How to Improve Your English Reading Skills

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your English. It builds your vocabulary, shows you grammar in action and improves your writing too. Here's how to become a better reader in English.

1. Choose the right level

If you have to look up every other word, the text is too difficult. Choose texts where you understand most of the words. Graded readers, written specially for learners, are perfect for this.

2. Read every day

Reading a little every day is more effective than reading a lot once a week. Try 15–20 minutes a day: news articles, blogs, short stories or a chapter of a book.

3. Read about things you enjoy

Sport, fashion, technology, travel: when you're interested in the topic, you read more and remember more.

4. Practise skimming and scanning

Skimming: read quickly to understand the main idea.
Scanning: look quickly for specific information, such as a name, date or number.

Both skills are essential for exams like IELTS and Cambridge, where time is limited.

5. Guess meaning from context

Before reaching for a dictionary, try to work out what a new word means from the sentence around it. Then check if you were right.

6. Keep a vocabulary notebook

Write down useful new words and phrases with an example sentence. Review them regularly and try to use them.

7. Read aloud sometimes

Reading aloud helps your pronunciation and fluency, and helps you notice how sentences are built.

8. Talk or write about what you read

Summarising a text in your own words, out loud or in writing, checks your understanding and turns reading into speaking and writing practice.

Improve all your skills with ILC

Our General English and IELTS preparation courses develop your reading alongside speaking, listening and writing. Take our free level test to get started.