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For most people reading is a part of their daily life routine. We hear stories and fairy tales as children, then we start reading ourselves to extract information from text either for studying or entertaining. Reading is one of the four major English skills and reading tasks are always included in English language exams. Without a doubt, the reading skill is crucial, but how can it help in learning a new language? To begin with, it takes some preparations before you start reading in a foreign language. A new reader is required to know some basics such as the alphabet as well phonics and pronunciation. But once those are mastered reading turns into an invaluable source of learning and pleasure. A majority of course books and reading materials offer audio recordings related to the story. In my opinion, audio aid benefits students a lot either when a story is prerecorded and played in a class or read aloud by a teacher. Students are able to see the text and focus on how the words are spelled along with the intonation and pronunciation. In this case a story serves as a script that can always be referred to while practicing speaking skills. Reading can tremendously enrich your vocabulary. Books for children contain not just vocabulary but also images that give a reader the meaning without language skills. Reading helps the brain to remember the language as the learner will connect the image to the word. There is so much information a student can extract from stories about any word in the text that is not limited to spelling. What I find most important about learning new vocabulary through a story is the context it is used in. What is more, texts are full with common phrases and collocations you would be able to use in real life without sounding weird to native speakers. A book gives you ready to use expressions and words that combine with each other best. It also helps you start thinking in English and not literally translate from your native language. Stories also boost grammar comprehension. When I did reading exercises with my students I always asked them to brainstorm why a particular tense was used in a sentence. Such technique was of great help as students were discussing the situations different tenses were used for to find the right one. I firmly believe such practice would help them while picking the correct grammar form. The more you read, the more grammar you encounter on the way. The more times you see some grammatical points, the higher is the possibility you will produce correct grammar in your speech. Regardless the pace, reading exposes students to more sentences, words and grammar structures more that any songs or TV shows. It is a proven fact that students who read foreign books are able to speak more fluently than students who don’t, despite having the same amount of classes.Teaching through reading allows students to engage with their teacher cultivating a rich learning experience. It offers students a wider range of vocabulary and grammar which essentially supports and feeds the brain with the correct language structures.
