HOW TO ENJOY READING ?
This advice sheet is specially designed for students who want to know about how to enjoy reading.
In order to find out how to enjoy reading, you need to know yourself better as a reader. Apart from reading for your studies, what else do you read? How much do you know about yourself as a reader? Below is a table with questions that will help you find out more about yourself as a reader before you start trying to read for fun. Please be honest with your answers.
Aspect Questions
Your attitude Is reading enjoyable and fun to you?
Yes.
No.
Sometimes, it depends.
Your reading habits How often do you read?
Every day.
Only at weekends.
Once a month.
Rarely.
What do you usually read?
Newspapers.
Magazines.
Comic books.
Novels.
Nothing except course materials.
Others: _________________________
At what time of the day do you usually read?
In the morning when I am still fresh.
At night when it is quiet.
Not fixed.
Others: _________________________
Reading materials Put the following reading materials in order of preference.
Newspapers.
Magazines.
Comic books.
Novels.
What are the most important factors that affect your choice of materials?
The reading is short.
The reading is easy.
There are pictures or drawings.
I can learn something from what I read.
The reading raises an issue that I can think about.
Others: _________________________
Your reading ability Is vocabulary a problem for you?
Yes.
No.
Sometimes.
What do you do when you don't understand what you read?
Use a dictionary.
Ask someone.
Ignore it.
Post-reading activities What activities do you usually do after you have read something?
Write a journal.
Discuss it with my friends.
Nothing.
Now that you have answered all the questions, please read the strategies we recommend.
Aspect Strategies
Your attitude If you do not find reading enjoyable and fun,
Think about any positive features in relation to reading in your own language. Try to transfer these features to reading in English. For example, if you enjoy reading about a certain topic, or reading a certain type of material in your language, do the same in English.
Try and see if you tend to choose some material far too difficult for yourself. To help you choose a level suitable for you, we have a vocabulary level chart for our readers (see *key to "vocabulary levels of our readers" on the next page).
Try different ways to help yourself enjoy reading. For example, you can form a reading group so you can share your reading experiences with other people.
Your reading habits If you do not read very often now, try to build up a regular reading habit, even though you might only spare a few minutes each time.
Any reading material is fine. But if you want to enjoy reading, choose materials that you really like. Please refer to the next section for more details.
Again, time is not an issue as long as you feel relaxed.
Reading materials Start with what you enjoy most. As you progress with your reading, you may want to try out other materials. Even though you may not enjoy some of them very much in the beginning, you may learn about different writing styles.
In the SAC, we have newspapers, magazines, comic books and readers. The readers are put in different categories and vocabulary levels, and this should help you choose something suitable for you. For example, we have short stories that you can finish fairly quickly. Also, there are books that raise issues about our lives and the world, and they are suitable for discussion.
Your reading ability If you have a vocabulary problem, you can refer to the different dictionaries available in the SAC. There are CD-ROM pronouncing dictionaries and book dictionaries such as Collins Cobuild, Longman, etc. We also have specialised dictionaries about culture, sports, idioms and slang. If you find yourself spending more time checking dictionaries than reading, you have probably chosen something too difficult. Use the vocabulary chart on the "Readers" shelves to help you choose the right level of materials. For further advice on how to learn vocabulary, please refer to Vocabulary Learner Advice Sheets.
If you need someone to share your reading with, you can either find your own reading partners, or come and talk to an SAC Adviser. You can also get advice on how to improve your reading skills from Reading Learner Advice Sheets.
Post-reading activities In real life, many people choose not to do anything after their reading. So if you prefer not to do anything after reading, then don’t force yourself, and simply enjoy your reading.
There are, however, people who enjoy talking to their friends about what they have read. So you may do the same by sharing with your friends about your reading.
If you are really serious about your reading, take some follow-up action. For example, if you have read about some theory on swimming, you may want to put this theory into practice. Alternatively, you may write a book review or a journal after reading.
If you cannot think of a reasonable follow-up task for yourself, come and talk to an SAC Adviser. We have plenty of innovative ideas to help you enjoy your reading.
To summarise, here are our tips on how to make reading fun:
Read something short and easy to begin with, for example, news headlines, comics, or even signs you find in the streets and public places.
Read something with lots of pictures.
Buy a book you like. Since you can write in it, you will have a sense of ownership. You can also lend it to your friends.
Read aloud some of the dialogues in your reading. Or ask someone to read aloud with you. We also have audio-tapes for you to listen to some of the readers. You may find listening to the story more exciting and involving.
Act out a small part of the story. This will help you get a better understanding of the story, and you will find reading more fun.
After reading for some weeks, you may want to answer the questions in this advice sheet again. It would be interesting to compare your answers before and after your reading project. If you try some of the tips in this advice sheet, you will start to enjoy reading. Have fun!
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*Key to "vocabulary levels of our readers":
Level 1: Beginner
Level 2: Elementary
Level 3: Lower intermediate
Level 4: Intermediate
Level 5: Upper intermediate
Level 6: Advanced
Level 7: Unsimplified
