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"When I see a long English sentence, I get scared ..." "I want to be able to read English fluently!" Have you ever felt this? I used to feel the same way. However, by learning reading by the method introduced here, I can now read fluently and English. Also, by working on reading learning, I was able to improve not only my reading ability but also my speaking ability. Therefore, in this article, I will explain effective learning methods, tips, and teaching materials to improve reading skills based on my experience. Please refer to it!
Benefits of learning English reading
Some people who want to be able to speak English may think that they don't have to read. However, by learning reading, you can also improve your speaking ability. Let's see the benefits of learning reading!
You can input English phrases
Some people who are studying English may be thinking, "I always use the same expressions ..." and "I want to use phrases that are a little more sophisticated ...". Even if you do not input new expressions and output only with the knowledge you have now, the range of expressions will not expand easily. Read novels and English newspapers and input English words and phrases. For example, it is correct to express "I don't know" as "I don't know", but sometimes I would like to use other expressions as well. There are many phrases that mean "I don't know", such as "I'm not sure.", "I have no idea.", And "Beats me." If you remember these expressions, you can use the most suitable expression according to the situation and the person you are talking to.
Information can be collected in English
Another benefit of learning reading is that you can get all the information quickly. It takes time for overseas information to be translated into Japanese articles. If you can read English, you can get information about the world in real time from English newspapers, overseas websites, social media, etc. And it is said that the amount of information in English is much larger than that in Japanese. If you can read English, you will be able to get information that can only be obtained in English. Also, by collecting information in English, you can grasp things from multiple angles. When it comes to Japanese media, opinions tend to come from a Japanese perspective, but with English information, you can get information from a non-Japanese perspective, which will broaden your sense of values.
You can learn at your own pace
Reading also has the advantage of being able to learn at your own pace. You can learn English using foreign dramas and foreign films, but I think many people feel that "the flow of conversation is too fast to keep up ..." and "I don't understand what the characters are saying ...". .. On the other hand, if you are reading, you can read at your own pace, so you don't have to rush. You can analyze difficult syntax, look up words you don't understand, read the emotions of the characters, and so on. For that reason, especially if you are new to English, please actively incorporate reading into your English learning.
Tips for learning reading
However, reading English in the dark clouds does not improve your reading ability. From here, I will tell you the tips for learning reading!
Choose materials that suit your level and interests
Be sure to choose reading materials that suit your level. If there are too many unknown words or the syntax is too difficult, you will have to look it up in the dictionary one by one, which makes reading English sentences stressful. On the other hand, if the teaching materials are too simple, you cannot expect to improve your English. It is also important to choose the materials that suit your interests. There are various types of English texts such as novels, biographies, picture books, and English newspapers. Select the materials you are interested in and continue your reading learning in a fun and comfortable way!
Don't leave words or expressions you don't understand
When learning to read, it's important not to leave what you don't understand. When reading for the first time, even if you don't understand a word or expression, try to guess the meaning. Look up the dictionary in a good place and check if your guess was correct. It will be easier to remember if you learn by following the flow of "finding an unknown word-> guessing once-> answering with a dictionary" rather than "finding an unknown word-> looking it up in a dictionary immediately". It is difficult to guess that there are too many unknown words, so it is important to choose the level of teaching materials that suits you.
Read the same English sentence repeatedly
Try to read the English text once you have read it multiple times. It is not enough to read it once and analyze the meaning and syntax of the word. Because at this stage, I understand it, but it's not well established. In other words, if you read it, you will understand the meaning, but you cannot master it yourself. By touching the same word or phrase many times, you will be able to understand deeply the usage and nuances. By reading the contents so that you can remember them, the range of words and phrases that you can master will be greatly expanded.
Summarize the content
After reading, let's summarize the contents of the long sentence. By summarizing, you can confirm that you understood the contents well. If you find it difficult, try summarizing it by paragraph. Summarizing ability to convey important points in a short and easy-to-understand manner is also required in daily life and business. If you summarize it aloud, you can also practice your speaking ability.
Recommended English site for reading learning
Teaching materials are necessary for reading learning. From here, we will introduce free English sites that can be read on the web.
Free English Phonetics and pronunciation materials
The English Phonetics site is a recommended site for those who want to start learning reading. Daily News Articles are updated daily with articles for English learners. With audio, you can not only read the article, but also do training such as shadowing. You can also practice expressing your opinion in English by asking questions about the article. By the way, Daily News Article can be used even if you have not registered for EnglishPhonetics .
NHK World
NHK World is a recommended site for people who want to read the latest Japanese news in English. Since it is Japanese news, it is relatively easy to read because it can be read with some background knowledge. I have the impression that many of the grammars and words used are easier than those of overseas sites. Also, on NHK World, many articles have videos. After reading the news article and understanding the content, watch the video and practice listening.
VOA Learning English
VOA Learning English is a site where you can read overseas news for free. This site is intended for non-native English speakers, and articles are written using easy words and grammar. In addition, the level is divided into Beginning level (beginner level), Intermediate level (intermediate level), and Advanced level (advanced level), so you can choose the article that suits your level. At the end of the article, the meanings of the words used in the article are listed, so you can improve your vocabulary.
BBC
If you are an advanced English speaker, try an English article written for native speakers. I recommend the BBC in the UK. The reason I recommend the BBC is that there are both English and Japanese articles. After understanding the contents once in the Japanese version, let's read the English version. Conversely, after reading the English version, you can also read the Japanese version to see if you understand the content.
