Language Center

The Hong Kong University

of Science and Technology English Advice Sheets
This advice sheet is specially designed for students who want to know about how to enjoy reading.
HOW DO YOU BECOME A BETTER READER? R1
In order to find out how to enjoy reading, you need to know yourself better as a reader. Apart from reading for
your studies, what else do you read? How much do you know about yourself as a reader? Below is a table with
Do youthat
questions findwill
yourself unable
help you findtoout
catch up about
more with the large amounts
yourself of readings
as a reader for your
before you start studies?
trying toDo youfor
read find it
fun.
difficult
Please to evaluate
be honest howanswers.
with your much you have understood a text? There are so many other skills of English (such
as speaking, writing, etc.) you want to improve that reading could be the last one you are willing to spend
time on. But if you realise that reading can actually help you improve your spoken and written work in
some Aspect
way, you may find the reading activity worthwhile and rewarding.
Questions
Your attitude Is reading enjoyable and fun to you?
The aim of this leaflet
a. Yes.
This introductory leaflet is a guide to our advice sheets for the skill of reading. It provides a description of
b. No.
our advice sheets on reading, so that you can see what's available, and which ones might be appropriate to
you. Two types of advice sheets are described here. The ones that provide basic advice (described below)
give suggestions which youc.maySometimes,
find useful itwhichever
depends. reading subskill(s) you decide to learn. The ones
that provide further advice 1.(described
How on the
often do nextread?
you page) look at the different reading subskills that you
Your
mayreading
choose tohabits
work on. a. Every day.
b. Only at weekends.
c. Once a month.
Basic advice about reading
d. Rarely.

Reading may not be the skill that you want to improve in the immediate future. You may think that you
read in your everyday life anyway, so you don't need to spend extra time on it. Another worry is that you
may not be able to tell whether you have become a better reader or not after some time of learning. But if
2. What
you plan your learning carefully, you dowillyou
findusually
that it read?
is not impossible to evaluate the progress you have
made in reading. Also, you may get a. aNewspapers.
surprise bonus: both your writing and speaking could have
improved, too. b. Magazines.
c. Comic books.
d. Novels.
I. Thinking about
e. Nothing except course reading
materials. (R2)
Before going any further, wef. suggest you read this advice
Others: _________________________ sheet first because it lists some
crucial questions about reading. These questions help you identify your needs for improving
reading, and the reading materials that you enjoy. It also gives some tips on how to solve your
reading problems.

3. At what time of the day do you usually read?

THINKING ABOUT a.READING
In the morning when I am still fresh. R2
b. At night when it is quiet.
c. Not fixed.
Before you start your reading programme, we suggest you spend some time reading this leaflet. The
questions in the different sections help you think about your needs and interests in reading.
d. Others: _________________________

Reading 1. Put the following reading materials in order of preference.

Why materials
do you want to improve your reading skills?
a. Newspapers.
b. Magazines.
c. Comic books.
To cope with my course readings
If this applies to you, you may want tod. improve
Novels.your reading speed so that you can cope with the large
amounts of course readings. In that case, the advice sheet Improving reading speed (R4)will be helpful
to you. Other than just improving your reading speed, you may also want to make sure that you have
learned from your reading. The advice sheets Reading for main points and Reading for specific
information will give you additional information, depending on whether you want to just read for main
2. What are the most important factors that affect your choice of materials?
points (R5) or you have some specific information to look for in your reading (R6).
a. The reading is short.
b. The reading is easy.
To improve my writing c. There are pictures or drawings.
If this is your aim, the advice sheet Reading
d. I cancritically
learn something
(R7) mayfrom
be what
helpful.
I read.
This leaflet gives such advice
e. The
as how to distinguish opinions from facts, andreading
how to raises an issue
understand textthat I can thinkso
organisation, about.
that when you are a
writer yourself, you would be aware of how to formulate your argument persuasively and systematically.
You may also want to refer to the advice sheet Learning Vocabulary for Speaking and Writing (V8).
f. Others: _________________________

Your 1. Is vocabulary a problem for you?

To reading
improveability
my speaking a. Yes.
If you want to improve speaking through reading, read the first tip on the following page. You may also
b. No.
want to refer to the advice sheet Learning vocabulary by reading or listening (V7).
c. Sometimes.

To prepare myself for a reading test

If you are preparing yourself for a reading test, then you will have a very busy time. Since you do not
know what exactly will be tested, you may need to work through all the reading subskills (R4-R7). Section
4 of the book "How to learn 2. What doon
a language" you do'Learning
the when youa don't understand
Language' what
shelf will you
give read?
you some ideas on
developing reading strategies. At the end of the programme, you would of course want to evaluate how
much you have achieved. The advice sheet Evaluating how much you have improved in reading (R3)
will help you assess the progress you have made.

If you still have not decided which reading subskill to work on, the following materials (both on the
Learning to learn English, Stage 2.5
A guide to learning independently, Unit 8

What do you enjoy reading?

Now, ask yourself what you enjoy reading. If reading is always a boring activity to you, it could be because
you choose the wrong material. Think about what you enjoy reading, either in English or in your own
language. Start with the materials that you enjoy most:

• Newspapers / magazines?
• Stories / novels?
• Comics?
• Cookbooks?

Tips for solving problems in reading

1. What should I do if I do not know the words in a text?

Don't go to the dictionary so soon. Try to guess the meaning of the words. No clue? Try again!
Don't give up. You may find some clue elsewhere in the text. The words that you do not know
may be expressed in some other way in the text.

If the same word keeps coming back in the text, it would be helpful to look it up in the dictionary.
Apart from meaning, you may also want to check its pronunciation. The pronunciation dictionaries
at the CD-ROM reference station in the SAC will provide a model. Try to use the word in both your
writing and speaking so that you may experiment with its usage.

2. What should I do if the sentences are too long and complicated?

Sentences are usually written in chunks or groups. Concentrate on the chunks that you
understand and try to make some sense out of them.

If you have read a text for more than 5 minutes without understanding it, give it up! It is probably
too difficult for you.

3. What can I do if I am not motivated to read?

• Don't read if you are too tired.

• Read at a place where you feel comfortable.
• Talk to someone who enjoys reading.
• Most important of all, identify a purpose in reading. This will give you a sense of achievement.
• And check out the advice sheet How to Enjoy Reading (R9)!

Don't forget that you may come and talk to the Adviser, on duty at the SAC Advice Desk.

Note
The introductory leaflet in this series is the leaflet How do you become a better reader? (R1)

II. Evaluating how much you have improved in reading (R3)

It is very important to assure yourself that your effort has paid off. This advice sheet describes
methods that you may use to evaluate the progress you have made in your learning so that in the
end you can proudly say that you have become a better reader.

EVALUATING HOW MUCH YOU HAVE IMPROVED

R3
IN READING
At certain point(s) of your learning, you would like to check how much you have improved. Reading is one
of the most difficult skills to measure because a reading activity does not bring about any concrete product
for measurement. In order to measure increased reading ability, we need to devise some activities that
give both qualitative and quantitative evaluation. This advice sheet will give you some ideas on how to
evaluate how much you have improved in your reading.

Evaluating reading

There are different methods of evaluation. They include the following: