Types of reading in English – Reading Effectively

Types of Reading in English language – how to read effectively? Reading effectively is one of the essential skills that will come in handy both at work and at school. 

What does it mean to read effectively? Are there certain types of reading in English? You must understand why you are reading. 

Setting the right goal and moving towards it is half the battle. Imagine you and I have chosen a book in English. You can read it for pleasure and for the result. What is the difference?

Reading for pleasure

In this case, you are pursuing one goal – to enjoy reading a book in English. Try to understand everything without a dictionary, based on the context. 

If an unfamiliar word is repeated frequently, you can look up its meaning. Choosing a book according to your level of knowledge of the English language , you will surely come across unfamiliar words. If their meaning is clear from the context, you do not need to consult a dictionary.

Suitable for : those who know how to compose a complete picture and guess the meaning of what they read, despite unfamiliar words. The main thing is that you read in English!

Benefits : The pleasure of continuous reading, no need to be distracted by a dictionary or worry that some phrases are incomprehensible.

Disadvantages : such reading is a great hobby, but it is averagely effective for learning English.

Reading for result

Have you decided to improve your knowledge of English through reading? Then you need to arm yourself with a dictionary, pen and notebook. This type of reading means that you will write down and memorize most unfamiliar words, reread chapters twice, and discuss what you have read with a friend or teacher.

Suitable for : those who decide to increase their vocabulary , who do not get tired of constantly working with a dictionary.

Advantages : high reading efficiency, vocabulary enrichment, understanding of the entire text.

Disadvantages : such reading allows you to achieve good results, but is very different from the usual reading in your native language, when the text is extremely clear. Reading becomes like another exercise in English.

Active reading vs Passive reading

Has it ever happened to you: you read 20 pages, but do not remember their contents? This is because you were passively reading. Reading is also active. These two methods serve different purposes. In the case where you read for pleasure, just turn the pages, view reading as a pleasant pastime, you let the book guide you, and you follow the written story. This is passive reading.

When you actively read a text, you think about every word and phrase, read engagedly or deliberately look for certain information. At the same time, you know for what purpose you are reading, what the text is about.

Once you have set your goals, you can achieve them using various reading modes .

Types of reading in English

1. Skimming (browsing). go over your eyes

Purpose : To determine how useful the book can be. For example, you are in a bookstore and have not yet decided which book to buy. You read several pages to appreciate the difficulty, to get a feel for the language, to see if there are any dialogues. You can look at the table of contents, study the first sentences of all the chapters to get a taste of the book.

Benefit : Helps you decide if you need a particular book. Gives a general idea of ​​the style and organization of the text.

2. scanning.

Goal : find specific information in the text, such as a description of the main character. This is a preparatory stage for reading, you quickly scan the text for unfamiliar words, write them out, and then read the text in which nothing causes difficulties.

Benefit : developing the skill of quickly finding specific information in the text.

3. Wading through. Read to the end

Goal : Defeat the book at any cost! For example, the work turned out to be boring or too complicated, but you are not used to dropping things halfway. Despite the lack of desire and motivation, you still read the book to the end. Sometimes it happens that on the last fifty pages a second wind opens up and interest in the book wakes up!

Benefit : do not leave unread books; Prove to yourself that any task can be completed.

4. Dipping into. “Dive” into the text

goal : deep understanding of what is written; feel each phrase and stylistic turn; fall in love with the language of the author. Such reading allows not only to enjoy the book, but also provides food for thought.

Benefit : improving reading technique, improving reading comprehension, an additional incentive to keep a dictionary.

All of these types of reading can be useful depending on the goals pursued. Ask yourself, “Why am I reading?” Use the appropriate type for this. Enjoy reading, love English, achieve your goals!

After knowing these different types of Reading, you will be able to improve your IELTS Reading skills and will get a high score in ILETS Reading exam.