Reading is Important in Learning Languages

Nowadays, many people think reading is not necessary, since there are so many sources of information and types of entertainment, such as TV, cinema and the Internet. I believe they are wrong because reading is very beneficial in many ways.

Good reading skills are very important in learning languages. Reading improves spelling because as students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier. It helps to expand the vocabulary, since the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to read. Students learn new words as they read and put them in their mind for later use. . They also unconsciously absorb the information about things like how to structure the sentences, how words are used in different contexts, and it gives a better understanding of the word usage and definitions than the cold facts of a dictionary. It improves a person’s vocabulary and knowledge without the person even knowing it. Even if students do not understand every word, they will hear new sounds, words and phrases which they can then try out, copying what they have heard. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments and detect implications. Reading texts also provide good models for English writing. Krashen (2004) found that reading is extremely important in learning English, since it is the only way to “become a good reader, develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar” and the only way to “become a good speller”.

According to the research made by Bohlmann & Pretorius (2003), there is a significant correlation between reading ability and academic success. It means that students who read a lot are more likely to do well in school and pass exams than students who are weak readers. Good readers do not just do better at subjects like reading, English and history, they do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school. Another study by Bohlmann & Pretorius (2002) showed that the students who failed Mathematics achieved 50% or less in reading comprehension, meaning that they understood only half of the text or even less. But when their reading ability improved, their marks for Mathematics improved as well. So, students who read a lot and who understand what they read usually attain good grades. It means that reading is essential for academic achievement.

Reading