How to Improve English Reading Skills?

Developing English reading skill is highly essential in various aspects in life. It will expand your vocabulary and build an understanding of various writing structures while raising your overall communication level. Students and even professionals take reading skills for granted. You have to have an attentive mind and clear goals. Improving English Reading Skills involve daily practice, diverse reading, and applying useful strategies. This article explores the various effective steps to improve English reading skills for new readers and professionals.

Steps to Improve English Reading Skills

1. Understand Your Reading Level

First and foremost, you need to identify your current reading level. It will help you to choose what kind of reading materials and activities are suitable for you. This is the first step to improving English reading skills. If you do not know what your level is take a test. You can test your reading skills from any online platform or any offline class.

2. Set Goals

You have to set a clear goal to achieve your target. It is very important because goals create a huge impact on motivation. Do not set unrealistic goals, missing targets will create a negative impact that can shatter your motivation. Make sure you set your goals according to your limit. You can follow one of the most used goal-setting methodologies ‘SMART’ standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Choose goals that you can execute. On the other hand, do not set any easy goals. You have to balance this perfectly. Set your goals achievable but challenging enough.

3. Select the Right Reading Stuff

Select your reading material according to your goals, level, and interest. As an example if you like to read fantasy, read the best seller novels. If you are in academia or studying for work, try to read online articles, Business news, etc. Same as setting an achievable goal. If you choose a genre that you like you will automatically find it easier to read, and it will keep you engaging. You will stay motivated. Think before choosing your subject, select materials that are your level or a bit above your current level. You should choose something challenging but not so difficult

4. Read Different Materials

Breaking barriers is important. It is easy to read when you are in your comfort zone. However, you should read various materials, like newspapers, novels, sports journals, magazines, etc. If you are used to reading one material or any single medium it can be frustrating to leave your comfort zone. But diversifying your reading stuff could help you to acquire different types of vocabulary, sentence structure, accent, and writing style. A well all-rounded and comprehensive reading practice will help you to improve English reading skills.

5. Read Different Genre

Experience a bunch of different genres. Diversifying your reading genre is as important as diversifying reading materials. Start exploring Fantasy, spy, Sport, patriotic, fiction, nonfiction, biography, etc.  Mixing genres can grow your interest level in reading. It will help you to learn new vocabulary, themes, and styles.

6. Develop the Habit of Reading

It is normal to freeze whenever you come across a word you do not know. Unknown words can break the flow of reading and understanding, skip that word if needed. Complete the full passage then read it again. Try a few times until the context of those words that you understand helps you to understand the meaning or you can find it in the dictionary afterward. Ideally, you should read every day to make it a habit. Buy a few good books or else go to the library to gather books from different genres. Bring your books with you whenever you are traveling, make it your favorite hobby. Find space from your routine table to read. Developing a habit of reading will grow your confidence and provide you with the confidence to pronounce clearly.

7. Read Substantially and In-depth

Different kinds of reading have different effects on language learning. Whenever you are reading something with easy patterns and vocabulary that focuses on overall meaning try to read substantially. It will help you to learn English reading naturally as you have learned your native language in the same way.

On the other hand, In-depth reading works whenever you read more challenging materials that focus on complex language structure and deep meaning. This is the most used reading approach. Here is the trick, you have to implement both of these approaches together to achieve an all-rounded reading practice.

8. Reading Techniques to Improve English Reading Skills

You have to pay attention when you are reading. Focusing on the text will help you to engage with the content.

• Questioning

Questioning is a very useful technique to improve English reading skills. Questioning plays a pivotal role in growing your knowledge of not only English but any other subject. Questioning helps to monitor your grasp of English and encourages you to read more. This is applicable to all students and professionals. This technique requires you to question yourself to understand the meaning and how to find that answer and solve the problems on your own.

• Predictions

Professionals all over the world use prediction as a smart strategy to save time and read fast. This technique is not easy for beginners. It will take time but with daily practice, it is possible to improve.

While reading organize your thoughts or you can take the help of others. Predicting is a well-work strategy where readers can use Images and titles provided in the text. With some experience, readers can predict what will happen next while reading or create an opinion on that particular subject or story.

• Take Notes

Write down any new vocabulary, important points, and any questions you have about the text. Reviewing your notes makes sure your attention is on the text and helps you to grow curiosity and improve English reading skills.

9. Skimming and Scanning

Skimming and scanning are some of the most used reading techniques. These techniques will help you to read fast. Skimming is a process of fast reading, a technique you can use to read more in less time. It refers to getting an overview of the base idea from a paragraph or a book. You do not have to read the full paragraph, only focus on the information that you need.

• Only read the first phase of the paragraph.
• Read the last phase of the paragraph.
• Focus on the important words in between that phase.

Scanning, we use this technique to improve English reading skills. This allows anyone to find key information without going through the full paragraph or text. It helps to acquire knowledge of that particular text even before you start searching for any sort of information.

• Ready mind to only discover the clear information.
• Take a rush view of the page.
• Catch sight of the required information.
• Read that part only to get the whole information.

Familiarity and fluency in English reading is very important for language learning. It will expand your vocabulary and build an understanding of various writing structures while raising your overall communication level. Students and even professionals take reading skills for granted. You have to have an attentive mind and clear goals. Steps to Improving English Reading Skills involves daily practice, diverse reading, and applying useful strategies. This article explores the various effective steps to improve English reading skills for new readers and professionals.

10. Visualization

After reading the text or the book you have to create an imaginary vision in your mind. About the Characters, any key points, and any event described in that particular text. That is how you bring the text to life. It makes it easier to remember the content.

11. Read Loud and Listen

Always read loudly. Only then you can read and listen at the same time. This is a great practice to learn languages. When you listen to every word and utter it clearly automatically your pronunciation skills get better.

12. Join Reading Group

Knowledge always grows when you share it. Discuss what you have read with your friend and colleague. You can join any reading group online or offline. You can interact with other people, and engage yourself in a deeper conversation. You will get to know different kinds of views about the content. This will widen your imagination and boost your confidence.

13. Review What You Have Read

Finishing a book does not necessarily mean there is nothing to learn more. Do not divert your mind right away, give some time to reflect on that. This is the time to think about what you have learned. Remember which part was the most challenging for you. By this, you can identify where you need to practice more in the future.

14. Context Clues

Whenever you come across a new word or structure, you reach for your dictionary or any online application. But before you do that, try and find out the meaning by yourself. Context clues help understand the meaning of unknown words. They provide clues in the sentence or paragraph that help your understanding.

In conclusion, reading is a valuable skill to learn. It can improve your communication, comprehension, and English proficiency. For students or professionals looking for future growth, improving English will create a path for countless opportunities. Reading each and every day helps to grow vocabulary and develop an understanding of the structure of sentences, grammar, and pronunciation. If you want to improve English reading skills follow the mentioned tips. Learning how to read and speak English helps to grow your career. FastInfo Class® provides professional spoken English course at an affordable cost. You can contact them to bring your spoken fluency in English.