Resource 5: Develop your own English

Here are some tips and links for developing your own reading skills:

• The best way to develop your skills in reading English is to read as much as you can – English newspapers and magazines, etc. Exchange English texts with colleagues and friends. Use a library, if this is possible.
• Read regularly. Find a time to read each week, and if possible, find a quiet comfortable place where you will not be disturbed.
• Use the techniques that you have read about in this unit. Use pictures, titles, sub-titles to get an idea of what the text is about. Read silently for as long as you can. It doesn’t matter if you read short extracts.
• Don’t try to understand every word. Try to understand the overall message or idea. Don’t look up every word in a dictionary – try to guess meanings of words if you can, and just look up key words. Remember that you can read texts as many times as you like.
• Finally, read the things you enjoy. Read stories if you enjoy them, or read cricket news if that’s how you like to spend your time.

You may find the following resources useful:

• Stories and poems for learners of English (with activities): http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ en/ stories-poems [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
• Articles about many different topics for learners of English (with audio and activities): http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ en/ magazine
• BBC news for Asia: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/ world/ asia/
• Times of India online: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/