What to read: tips for English learners

by Tomasz P. Szynalski
  1. Read fun things. The most important thing is to choose texts that you care about. If you can't stop reading, that means you've chosen a good text. It does not have to be intellectual, it does not have to improve your knowledge of science or history. Don't feel guilty about reading comics, magazines, detective stories, romances, blogs, etc. (related article by Stephen Krashen)
  2. Read "n+1" texts. What does it mean? If your current English level is n, you should choose texts that are one level above, but not more. You want to learn something, but you don't want to come across a new word or grammar structure 3 times in each sentence. There's a simple rule here: if you're not enjoying the text, switch to an easier one.
  3. Read texts written in "everyday" English. If you want to use contemporary, natural English, you have to learn contemporary, natural phrases. Not all texts contain such phrases. Many books contain literary phrases that are simply not used by normal educated native speakers, for example:
    “Wherever he came a madness filled our foes, but fear fell on our boldest, so that horse and man gave way and fled”
    --Lord of the Rings
    In addition, older books (e.g. Pride and Prejudice) contain obsolete words and grammar. Therefore, if you are choosing from among several fun, "n+1" texts, you should choose those written in a simpler, more contemporary style. Thrillers (e.g. Jurassic Park, The Da Vinci Code) often contain lots of dialogue in natural spoken English. Forums and blogs are even better, because they are often written in a conversational style (people writing the way they speak). Of course, if you really want to read Lord of the Rings, do it. The most important thing is to have fun!
  4. Read the kind of sentences that you want to write or say yourself. Want to learn to talk about computers in English? Read a computer forum or a technology blog. Want to write scientific papers? Read scientific papers. Want to write business letters in English? Read business letters. (As you read, stop and notice useful phrases. If you use spaced-repetition software, add them to your collection.)

  5. Start by reading texts by the same author (or texts on the same subject). Each author has his/her own vocabulary and grammar. For example, when you read a book by Michael Crichton, you come across a lot of scientific vocabulary. Afterwards, it is easier to read another Michael Crichton novel than to read a book by a different author.

    If you are a beginner reader, jumping from author to author (or topic to topic) can cause frustration because every new text will seem difficult. You may feel like you are making no progress. This is not healthy for your motivation. Reading a few similar texts gives you a sense of accomplishment, which can be very motivating. (related article by Stephen Krashen)