Reading
The importance of reading in order to master English cannot be overstated. Reading is the single most useful thing you can do if you want to build vocabulary and train your mind to think in English. The good news is that there are many choices for reading, and you don't have to pick the hardest one (although it is also good to challenge yourself from time to time). In any case, for the purpose of this class, choose a form of reading that you want to do, one that you can sustain over a period of time. You will report on your reading in class, and you will write about your reading experience to add to your graduation thesis.
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Graded Readers
As you know, Tsurumi University supports extensive reading, and our library's shelves are full of graded readers. With graded readers, you can choose the level of reading you do. By choosing books at or below your reading level, you are introduced to new vocabulary in measured amounts. You don't have to stop and look up words in the dictionary in order to understand the story. You do encounter new words, however, and usually you can guess the meaning from context. The key to successful extensive reading is to read a lot and to progress up the levels when you are ready. If you do this, your reading speed and vocabulary will certainly improve. mreader.org
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Comics & Graphic Novels
Comics, graphic novels, and manga written in English are excellent tools for English study. The pictures help you to understand what is happening even if you don't understand all the words. Recently, comics have become accessible by smart phone, so you can read them on the train or whenever you have some free time. There are some disadvantages to this form of reading, such as the large amount of slang and idioms that you encounter. Also, many of the comics are stories already in progress, so some people may have difficulty in diving into the story midway. On the other hand, comics can be habit-forming, which is important if you want to maintain your reading over an extended period of time. The Tsurumi Unversity Library has some English comics, and if students want to see other titles, the libary is usually open to acquiring new hard-cover editions by request.
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Newspapers & Magazines
Print media is losing popularity these days, but sometimes reading a magazine or the newspaper is a perfect way to spend some free time. You can find Time magazine and the Japan Times (newspaper) in the Tsurumi University Library, along with a few other selections. If those titles don't excite you, try Maruzen in Kawasaki (Lazona), or your best option, Kinokuniya in Shinjuku, next to Takashimaya (JR New South Exit) for a larger selection. The racks of foreign magazines are fun to browse in. Of course, online versions work too (see below).
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Online Reading Resources
If you have a smart phone, tablet or PC, you already have everything you need to find a reading resource on any topic you can think of. Finding a great site that is at your reading level is sometimes difficult, but with online dictionaries at your fingertips, you can take on some challenging articles from time to time. Sites created specifically for ESL students may be a better option for finding an article in your comfort zone, but then you face the possibility that the article is not terribly exciting. Anyway, keep searching, and you will certainly find some resources that work for you. In the Lifelong English Seminar, I will introduce some reading sites, and with any luck, we'll find some good reading options together.
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Links to online reading resources [Note: from March 2017, DMOZ is no longer being updated. Many links are still active, however.]
Adolescent Literature
Reading literature written for native-level English speakers can be challenging, but if you start with novels written for young people (junior high school and high school age readers), you may find the language to be manageable. The Tsurumi University Library has the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, the City of Ember series and maybe a dozen or so other novels written for teens and young adults. Many of these books have been made into movies, so you can combine reading with watching the movie for better understanding. However, if you have already tried some Level 2 or 3 graded readers and found them to be too difficult, you may find this option to be unrealistic. You're better off starting with some easy graded readers and building up to adolescent literature when you're really ready.
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Storyline Online
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The Fable Cottage |
Sroryline Online features children's books that are read aloud while the words and illustrations are shown. This allows the reader to listen while reading. There are many well-known books on this site, so there are probably some that you already know.
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At The Fable Cottage, you can read fairy tales in English and four other languages. You can also hear the audio while you read. I noticed some differences between the script and the audio, however.
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Free Books & Audio Books Online
Nowadays, if you want to read a classic book, one that was written long ago so that the copyright has expired, you can read it for free online or download it to your PC or smartphone. Why pay for Alice in Wonderland when you can read it for free? Project Gutenberg is the place to go for may free book titles. Here is a list of the most popular books free for download. You'll also find links to audiobooks here. |
Want to try reading a book without actually reading? You can even keep your eyes closed. Audio books are books that are read aloud, often by a professional voice actor. Many people listen to these in the car in the U.S., but here in Japan, they are great for the train. If you're not listening to streaming music, why not give an audio book a try? The site Open Culture has 900 free audio books. Download an audio book to your smartphone now!
Another site for free audio books is called Loyal Books (formerly Books Should Be Free). They also offer ebooks. Librivox has audio books read by volunteers, and there are books in many languages. |