PROPOSAL SELECTED READING (example) Ackerman, D. (2014). Planets in the sky with diamonds. In G.H. Muller (Ed.), The McGraw-Hill reader: Issues across the disciplines pp. 114-117. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill. SELECTED PROMPT (my own) What role does interest in science play in the development of reading skills? ABSTRACT Reading regularly will help people in all walks of life to strengthen their writing and reading abilities. Research has shown that at least twenty minutes of reading each day, regardless of the type of material, offers innumerable benefits for those who lack strong reading and comprehension skills. Reading also provides learners for whom English is a foreign language the opportunity to engage with the English language and to strengthen their communication skills. This paper will seek to argue that more people should read in order to gain stronger writing abilities. Reading at least twenty minutes per day will help strengthen vocabulary, reading speed, and general understanding. This research is important because it highlights some valuable ways to enhance one’s tools of communication, both in writing and speaking, which can increase a job seeker’s viability in the workplace. Previous research on this topic did not consider EFL learners so this research will fill that gap and help future researchers to more firmly establish the viability of reading as a method for enhancing language skills across the board. Reading, in the context of this research, will include all forms of reading material such as academic journals, short stories, poetry, and graphic novels. THESIS STATEMENT Active reading should be a primary method of learning because it supports strong communication skills in the workplace, enhances EFL learner’s transition from the native language to the adopted one, and promotes a tangible experience not found in social media engagement. SOURCES Abraham, M. (2017). The rabbit in the hat: Literature as psychology. Journal of literary studies, 24(3). 427-449. This source argues that reading enhances major communication skills that can be useful in all avenues of one’s life. It stipulates that reading should not be condensed solely to academic publications but can include non-academic sources such as newspapers and blogs. It does consider that learners for whom English is not a primary language may have a more difficult time understanding language when using non-academic sources prior to fully understanding the nuances of English. One of the counterarguments that is offered is that the availability of social media does make it easier and more enjoyable to read. However, the material commonly found in social media entries is not academic or generally written with professional communication skills in mind. Within the article, there are statistics related to reading comprehension at all levels from kindergarten to post-graduate study as well as further statist ...