Reading is an essential skill, and we use different techniques while reading in our native language. For instance, we may quickly skim through a news article to understand the main events or scan the pages of a bus timetable to find a specific time or place. On the other hand, if we read a children's book, we may turn the pages quickly, but if we're presented with a contract, we would carefully read every word.
However, when it comes to reading in a foreign language, research suggests that we tend to lose most of our reading skills. We stop using techniques such as skimming and scanning to understand difficult texts, and instead, we start reading every word from the beginning, which makes us frustrated with difficult words.
Nevertheless, if you're aware of this, you can use simple strategies to avoid this trap and become a better reader.
You're reading this book because you like learning English through short stories. But why? What are the benefits of learning English through stories over a textbook? Knowing this will help improve your reading skills.
When you read for pleasure, it is known as extensive reading, and it's quite different from reading a textbook. Your textbook typically includes short dialogues, which you read in detail, with the goal of understanding every word. This is known as intensive reading.
Another way to think about it is that textbooks teach you grammar rules and vocabulary lists, while stories show you "real English" without trying to teach you explicitly. Both types of reading are beneficial, and you need them both to learn a language effectively.
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