Extensive Reading
A common problem many international students have when it comes to using English is lacking vocabulary. Totally normal, by the way – there are approximately 170,000 words currently in use in the English language (and that’s not even counting all the weird slang and idioms), and we Brits do love to get creative with them.
For example, as the ever-observant Michael McIntyre once pointed out, British people sometimes take a perfectly innocent noun like “gazebo” and turn it into an adjective to describe their drunken state: “I was utterly gazeboed last night.” Translation? “I was really drunk.” Brilliant. What we’re trying to say is, English isn’t always straightforward or strictly functional.
In some languages – like Thai, for instance – people might simply say “Ao” to mean “I want”. It’s short, clear, and totally fine. But in English, saying “I want coffee” – while technically correct – might come across as a bit blunt if said without the right tone. It’s not wrong, it just sounds... intense. Instead, we tend to wrap things up in fluffy politeness like, “I’d like a coffee, please” or “Ooh, I’d love to try this one, please.” British people are often said to be overly polite, and it shows in how we use language.
Anyway, we digress. The point of this article is to talk about the benefits of something called Extensive Reading.
What is Extensive Reading, we hear you ask? Well, simply put, it’s reading for fun.
“Reading for fun?” you gasp. “How can doing anything for fun possibly help my English?”
Well, let’s put it this way. Have you ever sat in an English class listening to your teacher explain the difference between the past simple and the present perfect – how both can talk about past events but in different ways and oh-my-goodness-please-make-it-stop-I’m-bored-already?
If you were bored during that explanation, you probably didn’t remember much of it. But have you ever taken part in a quiz and still remember that the capital of Nigeria is Abuja (for example), just because the question made you laugh or you won a biscuit for getting it right? That’s how memory works. If something’s fun or meaningful, it sticks.
Speaking of retention and boredom, we’re probably not doing a great job keeping this article snappy and exciting right now, are we? Let’s get back to the point. Extensive Reading means reading something you enjoy, whether that’s Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, or, heck, even Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (if you’re feeling particularly philosophical).
Research shows that Extensive Reading can:
Increase vocabulary
Improve reading speed and fluency
Motivate you to read more
Build confidence in using English
Pretty solid benefits, right?
So, the next time someone tells you to stop reading fiction and start something “more academic,” feel free to politely (British-style) point them to this article. Because when you’re reading for enjoyment, you’re relaxed. And when you’re relaxed, your brain is more open to picking up new vocabulary without even realising it. You begin to understand words through context, making educated guesses based on the sentences around them. That’s real learning.
And hey, if you’ve never tried them before, check out graded readers. These are books written with simplified language to match your English level – so you can read stories that are just right for you. Innovative platforms like Squeno let you choose stories by language level, and big names like Cambridge, Oxford University Press, and Macmillan English all have brilliant options too. Give them a go. If you love them, tell your teachers – they might even start building a library for the whole class!
Anyway, that’s enough from us. In summary: read what you love, enjoy the process, and trust that your English is improving with every page you turn.
Now go on – grab a cuppa and get stuck into a good book. You’ve got vocab to learn (the fun way).