English Reading Skills

Introduction to Reading

Reading Skills Guide

Why reading is important and how you can do it better

English Alphabet

How to recognize English letters aA to zZ, including fonts and alphabetical order.

Reading Test

Check how well you understand written English with this online test.

Reading Practice

A collection of printable short stories for young learners of English (elementary to upper-intermediate). With audio and exercises.

Read about Sports

Read about sports like football, basketball, tennis, golf and baseball. Includes history, how to play and famous players. With vocabulary and quizzes.

Read about Music

Read about your favorite singers and groups, including pop, rock, country, soul, hip hop and dance music. With videos and vocabulary lists.

Read about Movies

Read about your favorite movies including horror movies, sci-fi, drama, action and documentaries. With videos and vocabulary lists.

Read about Environmental Issues

Texts and reading exercises for learners passionate about the environment, for example pollution and endangered species.

Read about Health Issues

Texts and reading exercises for learners who like to follow health issues, with topics including organic foods and the dangers of trans fats.

Driver less Cars Coming Soon

Read about progress in the development of autonomous vehicles and try the online quiz to check your understanding.

Short Stories

A selection of short stories for upper-intermediate to advanced learners, some with vocabulary and comprehension quizzes.

Classic Texts

Short, famous texts to read in English from classic sources like the Bible or Shakespeare. With word definitions and explanations to help you

Reading Exercises

Topic-based reading exercises, each one including a reading text, pre-reading vocab, comprehension/vocab quizzes and suggested discussion questions

Selected Proverbs

Here are some traditional sayings that are well known to English speakers. Some of them come from other languages, but they are frequently used in English.

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Why should I read for English Reading Practice?

Why should I read for English Reading Practice ?

Every student that is preparing for various entrance exams has one central question dominating his thought process: how does improve one’s reading comprehension skills? And one answer that we all know is: by doing English reading practice, right? But the next important and logical question is that what should you read to do English Reading Practice? The answer to this question is one word: Variety. It is very important to read from different sources to do English Reading Practice. The various sources could be:

Newspapers
Magazines
Novels
Blogs
In this daily reads section, we provide you articles from different sources for your English Reading Practice. Read these articles to practice.
Also keep in mind that a good vocabulary is of a great help while solving reading comprehensions. For this purpose, we have provided the difficult words in these articles so that you can understand the context and meaning of the words. This one tip can also come in handy when you do English reading practice. Note down the difficult words and find their meaning. You can also try to guess the meaning of the word in context.

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PERFECT ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION

             

       How to improve English pronunciation

There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, however there are some ways you can practise more effectively and improve your skills faster. Follow our ten top tips, start improving your pronunciation today and take a step closer towards your goal of perfect English pronunciation.

• Listen to yourself
• Slow down!
• Picture it…
• Get physical!
• Watch yourself
• Copy the experts
• Practice English alone
• Find a language buddy
• Pay attention to intonation and stress
• Sing a song!
  

Listen to yourself

It’s often difficult to hear pronunciation errors in your own speech because you are concentrating actually communicating rather than the sound you are making. If you can’t hear your pronunciation problems, it’s tough to correct them. Try recording your speech with your smartphone or PC and making a note of specific areas you need to improve on

Slow down!

Many English learners think that speaking fluently means they need to speak fast. This is wrong. Speaking too fast reinforces bad habits and makes the speaker sound nervous and indecisive. Speaking slowly will give you time to breathe properly and think about what you want to say next. Because it gives you time to think while you are speaking, you’ll feel more relaxed and be able to concentrate on making your English sound fantastic.

Picture it…

Close your eyes and think about how to make a sound before saying it. Visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. If you have studied with the phonemic chart, think about the sound you are making and how it relates to other English phonemes. If you have used diagrams of the mouth and tongue, think about the shape you need to make inside your mouth if you want to make the sound correctly.

Get physical!

Pronunciation is a physical skill. You’re teaching your mouth a new way to move and using different muscles. Focus on difficult sounds each day. Having trouble with ‘th’? Put your tongue between your teeth (don’t bite down) and blow air out of your mouth. Feel the air move over the top of your tongue.

Watch yourself

Stand in front of a mirror to see the placement of your tongue, lips, and shape of your mouth when you make certain sounds. Compare what you see with a video of a native-speaker saying the same thing.

