Know that reading books in English will help you improve but you just… can’t… do it? Reading in a language you are learning is challenging. Yet, reading is something that most people enjoy, and it is a great way to improve vocabulary and spelling as well as to broaden your vocabulary. So, why do most learners stop reading a foreign language book not long after they have started it? The answer is quite simple – it’s difficult!
Writers all around the world usually want to keep their readers engaged so they vary their language a lot even when writing about simple situations. This is what makes reading in a foreign language so tough – you come across many different words that perhaps you wouldn’t have come across when listening to people in that language. And, let’s be honest, who has the patience to look up every second word in a dictionary when reading a book? Then it becomes no longer enjoyable and more like hard work!
Luckily, there are wonderful books that will help you take the pain out of reading in English. You will still get all the benefits of reading without needing endless patience and super willpower. These wonderful books are known as ‘graded readers’.
So what exactly are graded readers?
Graded readers are books usually based on original texts that are simplified to make it easier for language learners to understand.
They are graded to various levels i.e. there are graded readers suitable for beginners, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced learners. Each publisher has its own grading system.
So, take the stress out of reading and invest in a few graded readers that are appropriate for your level – make sure you have a good look at the text before purchasing. You should make sure you do not choose anything too difficult or too easy. When you have chosen the right book you can sit back, relax and enjoy reading in English – you will be learning without even realising it!
Some examples of graded readers:
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/courses/macmillan-readers/
https://readers.english.com/catalogue/teens-and-adults
So, take a trip to your local library or a good bookshop to see if they have some readers. There are also many available online – I would make sure you can preview the text first to see if it appropriate for your level.
Happy reading!
