 
As I talk to students and teachers, I'm often asked the same question: "What should I read to improve my English?" The simplest answer is everything!
Anyone who wants to improve his or her English should take every opportunity not just to read, but also to learn new things from newspapers, magazines, books, and even advertising copy and song lyrics. Improving English is best done in context. This means that instead of trying to read the dictionary to learn new words, it's better to find new vocabulary while reading. This has the advantage of learning groups of related words and ideas—and learning them in a more enjoyable way.
Too many students concentrate only on reading materials that may help them pass tests. They ignore opportunities to read for the variety of other reasons.
Reading for other reasons is a new idea for many students. Students are mostly familiar with reading for school and reading for pleasure. Teachers are familiar with other reasons, such as reading to build up vocabulary and reading for a general idea or specific information. But there are still many other reasons—and motivations—for reading.
When I was twelve, I was given three large boxes of science fiction novels. At first, I read for pleasure, imagining myself as the hero of various space expeditions. But, after reading for this first purpose-to understand the plot—I slowly became more interested in re-reading the books and exploring the ideas in science fiction. Were such things possible? If not, why not? Much of science fiction is fantasy, but the fantasy is often based on scientific fact. And, of course, much of what was science fiction a few years ago is reality today.
Not everyone is interested in science fiction, but everyone is interested in something. Often, finding what is worth reading depends on looking at yourself and thinking about what you enjoy or want to know more about.
- Do you enjoy solving problems? Perhaps you would appreciate mystery or detective novels like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes cases.
- Are you interested in human nature? Perhaps romances and relationship novels by Jane Austen or Mark Twain would appeal to you.
- Do you have a special interest, such as playing chess? Did you know that stories such as Alice in Wonderland feature games of chess that you can actually play, move by move?
- Are you adventurous? If so, you may also prefer adventure in what you read, like Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
All of these classics can be ordered online at the Penguin Readers website:
www.penguinreaders.com/pr/index.html.
The father of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney, talked about Treasure Island to explain the value of reading. "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island ... and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life."
What about non-fiction? Again the secret of finding something worth reading is to examine yourself, thinking about what you know and enjoy as well as what you don't know and need to learn more about.
- Do you want to travel someday? Besides guidebooks there are stories by travelers like
Marco Polo.
- Are you unsure of your future career? Read what great people, such as Nobel Prize winners, have said about their lives and work.
- Are you curious about the stories behind myths, idioms and expressions? Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable explains many of them in entertaining ways.
- Do you want to understand how things work? References online are only a short search away. (www.howstuffworks.com)
Read extensively, talk about what you read and write about it in your reading diary. Your English will improve in useful and interesting ways. Read at every opportunity, taking every opportunity to learn as well. Remember the words of the Duke of Wellington: "Wise people learn when they can; fools learn when they must."
|
