It is said that some people are visual learners and some people learn better by hearing. But all learners can benefit from doing both. Reading a lot is essential to achieving fluency in a new language. To read a lot you must make it enjoyable by finding material to read that is interesting. Our website opens up a limitless source of interesting reading material, consisting of our own content and the full range of articles, e-books and other material that is accessible via the Internet, and which our unique functionality makes accessible to the learner.
At first you need to read to understand what you are listening to and to reinforce your learning. As you progress in your learning, you will read to gain new vocabulary and to learn about the culture and other subjects in your new language. Get in the habit of reading new content in an electronic text format on your computer. On the computer you can access software dictionaries and create a database for words and phrases. This will make it easier to read and understand unfamiliar material and ensure your reading contributes to your vocabulary growth.
Reading should be a growing part of your learning activities. As your vocabulary and confidence increase you will actually start to enjoy reading conventional print versions of books and periodicals in the new language. When reading away from the computer, you should ignore the few words you do not know and just enjoy yourself. I sometimes found it a struggle to read in a foreign language when there were so many words I did not understand. If I was interested enough in the content I would persevere. Gradually my ability to read in a number of languages improved. I now read these languages for information and enjoyment rather than as a learning task. Whether you are a native speaker or a non-native speaker, reading widely will enhance your ability to express yourself clearly and eloquently.
