It’s difficult for anybody to consistently do something once on a daily basis. Perseverance, passion, and determination alone may not be enough to keep you moving forward. Thus, it’s important to first find a way to push yourself to do something consistently. So today, I am going to tell you the reasons you should consistently read English texts and tips on how to keep it up. I hope you start reading English texts after reading this! First, I will explain why you should read English texts, and then provide some good tips on how to keep reading them!
Why should we read English texts?
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Reading English textbooks is the most effective way to immerse yourself in English!
You will come across many English words when reading an English text. As such, you can absorb a large amount of words much more efficiently in the same amount of time than memorizing a vocabulary list or listening. The amount of words you can learn from listening to English conversations basically depends on how fast the speaker is. Yet no matter how fast they speak, it is about 150 words per minute, which is a small amount compared to reading a book. If you read an English textbook, not only will you get exposed to more English, but you will also be able to learn idioms, sentence structures, and grammar, all of which is difficult to grasp through listening alone. The more you are exposed to English, the more likely you are to get better at it. It is said that your English competency is essentially will multiply with the combination of knowledge and experience! Instead of approaching English learning too academically like all the previous learning methods, how about accumulating experience and knowledge by reading English texts?
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The effects of natural repetition
As you read English texts, there will be many recurring expressions and words. This is because the character has a characteristic tone of voice and mannerisms. Due to this, you will naturally come across the same words or sentence structures, and you can learn from all this repetition. As you read the, you can say to yourself, ‘You use this expression in this kind of situation’ or ‘So that’s the meaning of this word’. For example, in the prologue, if the protagonist buys a drawer and it breaks down, then the next scene mentions the drawer again, we come to understand the word “drawer”. After reading the book, the word “drawers” has to end up in your head at some point, right? This is also an advantage that cannot be obtained through general textbooks or listening drills. There is no better way to learn a language than repetition. So, after reading an entire text, you will have memorized quite a lot of words!
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Learn to express yourself naturally
English books, especially novels, are a great way to learn natural English expressions. If you think about reading a novel in Korean, you can come across various dialogues, metaphors, monologues, etc., right? That is why, by reading English texts, you can learn natural English expressions to convey thoughts and feelings. Apparently, in Korean-style English education, which is centered around exams, most texts are written in a rigid style, and there is more informational content rather than natural conversations. As a result, many people find it difficult to learn natural and everyday expressions, as they are never exposed to anything outside of exams. If you have these problems too, then reading the English application will help you greatly!
5 ways to keep reading English texts
Reading English texts is an effective learning method, but you need to keep reading without giving up keeping improving your skills. It may be difficult to read just one book, but if you read that one book several times and then repeat the process for another book, your English skills will improve significantly over time! Then, let’s take a look at 5 ways to make reading an English text a habit.
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Choose a book that suits your level.
If you pick and read a book that suits your level, you don’t have to give up or invest too much time because it’s too difficult. Then you will be able to continue reading naturally, right? To determine which book is right for your level, check whether you can understand 80% or more of the content without a dictionary.
Even if you think that a book is too easy, it is better to put down your pride for a while when studying. It will give you a much greater sense of accomplishment as you gradually increase your level when you start off with an easy book. English is not our native language, so it is only natural that it is difficult. Unlike other methods, if you study through English texts, you can find a book that suits your level. Even an American elementary school level book can be the best place to start if it fits your level!
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Set specific goals.
The next step is to make your goals specific. Without a goal, there is no plan, and consequently no will either. Even small things are difficult to get motivated about without concrete goals, so goals are essential to meet the challenge of reading English texts.
Therefore, it is recommended to set a vague goal, , such as “Read the entire book by this month”, to a specific goal, such as “Read a half by Wednesday” or “Read 20 pages today”.
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Don’t search for words in the middle of a sentence, try to understand them by the context.
As you read a book, you may come across a lot of words you don’t know. It doesn’t help to stop reading and look up words every time that happens because you interrupt your flow. Besides, words have to be repeated several times anyway to be memorized! Switching back and forth between reading a book and looking up a word can distract you and make the whole process take too long.
First of all, don’t get too hung up on unfamiliar words, and focus on reading at your own pace. Even if you don’t know the word, understanding the sentence in context is much more helpful than just memorizing the word. It will be more effective in developing your English thinking and sentence comprehension than memorizing dictionary definitions.
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Read all you need to read in a day and sort out the words you don’t know.
As mentioned earlier, looking up a word in the middle of reading can get in the way of your learning. After you’ve finished reading for the day, I recommend that you look up words you do not know, organize them separately, and then memorize them. Finding and organizing the words you came across on the same day can help you remember them longer. This will also help you grasp the content more concretely. If you do not bother organize the words after reading or organize them after too much time has passed, the learning effect will probably decrease, right? So, make sure to include not only reading but also organizing your vocabulary list as goals for the day!
When you look up a word, use an English-English dictionary to find it, understand the meaning, and memorize it. Korean-English dictionaries cannot capture the unique feeling of English words. For now, you may think that using a Korean-English dictionary will help you learn quickly. However, if you memorize through a Korean-English dictionary, you cannot apply what you learnt to actual sentences, and there is a certain limit to how you can use words. Conversely, if you use an English-English dictionary, you can learn English as it is. So, for those who have a basic knowledge of English words, I recommend using an English-English dictionary rather than a Korean-English dictionary to provide a solid foundation to your development.
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Let’s make a sentence using the words you organized earlier.
Once you’ve sorted out all the unfamiliar words, try learning them again by making sentences with those words. The main objective of reading English texts is to become more accustomed to English, so just reading through a book once is not the end of the process. Rather, you should focus on the process of digesting the new information and make it yours.
I hope that you will continue to read English texts by following the 5 methods I gave you today!
If you find it difficult to read an English text or finding a book that suits you, you can get help from AmazingTalker ! There are many tutors at AmazingTalker, who can help you choose a text and understand its contents. Also, you can practice using the newly learned words with your tutors at AmazingTalker! So I hope you all have a nice day. See you next time!
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