Episode 49: How to Build a Reading Habit in English

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live in New York City, and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work, or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for listening! I make English, please so learners everywhere can connect with English through a variety of topics. If you’d like to support the show and help me cover some of the production costs, you can do that through “Buy Me a Coffee” at coff.ee/englishplease. Your support [00:01:00] keeps this independent project going, and I truly appreciate it. You can find the link in the show notes.

Now on with the episode!

Reading in English is one of the best ways to improve your language skills. When you read, you see how words connect, how sentences are built, and how ideas are expressed. You also encounter new words again and again in different situations, and that helps you remember them more easily. Reading is not only good for your vocabulary, though. It also helps your grammar, your writing, and even your speaking because you start to think in English.

But reading in another language can sometimes feel difficult or slow. You might look at a page and see too many uncommon words, or maybe you feel that it takes a [00:02:00] long time to finish even a short article. That’s perfectly normal! The important thing is to make reading a small daily habit, not something that feels like a test.

You don’t need to read for hours every day. Even 20 or 30 minutes is enough. The key is to do it regularly. Try to make it part of your day, like having a cup of coffee or checking your messages. If you read every day, even for a short time, you’ll see progress after just a few weeks. Reading in English should feel natural, not stressful.

Okay, that’s great, but what should you read? Choose things that are interesting and not too difficult. If you enjoy what you’re reading, it’s easier to stay motivated. News websites written in simple [00:03:00] English are great. Many of them use clear language and short sentences. You can also read short stories, blogs, travel articles, music reviews, or how-to guides. If you like food, read about recipes. If you enjoy sports, read about your favorite teams in English. The best reading material is something you actually want to finish when you start reading something new.

Don’t try to understand every single word. Doing that is one of the biggest mistakes language learners make. If you stop to check every word in a dictionary, you lose the flow and it becomes hard to see the main idea. Instead, focus first on understanding the general meaning. Often you can guess what a word means from the sentence around it. Later you can go back and look at new [00:04:00] words you encountered.

There are two very useful reading techniques that can help you read more effectively: skimming and scanning. “Skimming” means reading quickly to get the main idea of a text. You don’t read every word. Instead, you move your eyes over the text, reading the first sentence of each paragraph, the headings or any bold words. For example, imagine you see an article about healthy eating tips. When you skim this article, you’re just trying to see what the article is generally about. Maybe it talks about balanced meals, fresh vegetables, avoiding too much sugar. You’re not looking for details yet. Skimming is useful when you want to decide if something is worth reading more carefully later, and I’m sure you do this in your native language all the time.[00:05:00] 

The second technique is scanning. “Scanning” means reading quickly to find one specific piece of information. You use scanning when you already know what you’re looking for. For example, you might read a train schedule to find the time of the next train or an article to find the name of a person or date. You don’t read everything, just the parts that help you find that detail. For example, imagine you’re reading an article about American history and you want to know when the first National Park was created, you would scan the text until you see a number that looks like a date —1872—and then, read that sentence carefully. Scanning helps you save time and find information faster.

Both skimming and scanning are good skills to practice. And you can try them with short online articles. Start with skimming to understand what the article is about, [00:06:00] and then scan to find specific facts. This will make you a faster and more confident reader, not only in English, but in your native language as well!

Another good habit is rereading. When you read something interesting, read it again a few days later. The second time, you’ll notice words or phrases that you didn’t understand before. You’ll also see grammar patterns more clearly. Rereading is a simple but powerful way to deepen your understanding.

If you want to build a reading routine, here’s a simple plan. Choose one short article or story each day—something you can finish in about 10 minutes. Read it once quickly to get the idea. Then read it again more slowly, noticing new words or expressions. Write down two or three new words you find useful, but don’t make [00:07:00] long lists. Use those words in a sentence later in the day, maybe in a text message or a journal entry, or saying it to yourself. After that, you can try to summarize the article aloud in your own words. This helps connect reading with speaking practice.

It’s also helpful to track your progress. You can keep a small notebook and write down in English what you read each day, include the title, the topic, and one thing you learned from it. After a few weeks, you’ll be able to look back and see how much you’ve read and how much you’ve learned. This is great for motivation!

Finally, remember that reading in English should be enjoyable. You don’t have to read classic literature or difficult books, unless you want to. Reading simple, modern, interesting texts is just as valuable. What matters [00:08:00] is consistency. Little by little, your brain will start to recognize patterns and reading will feel easier. You’ll notice that you can understand more without translating in your head, and that’s a great feeling.

So keep it simple. Read what you enjoy. Use skimming to get the main idea and scanning to find details. Don’t worry about every unknown word. Read every day, even just a little, and let English become a natural part of your daily life. Over time, you’ll see how small, regular reading habits can make a big difference in your language skills.

Again, I’m Christopher and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now and let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

And please, if you [00:09:00] enjoy the podcast and would like to support it, visit coff.ee/englishplease. It is just a simple way to help me cover the costs of making the podcast. I appreciate your support no matter how small.

Sincere thanks, as always, for listening.

See you soon!