldn’t use a dictionary with every terminology that you don´t know. If you do this, you will lose your fluidity and rhythm during reading.

You should try to understand the text without looking up every new word that you find.

Once you finish reading, look up all those terms in the dictionary. When you know their meaning, make a sentence in English using them. 

We suggest this if you have been able to understand everything without problems.

If you have come across lots of unknown words, maybe you have to interrupt your reading so as not to get lost and misunderstand anything.

6. Use the Technique of Scanning or Skimming

Scanning a text is used when the reader doesn´t have to absorb all the content; they are only looking to find specific information.

This technique is used a lot in exams to look for certain answers.

It consists in starting at the top and running down the lines quickly.

With skimming, you can gain the general idea of the text if you focus on the details.

7. Make Summaries

A key to improving your reading comprehension is to create a synthesis or summary. Reading has two phases: the reading and the interaction with the text.

When you summarise information, not only do you extract the most important ideas, but at the same time you are practising your written expression, vocabulary and grammar.

Summarising in your own words is very effective for putting your comprehension to the test.

If you feel capable, write down your opinion, comment or make some kind of annotation about the reading.

8. Keep a List About Everything That You Have Learnt

As you are advancing in your learning process, note down your progress.

Have a diary or online document in which you specify all the new things that you are learning: structures, idioms, vocabulary, cultural aspects from texts etc…

With this method you will keep a list of your progresses and furthermore, it will be a very useful resource to consult when you have any doubts.

9. Use Consultation Tools

To improve your reading comprehension, English or English-Spanish dictionaries make great companions for you.

They are essential resources for knowing the meaning of certain words and learning certain structures.

If you prefer new technologies to the traditional paper dictionaries, you can download an app on your phone that will allow you to learn English.

There are also a wide range of websites with very recommendable resources for improving your reading.

You can try Busuu, with which you will work on the four linguistic components, or some of the apps for improving your pronunciation, that also include reading in English.

10. Practice and Share Everything That You Have Learnt

The final piece of advice is that everything that you are learning should be shared with friends, teachers, or native companions, or those who are specialised in the subject.

Furthermore, if you are able to create a reading group, this would be perfect. In it, you would be able to work with texts in English.

Working together is one of the best ways of learning and correcting mistakes.

Have a think about the name, and it shouldn´t be “The Dead Poet´s Society”.

If you need help improving your reading comprehension in English or need to work on all your linguistic skills, contact Nathalie Languages; your trusty training centre.