Reasons to read

     If you are learning English as a second language and want to become fluent as quickly as possible, read! Read a lot, every day.  Read newspapers, information on the Internet, magazines, advertisements, signs, books, anything that is interesting to you. Whatever you are interested in, read about it!! How will this help you? Most importantly, it will help you learn. Many people say reading is the best way to learn. But it will also help your English in many ways. When you read you will see what writing by native speakers looks like and how they organize and express their thoughts in writing.  You will notice how the grammar and vocabulary you are studying are used. You will see words spelled correctly. You will see how punctuation is used. You will see words that you already know used in sentences and understand these words even better, including how and when they are used. You will learn new words without even using your dictionary. You will usually be able to figure out, or guess, the meanings of new words just from the context, the other words around them.  As a result of all of this, your writing will improve greatly, and your overall fluency in English will, too. Studies have shown that, in general,  the most fluent ESL speakers read a lot, and often. Reading is something that you can do anywhere, anytime. Reading is fun. Reading can make your imagination run wild. Does this sound like Mister Rogers? Carry a magazine or paperback book with you and read whenever you are waiting somewhere or have a free moment. You might even get hooked on reading, and that's a good addiction to have.