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  • Well hey there! I'm Emma from mmmEnglish!

  • Have your English teachers ever told you

  • to read as much as you can in English?

  • Have they told you that it's a great way

  • to build your vocabulary?

  • And to see how words are used in context

  • in English?

  • Well, I absolutely agree!

  • But what can you do to improve your reading skills

  • in English so that you can

  • become a better reader and actually

  • start enjoying it?

  • That is exactly what this lesson is all about!

  • Now there are a ton

  • of benefits to reading English texts.

  • You're going to build your vocabulary, right?

  • As you learn new words.

  • But you'll be learning those words

  • together in chunks, right?

  • Together in sentences

  • so that you can learn how to use them correctly

  • and the words that they're often used with.

  • You'll also experience how words

  • express tone and feeling

  • through the interactions between characters.

  • So tone in writing is the author's attitude

  • and this is an incredibly useful way to learn

  • how to choose the right words to express

  • feeling and emotion in English.

  • So my first question for you today is

  • do you like reading English texts?

  • If your answer's yes,

  • what English text do you like to read?

  • Or even better,

  • what English book are you reading right now?

  • I'd love to see some recommendations

  • in the comments so if you've got a good one,

  • share it below!

  • But if your answer to this question is no,

  • well why do you think that is?

  • Maybe you don't really love reading

  • even in your own native language.

  • Well then, reading in English is probably going to be

  • even more painful, right?

  • But maybe you prefer watching movies or

  • listening to podcasts - something like that.

  • Perhaps you get frustrated because you feel like

  • reading's a chore.

  • And you really need to improve your skills

  • before you can start actually enjoying reading.

  • Fair enough!

  • Maybe you're an active person and you just don't like

  • sitting still and reading a book, right?

  • Well that's

  • not really an excuse because

  • Audible allows you to listen to books wherever you are.

  • I listen to my books now because

  • I don't like to sit still either!

  • So I listen when I go for a run.

  • If you want to try listening to English books instead

  • then I've added a link below in the description

  • to help you get your first

  • audiobook free from Audible.

  • The link's down there if you want to check it out!

  • But today I want you to stick around

  • all the way through to the end of this video.

  • I'm going to be sharing some really useful tips

  • to help you improve

  • your reading skills.

  • Hey guys! Just in case you haven't heard yet,

  • I'm doing the Lingoda Language Marathon

  • this year.

  • Definitely going to be my biggest language challenge

  • of two thousand and nineteen.

  • And maybe yours as well!

  • But I've created a private Facebook group

  • just for mmmEnglish language students

  • who are completing the marathon

  • and want to come and join me.

  • But you've got to use the link

  • that's in the description below this video to join.

  • In that group, I'll be sharing videos about my

  • experience and tips

  • and motivation to help you keep going

  • all the way to the end of that marathon.

  • So if you're ready for the challenge,

  • come and join me!

  • Enrollments close on the thirteenth of May.

  • That's this Monday!

  • So you better be quick!

  • Check out that link right there

  • for the full details.

  • Before we get started, a little reminder

  • to turn on the subtitles if you need to - just down there.

  • I write subtitles for every lesson

  • on the mmmEnglish channel

  • so you can turn them on at any time!

  • And some of my amazing students here

  • help me to translate

  • these lessons into their own native language

  • so that more people can share and learn from them

  • as well!

  • So if you're up for the challenge to add

  • subtitles in your native language,

  • there's a link in the description that will

  • help you to do that.

  • Your name's going to get shown

  • in the description too

  • as a thank you!

  • My first tip

  • is to read more!

  • Alright that one might seem completely obvious

  • but I had to say it!

  • You're not going to improve your reading without

  • reading, right?

  • That's the same for so many things in life, right?

  • The more you do it,

  • the easier it gets.

  • Now this might take you a little effort at first, right?

  • To get to that point, you might need to say to yourself:

  • Alright every day,

  • at six o'clock in the evening, I'm going to spend

  • fifteen minutes reading.

  • So you do it every night.

  • You know what they say? It takes

  • twenty-one days to make something a habit, right?

  • So if you do it consistently

  • for twenty-one days

  • you'll have a good chance of bringing

  • daily reading practice into your life.

  • And it can help

  • you know, to create a little ritual

  • around the activity, so

  • do it on the train on the way to work or

  • go and lie in the sunshine.

  • That's what I do!

  • I've got a couple of Spanish readers

  • and I always go down to the beach and practise there

  • and it is so relaxing,

  • it's one of my favourite times of day.

  • Now there's a good chance that you're thinking:

  • But what should I read?

  • Well

  • choose what you read carefully.

  • The easy part of this decision is just choosing

  • topic or a genre that you like, right?

  • If you love reading

  • soppy, romantic novels

  • - do it!

  • Quit thinking that something has to be educational

  • for you to learn, right? It's just not true.

  • If you love reading comics,

  • that's fine too!

  • Well, try and choose a comic that's got

  • a little more text in it, right? A little more reading.

  • Or choose one of those really awesome illustrated

  • books for teenagers, I've made some recommendations

  • in the comments below

  • But the story lines in those books,

  • in those types of books, are often

  • fun and entertaining and there's images that help you

  • to kind of engage in the story as well.

  • It's going to make your reading practice much less

  • of a chore, right?

  • Nobody wants to drag themselves through a book

  • or a novel - a massive novel.

  • Especially one that they don't like.

  • Or that's boring, right?

  • There's just so much material out there

  • for you to read that there is absolutely no reason

  • to be reading something that you're not into, right?

  • Pick something that interests you,

  • whether it's the sports section of the newspaper or a

  • mystery novel or

  • a nonfiction book about plants,

  • it doesn't matter at all.

  • But what does matter is that you enjoy

  • what you're reading so that it encourages