Copy the experts

There’s no replacement for learning pronunciation from the experts – native-speakers. So listen! Listen to English radio programs and watch television and movies in English. Imitate what you’re hearing – even if you’re not sure what they’re saying yet.

Practice English alone

Pronunciation problems persist because we’re afraid to make mistakes. Create scenarios – meeting someone for the first time, ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions – then act out the dialogue by yourself. Don’t be shy.

Find a language buddy

Getting feedback from an outside observer is crucial. Find a friend who’s also interested in improving their English. Try exchanging recorded messages so you can listen closely to each other’s pronunciation.

Pay attention to intonation and stress

Good pronunciation is more than just mastering individual sounds. It’s also understanding intonation (the rise and fall of the voice) and stress (some sounds in words and some words in sentences are louder or clearer than others). Read poems, speeches and songs aloud, concentrating on the word stress and intonation.

Sing a song!

Learn the words to popular English songs and sing along. Singing helps you relax and just get those words out, as well as helping your rhythm and intonation. Because you don’t need to concentrate on constructing sentences for yourself, you can concentrate on making your pronunciation sound great!

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IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS

     

         IMPROVE YOUR LEARNING SKILLS

Learning is a skill and it can be improved.

Your path to learning effectively is through knowing

• yourself
• your capacity to learn
• processes you have successfully used in the past
• your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn.
  
  

  SET YOURSELF ACHIEVABLE GOALS

  You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.
  Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.
  Here are some goals you could set yourself:-
  • Join an English course - a virtual one or a real one (and attend regularly).
  • Do your homework.
  • Read a book or a comic every month.
  • Learn a new word every day.
  • Visit an English speaking forum or social media page, every day.
  • Read a news article on the net every day.
  • Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
  • Watch an English film at least once a month.
  • Follow a soap, comedy, radio or TV drama.
  A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.
  Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month.
  • A bottle of your favorite drink
  • A meal out / or a nice meal at home
  • A new outfit
    
    

    MOTIVATE YOURSELF

    If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-
    • Why do you need to learn/improve English?
    • Where will you need to use English?
    • What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
    • How soon do you need to see results?
    • How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
    • How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
    • Do you have a plan or learning strategy?
      
      

      Understanding how you learn best may also help you.

      There are different ways to learn. Find out what kind of learner you are in order to better understand how to learn more effectively..

      The visual learner

      Do you need to see your teacher during lessons in order to fully understand the content of a lesson?
      Do you prefer to sit at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads)?
      Do you think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flashcards and hand-outs? 
      During a lecture or classroom discussion, do you prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information?
      !Learning Tip - you may benefit from taking part in traditional English lessons, but maybe private lessons would be better.

      The auditory learner

      Do you learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say?
      Do you interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances?
      Does written information have little meaning until you hear it?
      !Learning Tip - you may benefit from listening to the radio or listening to text as you read it. You could try reading text aloud and using a tape recorder to play it back to yourself.

      OTHER ENGLISH LEARNING TIPS

      Travel to an English speaking country:-
      • England, America, Australia, Canada, South Africa, one of them is only a few hours away from you.
      • Specialist holidays are available to improve your English.
      • Take an English speaking tour or activity holiday.
      Spend your time on things that interest you. If you like cooking then buy an English-language cookbook or find recipes on the net and practice following the recipes. You'll soon know if you have made a mistake!
      Keep something English on you (book, newspaper or magazine, cassette, set of flashcards) all day and every day, you never know when you might have 5 spare minutes.
      If you are too tired to actively practice just relax and listen to a story in English, an English pop song or talk radio station.
      Get onto Google Plus, Skype, other social networks, or be really adventurous and start socializing in Virtual Worlds.
      Start networking with native speakers / teachers and other learners.

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       Learn English on Your Own

Learning a language like English can be very difficult. To learn it by yourself must be even more difficult.

But what if there was an easy way that you could learn English on your own?

Learning a new language like English can be a challenge, but with regular study it can be done. Classes are important, but so is disciplined practice. It can even be fun. Here are some guidelines to help you improve your reading and comprehension skills and become a better English student.

Study Every Day

Learning any new language is a time-consuming process, more than 300 hours by some estimates. Rather than try and cram a few hours of review in once or twice a week, most experts say short, regular study sessions are more effective. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you improve your English skills over time.

