3552. I Insist on Purpose: Reading for Learning a Language Is Great

So we have said that we are about to start a new school year. In some way we have already started it, for we have thought of nice and convenient goals for our students. 

The main star this year may be reading. I mean, we are going to practice all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Yet I want to especially foster and inspire Reading. 

This latter skill helps learn the target language, English in our case. It’s my experience. I also learn English, like my dear students. And reading provides with the language and other cognitive subskills that foster a deep learning. 

Namely I will encourage my students to purchase graded readers, in accordance to their levels. 

Some learners of mine have A2, but most of them comprise B1 through C1 – I’m referring to CEFR levels of a language, where CEFR stands for Common European Framework of Reference for languages. A1 and A2 are basic, B1 and B2 are intermediate, and C1 and C2 are advanced.

I will tell my students to get graded readers, but a few of them can understand and read unabridged books. 

That is something you for sure will encounter in the adult classroom: You will have somewhat varied levels of English. 

As well I’m saying to my learners that they should dedicate some time to reading at home, if they can. 

When reading you gain several good things: Pleasure at reading, vocabulary, grammar, you think in English because you do not translate into Spanish, you learn about interesting human topics, you learn about human values if reading classics, you learn humanities, you interact with the writer in some way, you both learn and acquire the language, etc. 

Reading is a clever skill for learning a language – though you have to practice the other three language skills too: Listening, Speaking, and Writing. 

I have some nice enthusiasm with this starting school year, in spite of the problems we will face because of the Covid-19 pandemics. Have a nice week. 

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