iSnare.com - Free Content Articles Directory
Authors Contents [Advanced Search][Add OpenSearch][Job Search]
Distribute your articles to thousands of article sites for only $2 and below! Read more...

Index  Education
 

You Can Read in English But Do You Really Comprehend What You Read?

 
[ Contact the Author] [ Send to a Friend] [ Article Publisher] [Make PDF] [ Print] [ Bookmark & Share]
 
Read our Terms of Service before reprinting this article. The submitter specified above has claimed the rights to this article.
Susan Thomason

The reason for reading is to relate what you happen to be reading with what you already know. In this sense, if you do not know anything about what you are reading, it is like trying to grab a handful of air… a wasted effort.

Take these digits, for example:

3285784, is difficult to read and retain.
328-5784, is easier to read and retain because of the separation.
363-0246, is easy to grasp due to prior information and organization.

Equally, if you are into investing, reading an investment article is easy for you to comprehend, because in your mind you have a background for reading, understanding and storing this information.

When reading, comprehension needs motivation, a mental background for saving the ideas, concentration, and an effective study technique. Here are several ideas you can implement to help you improve your reading comprehension to get the best out of your ESL classes.

1. Broaden your background. You can easily do this by reading newspapers, magazines, websites and books. Get interested in world events and other different topics related to your career or place where you live.

2. Learn paragraph structure. A good writer knows how to form a clear sentence in order to create a good paragraph with a beginning, middle, and an end. The first sentence will provide an overview that gives background for further details. Identify transitional words, phrases and paragraphs that are used to change the topic.

3. Spot the kind of reasoning. Is the author using induction and deduction, hypothesis, systems thinking or model building, for example? You should develop critical thinking skills to consciously absorb what you read.

4. Anticipate, predict. Skillful readers try to foresee what the author will say or ask. If you are right, it strengthens your comprehension, and if you are wrong, you can easily adjust.

5. Identify how the work is organized. For example, it can have a chronological, serial, logical, spatial, functional or hierarchical order.

6. Get motivated and interested. Ask questions; discuss opinions with your classmates; research materials. You will comprehend much more if you have a real interest in what you are studying.

7. Get support from signs. Pay attention to pictures, graphs and headlines. Read the first and last paragraphs of a chapter.

8. Highlight, summarize and review the main ideas. This is the only way to really grasp a book.

9. Increase your vocabulary. This could be a lengthy task. Use the dictionary regularly to look up every word you don’t know. Make a list of words and look them up later, never leave a new word unattended. Use techniques to help you organize and remember vocabulary like mind maps, where you place different words surrounding a main idea they relate to.

10. Use a reading technique you feel comfortable with. Adjust it to fit your priorities and purpose.

11. Monitor your improvement. The top readers measure how their attention, concentration and effectiveness are doing. If they don’t grasp an idea, they go back immediately and reread it.

Yes, it takes a great deal of effort to improve your reading comprehension. But as you notice your overall improvement in your ESL classes, you’ll know it was definitely worth it!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source.

Important NoticeDISCLAIMER: All information, content, and data in this article are sole opinions and/or findings of the individual user or organization that registered and submitted this article at Isnare.com without any fee. The article is strictly for educational or entertainment purposes only and should not be used in any way, implemented or applied without consultation from a professional. We at Isnare.com do not, in anyway, contribute or include our own findings, facts and opinions in any articles presented in this site. Publishing this article does not constitute Isnare.com's support or sponsorship for this article. Isnare.com is an article publishing service. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.

Susan Thomason has written numerous articles for LCI English Center, an ESL school in Denver, Colorado. LCI offers the best English training through experienced teachers and high quality programs. Check out more ESL articles at www.englishlci.com/blog

Article Tags: background [See Dictionary], read [See Dictionary], reading [See Dictionary]
Got a question about this article? Ask the community!
Article published on November 09, 2009 at Isnare.com
 
Rate this article:

The Crime of Double Negatives – Revealed!
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

Among the many challenges learning English as second language poses, an all time classic is a double negative...

10 Easy Ways to Practice English Every Day
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

There is an old expression that says “practice makes perfect” If you want to perfect a skill of any kind it requires lots of practice and the best way to practice a new language, especially outside of your ESL classes, is to use it as often as possible...

How to Choose a Good English Dictionary
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

Having a good English dictionary is important if you want to learn the language well In fact, it is probably the most valuable tool you have while taking your ESL classes...

Simple Past or Present Perfect? - Don’t Get Confused Ever Again!
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

The difference between the Simple Past and the Present Perfect is something that perplexes more than one ESL student...

