Why Reading is Such an Important English Language Skill

As an online English tutor, I am often asked by my students how they can improve their English. My initial suggestion is that they read more widely and more often. Reading more and widely is a critical component of developing their English speaking and writing abilities (and, indeed, a central part of learning any foreign language).

Yes, I know it can be daunting just picking up an English novel and reading it or just reading an online English article. But then, this is how you as a non-native English speaker will  learn a more extensive English vocabulary and be able to express yourself more confidently in English since you will know more topics and new words. You will be able to hold interesting and engaging topics with people of whatever background.

Maybe you like travelling and like striking up conversations with people whom you have never met before. Many more conversational opportunities will open up for you as you read more in English and so your English learning will speed up and your language skills will improve.

Looking for some book recommendations? Here are 15 classic stories for English learners.

Reading English is an important part of language learning because it helps you develop other related skills like grammar, vocabulary, and writing. Reading allows language learners to explore topics that they love and stories that engage them. 

From my point of view, I love reading philosophy especially metaphysics, which is, is a branch of philosophy that looks at the nature of reality: is the world ”’given” or objective or is it something we construct using our minds? But of course, you can read about any topic in English. You can read about things that interest you or are meaningful for you in some way given your life experiences. An example could be regarding human psychology: how do you feel about yourself and whether you have good self-esteem or not? Do you think well of yourself, are you happy with what you have achieved in your life and are you satisfied with the way you look? Can you tell someone in English how you feel internally so that you can make real connections with people? These sorts of questions will engage the person or people with whom you are having a conversation.

Humans are complex beings. We have different facets to our existence: we have careers, partners and friends as well as distant acquaintances. We also differ regarding language, culture and belief. But in general, I think we desire certain things like acceptance and connection, and if you start to read more widely, your ability to make connections and meaningful contacts with people will improve: you will feel more confident when you try to speak English. Reading opens up so many doors for communication and contact.

The next question I wish to explore involves what sorts of English fiction you should consider reading. There is a whole world of literature available in English as almost all of the most translated books in the world have English versions. Choosing the best book for you can be broken down into two elements: you should try to estimate your overall English ability before you start reading and also what sorts of novels you like to read. If you are a beginner, you should consider reading picture books. If you are an intermediate English student, you should read short stories and relatively short novels that are about subjects that interest you. And finally, if you are at an advanced level you should read Shakespeare (I personally love Julius Caesar and Hamlet because of my interest in Roman history and my love for drama and suspense) and the classics of English literature like ”Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens or ”Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte.

There are many genres of a novel in the English language like romance, science fiction/fantasy and thrillers for example. My preference is for fantasy novels. Perhaps, it is my deep love for the Harry Potter series, but fantasy novels excite and interest me so much. A good fantasy novel opens up your mind to a different world. You realize that the world we live in could be very different from the way it: it is indeed possible that witches and wizards could exist. Of course, they don’t actually exist. But they could. This should tell us something about our world; that is to say, many things could be different. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that the world must be the way it is lest we become dogmatic about certain ideas. By reading fantasy fiction, you start to see the world differently, and in my opinion, you become more open-minded and open to new experiences. I recommend one fantasy series that I have found to be most entertaining. It is a series of fantasy novels written by a novelist called Robin Hobb. They are very well written and constructed stories that will keep your interest as you read.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate the importance of reading English for anyone to wants to improve his/her English. Reading is a joy! It increases your knowledge of the world, your vocabulary and your ability to construct new and interesting sentences. I hope this article has stimulated your interest in developing English reading skills.

If you’re looking for more tips and resources to develop your reading skills, check out our English Reading Guide!