READING

Question

How do you practise reading comprehension?  I have passed CPE with an A, but still I feel I need practise in reading. I subscribe to The Times and I use a web site for improving eg. reading speed, among other things.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Hi, successor. Welcome to the forums.

You've obviously spent some time pondering this question. There's an ocean of material out there.

The thing that helped me was the hook. I used to read assigned chapters and find that nothing stuck. How do you force your brain to "comprehend?"

I eventually discovered that I was paying attention only when I was looking for the answer to some question which was of vital interest to me.

Unfortunately, we can't always pick and choose. But if you're doing this on your own, at least you can choose to read about the things you're most interested in - things which you can immediately put into practical use. Your brain is smart enough to teach itself how to improve the reading/comprehending process when your attention and motivation are directed toward the information to be found, and not toward the process itself.

Another sense of "hook" is that you need hooks on which to hang the information you're acquiring as you read. If the information does not relate to your own interests, or is totally unfamiliar, you immediately become overwhelmed, drowning in too much information. But if the new facts enhance what you already know and like, it makes you hungry for more, rather than sick to your stomach.

When you're trying to improve your reading skills, don't punish yourself by reading stuff you're not interested in. There'll be plenty enough time for that when you've become a stronger reader.

Anyway, it works for me. Best wishes, - A.

Successor · Answer

Thanks for the answer. I think that's true, actually the wisest thing I've heard for a long time! For example while reading a newspaper, it is easy to choose articles that are of some interest to you. Just skim read the headlines first and choose the most interesting ones. I think the language level is quite demanding in broadsheet papers and you find a wide array of interesting topics with varied vocabulary,,, so it is challenging enough too.

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