Keep Things Fresh

Instead of focusing on one single task for the entire study session, try mixing things up. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Don't do too much, 20 minutes on three different exercises is plenty. The variety will keep you engaged and make studying more fun.

Read, Watch, and Listen. A lot.

Reading English-language newspapers and books, listening to music, or watching TV can also help you improve your written and verbal comprehension skills. By doing so repeatedly, you'll begin to unconsciously absorb things like pronunciation, speech patterns, accents, and grammar. (Scientists call this phenomenon "indirect" learning). Keep pen and paper handy and write down words you read or hear that are unfamiliar. Then, do some research to learn what those new words mean. Use them the next time you are role-playing dialogue in class.

Learn the Sounds Separately

Non-native English speakers sometimes struggle with certain word pronunciations because they do not have similar sounds in their native tongue. Likewise, two words may be spelled very similarly, yet be pronounced quite different (for instance, "tough" and "though"). Or you may encounter combinations of letters where one of them is silent (for example, the K in "knife"). You can find plenty of English pronunciation videos on YouTube, such as this one on using words that begin with L and R. 

Watch Out for Homophones

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way, but are spelled differently and/or have different meanings. There are a number of homophones in the English language, which is one of the reasons why it can so challenging to learn. Consider this sentence: "Pack your clothes, then close the suitcase." Both "clothes" and "close" sound the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Practice Your Prepositions

Even advanced students of English can struggle to learn prepositions, which are used to describe duration, position, direction, and relationships between objects. There are literally dozens of prepositions in the English language (some of the most common include "of," "on," and "for") and few hard rules for when to use them. Instead, experts say, the best way to learn prepositions to memorize them and practice using them in sentences. Study lists such as this one are a good place to begin. 

Play Vocabulary and Grammar Games

You can also improve your English skills by playing vocabulary games that are related to what you're studying in class. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focus on vacations, take a moment to think about your last trip and what you did. Make a list of all the words you might use to describe your activities.

You can play a similar game with grammar reviews. For example, if you are going to study conjugating verbs in the past tense, stop to think about what you did last weekend. Make a list of the verbs you use and review the various tenses. Don't be afraid to consult reference materials if you get stuck. These two exercises will help you prepare for class by making you think critically about vocabulary and usage.

Write It Down

Repetition is key as you're learning English, and writing exercises are a great way to practice. Take 30 minutes at the end of class or study to write down what happened during your day. It doesn't matter whether you use a computer or pen and paper. By making a habit of writing, you'll find your reading and comprehension skills improve over time.

Once you're comfortable writing about your day, challenge yourself and have some fun with creative writing exercises. Choose a photo from a book or magazine and describe it in a short paragraph, or write a short story or poem about someone you know well. You can also practice your letter-writing skills. You'll have fun and become a better English student. You may even discover you've got a talent for writing.

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Native English speakers part 1

   

     Advice for native English speakers

Even native English speakers should practice for IELTS before taking the test. Make the most of our free resources and tips.

It’s natural to be nervous before taking a test, and this applies to native English speakers too. In fact, some native English speakers score less well on their test than other test takers. 

Even if you speak English fluently, it’s essential to practice for IELTS so there are no unpleasant surprises on the day of your test.

Our advice to native English speakers is to:

• Familiar yourself with the format of the test. 
• Take some of our free practice tests.
• Practice your test technique.
• Remember, each part of the test will be timed so make sure you practice in timed conditions.
• Understand what happens on test day so you’re completely prepared and can focus on getting the result you want. 

Don't leave it to chance

IELTS is one of the world’s most respected English language tests. Our testing system is designed to ensure that all test takers – even native English speakers – can excel in their career, studies or new life abroad.

To achieve the best score in your test, it’s vital to prepare well – even if you have a good track record with exams. 

Here are some of the points you'll need to consider when taking IELTS:

• You’ll need to listen very carefully for specific information in the Listening test
• You’ll be asked to carry out tasks that you may never have done before in the Reading and Writing tests.
• In the Speaking test, you will have to speak fluently and coherently on a topic, regardless of whether you find it interesting.
• Remember, each part of the test will be timed, so practice in timed conditions.

