reading

1. READING HELPS AT SCHOOL
READING HELPS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORLD
READING CAN HELP IN LEARNING SKILLS
READING EXPANDS OUR VOCABULARY
READING IS GREAT ENTERTAINMENT
I will list here a number to alert you to the power that reading has for the skilled learner:
• Reading to see how the language fits together.
Let’s say you have an issue with the English articles ( a, an & the). Try reading a piece of text
that is an easy comprehension level for you and then find every article. Then go over each one
and try to understand why they are the way they are.
• Reading to see how language flows.
Sometimes in different cultures people develop arguments in different ways. This is especially
true in non-fiction writing. However, sometimes even in the same culture this can happen,
especially between the women and men!
• Reading for punctuation.
Every punctuation mark has a different purpose ( sometimes even more than one) By being
observant it is possible to find out their uses
• Reading for vocabulary.
Many language learners run to a bilingual dictionary as soon as they come across an unfamiliar
word. Don’t be so hasty next time and see if you can guess the meaning from context.
• Reading for style.
There are many styles of writing, compare the style of a newspaper for example to a magazine,
to a textbook. All this can be understood by the reader who pays attention to more than just the
meaning.

2. • Reading for emotional content.
Different texts can engender a feeling of warmth, or a sense of sadness, or of apprehension.
Read carefully and see what devices are used.
• Reading to see what differentiates the written language from the spoken language.
You will need to pay careful attention to see if what you hear/say from other is the same as what
you read/write.
• Reading aloud to yourself, starting with really easy books.
There are many elements to work at when you are reading: timing, articulation, tones, your
breath, etc

3. Tips and Tricks
Here are some scaffolding tips for finding and using good foreign-language reading materials:
Start basic and small. Children’s books are great practice for beginners, as are software programs with
short sentences or passages that allow you to listen to accompanying audio. (Try “Charlotte’s Web” in
Spanish, or the BBC’s “Learn French” series.) Don’t try to dive into a novel or newspaper too early, since
it can be discouraging (or might take too long to constantly look up every word you see!).
Read things you’ve already read in your native language. Even if you last read something 15 years ago,
the fact that you at least know the gist of it will help you tremendously to pick up context clues and
implicitly learn new vocabulary and grammatical constructions. Otherwise, if you get lost in a new story
in a foreign language, it is difficult to recover.
Read books with their accompanying audiobooks. Reading just a single book while listening to the
accompanying audio — even if you don’t understand everything completely — will dramatically improve
your “ear training” and habituate you to the general speed and cadence of a native speaker.
Alternatively, using an audiobook alone (if you are a beginner) risks completely missing certain words
that you might have otherwise recognized.

4. 1. Reading can help prevent Alzheimer's.
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that older people who read
regularly are two and a half times less likely to have Alzheimer's. While that doesn't mean reading alone
will prevent Alzheimer's, it does suggest that there's a correlation between intellectual pursuits, like
reading, and prevention.
2. Being a reader means you're more likely to learn something new, like whether or not your cat is
trying to kill you.
Anne E. Cunningham wrote a paper called, "What Reading Does For The Mind," and discovered that
being an avid reader actually does make you smarter. It not only helps you retain information, but also
helps you maintain that knowledge through old age. Whether or not you're aware of it, reading fills your
head with new information, and you never know when it will come in handy... Looking at you, Colonel
Meow.
3. People who read are more likely to vote, exercise, and be more cultural.
A study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that people who regularly read are much more
likely to be engaged civically and culturally. Which means reading actually makes you win at life.
4. Reading a book reduces stress, and puts you in a better mood.
When you read, it transports you and your worried mind to another place, so you won't feel so
overwhelmed with the hardships of everyday life. And a 2009 study found that reading for just six
minutes can reduce stress levels up to 68%. Read on, anxious ones!
5. Reading can be therapeutic.
According to Cristel Russell, a consumer behavior researcher at American University, reading a book—
much like listening to a song, or watching a movie—can be a way to relive past experiences and gain new
perspective. So, if you're going through a breakup and read a book in which the characters are
experiencing something similar, it can give you insight.
6. Having trouble remembering where you put those keys?

5. Reading enhances your memory.
Every time you read, you create a new memory of what you've read—essentially exercising your memory
muscles. With each new memory, your brain forges new synapses, strengthens existing ones, and helps
to keep your memory sharp.
8. Reading helps to boost your analytical thinking.
That's right, future lawyers and doctors! The more you read, the better you're able to spot patterns,
which helps to build those analytical thinking skills.
9. Reading expands your vocabulary, so you'll sound like a smartie.
The more books you crack open, the more words you'll be exposed to. Those words will eventually find a
place in your own vocabulary. And since all of us need to use words at some point in our careers, reading
makes it more likely that you'll be promoted faster.
10. Opening a book makes you a better writer.
A study at the University of California, Riverside, found that when you're exposed to a great novel, the
writing of that author will inevitably rub off on your own skills. The same way that listening to music can
influence your own style, so does a great book.
11. Fiction books increase your ability to empathize with others.
A study done out of the University of Buffalo proved that even though fiction is about an imaginary
world, through reading you're able to conceive of other possibilities, and a life beyond your own insular
one. In other words, you may never have traveled to Europe, but by reading about a culture other than
your own it helps you to understand their way of life. In that way, it helps you to empathize with other
people and connect with different culture.
12. People who read are more likely to get ahead when it comes to their careers, and life in general.
Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Director for the National Year of Reading, said that reading "opens doors and
makes life easier, so at the end of the day it doesn't matter what you read. What's more, it really can
make you feel good!"

6. Reading enhances your memory.
Every time you read, you create a new memory of what you've read—essentially exercising your memory
muscles. With each new memory, your brain forges new synapses, strengthens existing ones, and helps
to keep your memory sharp.
8. Reading helps to boost your analytical thinking.
That's right, future lawyers and doctors! The more you read, the better you're able to spot patterns,
which helps to build those analytical thinking skills.
9. Reading expands your vocabulary, so you'll sound like a smartie.
The more books you crack open, the more words you'll be exposed to. Those words will eventually find a
place in your own vocabulary. And since all of us need to use words at some point in our careers, reading
makes it more likely that you'll be promoted faster.
10. Opening a book makes you a better writer.
A study at the University of California, Riverside, found that when you're exposed to a great novel, the
writing of that author will inevitably rub off on your own skills. The same way that listening to music can
influence your own style, so does a great book.
11. Fiction books increase your ability to empathize with others.
A study done out of the University of Buffalo proved that even though fiction is about an imaginary
world, through reading you're able to conceive of other possibilities, and a life beyond your own insular
one. In other words, you may never have traveled to Europe, but by reading about a culture other than
your own it helps you to understand their way of life. In that way, it helps you to empathize with other
people and connect with different culture.
12. People who read are more likely to get ahead when it comes to their careers, and life in general.
Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Director for the National Year of Reading, said that reading "opens doors and
makes life easier, so at the end of the day it doesn't matter what you read. What's more, it really can
make you feel good!"