Useful Phrasal Verbs For ESL Students
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

If you’re an ESL student who happens to be more than puzzled about how phrasal verbs are used and what they mean, you’ll find this guide will come in really handy...

Fun Idiomatic Expressions For ESL Students - Comparisons
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

It is inevitable and unavoidable When you’re an ESL student you’ll sooner or later run across idiomatic expressions that will basically have you either scratching your head in puzzlement or laughing out loud...

Is a Book Review the Same As a Book Report? A Guide to Writing Both
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

A book review and a book report are different in regards to their objective A book report shows the content and structure of a book in an objective way...

Top 5 Reasons For Learning a New Language
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

We are all born into a specific culture which determines the language we will use throughout our lives...

The 7 Best Study Skills For ESL Learners
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

Studying English as a Second Language is difficult Whether you are doing homework, going over notes, or studying for a test, good study skills will help you get the most out of your time and effort...

How to Improve Your Telephoning Skills
Submitted by: Susan Thomason

Just like in anything else in life, practice truly makes perfect And this is no different when learning how to speak English as a second language...

Discover How to Teach Business English
Submitted by: Adrianna Noton

People decide to learn English for many different reasons It could be a hobby, a desire to study in an English speaking country, to understand songs and books in English or to open up business opportunities and be selected for promotion in your company...

State 529 College Funding Savings Plan - Is it the Only Program to Secure Your Child's Education?
Submitted by: Amaan Goyal

As Parents you would like to secure your child’s future and his prospects The best insurance you can provide to your children is education but with the alarming rate with which tuition expenses have gone through the roof, it raises doubts and questions for parents...

Geology - More Than Just Rocks
Submitted by: Jesse Akre

When you think about some of the most exciting professions that you have heard of, chances are pretty good that geology never made your Top Ten List...

Gemstone Globes - Beauty And Education In One
Submitted by: Jesse Akre

It is unfortunate that today's youth has lost a grasp on the world and the countries involved Many schools today just teach to standardized tests and learning about other lands and cultures seems to have been left out of the mix...

Become a Polyglot: It’s Easier Than You Think
Submitted by: Jacob Coroner

When you hear the adjective ‘polyglot’ describing someone, it is most likely for you to think that the person is a sheer genius, since he may have the ability to speak in 6-7 languages or more...

How to Become Fluent in a Foreign Language
Submitted by: Jacob Coroner

Almost all of us have learnt French, Spanish or any other foreign language in our primary or secondary education...

How to Learn a Language: The Most Effective Approach
Submitted by: Jacob Coroner

In order to enhance your memory skills, learning a foreign language is an ideal subject Learning the vocabulary of a foreign language often requires associating sets of meaningless syllables of that language with words already existing in your native language...

Language Learning Approaches: Better Approaches For Faster Learning
Submitted by: Jacob Coroner

The language learning approach refers to the approaches that need to be applied to view the nature of the language, its beliefs and the ideas about how these can be applied practically so as to ease the language learning and teaching process...

Language Learning Strategies: Better Strategies For More Effective Learning
Submitted by: Jacob Coroner

Language learning strategies do not imply overall plans, but rather methods using which you can comprehend and remember the language while you are learning it...

Language Learning Techniques: Better Techniques For More Effective Learning
Submitted by: Johnathan Cunnings

Language learning or language acquisition is the process by which humans learn or acquire a language and this is the leading aspect that distinguishes humans from other species...

Learning Tips For Effortless Language Learning
Submitted by: Johnathan Cunnings

Any person, who is learning a new language for the first time, may initially face some emotional trauma related to the territory...

Second Language Acquisition Strategies
Submitted by: Johnathan Cunnings

Second language learning or second language acquisition refers to the process of learning a second language besides the native language...

Second Language Learning Theories, Myths and Facts
Submitted by: Johnathan Cunnings

Second language learning refers to the learning of a new language besides the native language There are many second language learning theories that aim to explain the way second language is learnt and which approach is the best...

Second Language Learning: How to do it Right
Submitted by: Johnathan Cunnings

Second language learning is defined as the process of learning an additional language besides the native language...

How Much Money Can I Make Teaching English?
Submitted by: Honor Baldry

How Can You Answer That How much money you can make is, of course, a very difficult question and the answer is somewhere between nothing and a moderate amount of money...

Isnare.com Footer Divider

© 2004-2009. Isnare Free Articles - An Isnare Online Technologies Free Articles Project. All Rights Reserved.   Privacy Policy