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Native English speakers part 2

  

Advice for Native               English Speakers

Whether or not you think learning a language other than English is valuable, it's true that English has become the language of international communication. But that doesn't let native English speakers off the hook.
Namely, they could learn from instruction in linguistics and the history of English, which would expose them to the varieties of English that are spoken by people with another mother tongue. At any given time, the vast majority of English used on the planet is spoken and written by people who aren't native speakers and who may have learned it as adults. It may be their second or third language. Their interactions will tend to be with other non-native speakers. They'll say things in ways that you don't say them in your version of English.

So if you're a native speaker of English and that's your only language, accommodating your ear and your speech to those users of the global lingua franca is a cultural and linguistic skill. It requires practice; you don't automatically get it by virtue of being a native speaker. You have to learn how to hear around accents, word choices and grammatical patterns. You have to learn to suspend your judgments of what may seem like deviations and errors, because in a particular variety of English, those things may be perfectly acceptable. You also have to understand how other people's mother tongues, educational systems and community histories influence the English they speak. You should also learn how to say the culturally appropriate thing about their native languages and the fact that you don't yourself speak them.

Once you've gone that far, you might decide to go ahead and study another language, as well. It's always a worthwhile investment, in both economic and cognitive terms, even if the value isn't immediately calculable.

    10 Tips TO SUCCESS FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS

Break it down then build it up

To speak English well, you need to be able to do several things at the same time: know (and choose) suitable vocabulary, use the right grammar and sentence patterns, and produce the correct sounds, stress patterns, rhythm and intonation. Work on these individual elements separately then practice putting them together to make your speech more accurate and fluent.

Learn to interact

A conversation is an interaction with another person, and involves listening as well as talking. Check that the other person is following, by using conversation strategies like emphasizing key words, rephrasing, or using expressions like ‘You know what I mean?’ or ‘Don’t you agree?’ Give the other person a chance to speak and use their answers and to help you think about what to say next.

Use your body

Non-verbal communication is very important for effective speaking, even for native English speakers. Use gestures, body language and facial expressions for explanation or emphasis, and try to read what the other person’s body language is saying. Think about your posture, too – the way you stand or sit can make the difference between seeming bored or interested in what your conversation partner is saying.

Sing a song!

Music is a great way to improve your speaking skills, practice the rhythm of the language and learn some useful expressions. Look up the lyrics (song words) to your favorite English songs on the Internet, and then practicing singing aloud. If you’re shy, sing at home alone. If you’re more outgoing, get together with some friends and do a bit of English karaoke.

Be brave

You need the right attitude to improve your English. Look for every opportunity to practice speaking, like talking to people at parties, approaching a foreigner who looks lost, or just putting up your hand when your teacher asks a question. Remember, every mistake is an opportunity to learn, so don’t be afraid of making some slips from time to time.

Think in English

This is a great way to improve your spoken English, and you can do it anywhere, anytime. At home, you can talk to yourself while doing everyday tasks like preparing a meal. If you are on the train or bus, then describe the people around you (in your head, not aloud!), and when you go to sleep, go over the day’s events in English.

Record yourself speaking

Even though you might not like hearing your own voice, this is a very useful way to find out what’s wrong with your spoken English. Record yourself speaking and then listen to the tape, or ask a native speaker for some advice. Look for positive things, too. Make a note of all the things you do well when you speak English. If you are ever feeling unmotivated, look at the things you do well to feel great about speaking English again.

Keep a speaking journal

Record your thoughts in English before you go to sleep at night. You can play the tape at the end of the year to look back on important events, as well as monitor your English progress. If you can’t keep a speaking journal, write it instead. Make a note of all the conversations you had in English along with aspects you did well and things you could improve on. Use this to track your progress throughout the year and set yourself new goals.

Take extra classes

If you feel you need extra practice and want to interact with other English learners, why not join a language class? There are plenty of language schools around, or even online courses. Don’t think you can learn to speak on the Internet? In EF English Live’s teacher-led classes, all you need is a headset and microphone to talk to the world!

Find English-speaking friends

If you are really serious about becoming a good English speaker, you need to meet people you can speak to in English. This does NOT only mean native-speakers, though. English is spoken by many more people as a second language than as a native language, and being able to understand different accents is very important. Start an English coffee club with your friends where you meet and have a chat in English. You can help each other and have fun practicing together.

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