Would you like to improve your English more effectively? One of the most important things about learning English is the law of contact. Frequent contact with English will help you develop your comprehension skills quickly.
A powerful contact activity you can use to help you learn and practice English is reading. Here are 3 tips to get you started:
Tip #1: Just Read.
I know, that’s deep. But seriously: how often do you read in English? I have many friends and students who want to improve their English, but they don’t do anything outside of class to work on it.
Remember: learning English is a marathon. It requires regular training, and reading is one of the best ways you can get your English into shape.
Tip #2: Read with your kids or friends.
I am working on my Spanish skills, so I totally understand how hard it can be to learn English sometimes.
I love to read with my kids. Their first language is Spanish, so many of our books are also in Spanish. Each night we try to read a chapter or two together.
Tonight, as I was reading a difficult chapter about pirate adventures, a cool thing happened. I got stuck! There was a word I didn’t know how to say. After several failed attempts, my oldest son happily came to the rescue. It was a great moment for me because I got to read with my family. My family got to teach me something, and I got to learn something new. Everyone won!
Bonus: how can you turn quality time into opportunities to grow?
Tip #3: Take advantage of ‘dead time.’
Look at your schedule. Where do you have ‘dead time?’ Commutes are the perfect example. At times in my English teaching career, I have spent up to 4 hours per day on busses or the subway. That’s not wasted time!
If you’re prepared, that is 4 hours of learning and development time JUST FOR YOU.
I love to think of long commutes as my ‘mobile university.’ Maybe you can too. REMEMBER to take your favorite English book or magazine with you, and get practicing as you bump along on your way to wherever you are going. 1. Time will pass faster. 2. You’ll be getting some great English practice in at the same time.
Over to you: how are you learning English by reading?
