2.1 The main challenges

Discussion

Below is a list of some common reading difficulties experienced by some people when reading academic texts.

1. I’m used to reading short pieces of writing. When I read long texts, I fall asleep.
2. I read textbooks over and over to retain the information. It takes a lot of time and I still find it very difficult to remember what I read.
3. I find reading difficult and I often lose concentration.
4. I’m used to reading newspapers, but academic texts are harder to read. They are organised differently and contain many difficult words.
5. English is not my first language, so I have to spend a long time looking up many words in the dictionary.
6. Even if I understand every word, I sometimes don’t understand the concepts explained in the books I read.
7. I try to take notes but I'm really lazy at ‘proper’ note taking – I don’t find it works for me as I never go back and read them.
8. There is so much to read. I get lost and don’t know where to start.

You may have experienced similar difficulties. You may also have found ways to help you cope.