Right now you are reading English and working towards improving your English skills, whether you consciously realize it or not. Reading requires using your brain in a very active way to understand what the writer is trying to say and to form an opinion on, whether you agree with the text or not. When learning English as a nonnative English speaker, reading can be a great way to learn vocabulary in context, observe “correctly structured” English, and work at your own speed while learning a subject matter that interests you. If you are working towards improving your American English communication skills, here are a few examples of how reading in English can aid in the learning process.

1. Learning Vocabulary in Context

Reading is a great way to be introduced to new words in a way that seems manageable instead of overwhelming. When reading English literature at the correct level, there will typically be around 1-4 new words per page which should be easy to understand due to reading the words in context, and will allow you to learn new words in a way that will be easier to remember due to seeing them naturally.

2. Observe “Correctly Structured” English

Often, the way that students learn American English is through using proper grammatical structure. While correct, it occasionally can come off as formal and less personable than the more common forms of language used in everyday American English. In order to gain a better understanding of formal versus informal English, and when to use either, reading can be used as a great guide as books will often use structures and expressions used in a way that will inform the reader as to whether the conversation is formal or not, and give examples of when to use each.

3. Working at Your Own Speed

There’s nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed due to receiving information quicker than you can process it. With reading, you can read as fast or slow as you’d like, and for as long as you prefer. Reading works much more in the favor of learning American English than other forms of real-world education, such as speaking or listening as it provides students the advantage of learning at their own rate in their own time.

Reading can be a great way to improve your American English and raise your confidence speaking the language. If you’re an individual who learns best when studying at your own speed in your own time, in addition to reading, websites such as PronounciationPro.com can be a great way to improve your American English, and speak English like an American in as little as 12 weeks without any of the additional stresses of learning the language in more traditional formats. To improve not only your comprehension but your accent reduction as well, find out more about how you can improve your American English as PronunciationPro.com.