“O human race, born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou so fall?”
Wait, what? We go the first part of that quote, but what’s that “wherefore at a little wind dost thou so fall?” That was Dante Alighieri, by the way. Even a native English speaker has a hard time understanding that language today. Throughout history, authors wrote in a language that’s difficult to process. When you’re learning language, reading their work would only confuse you.
However, reading is still important! You shouldn’t limit the reading to textbooks. You should explore modern writers! The good news is that today’s writers don’t use complicated language. They write as they speak and they speak as they think. The sentences are clear, so it’s easy to understand the context.
Who can we consider to be a modern writer? Bestseller authors definitely belong in that category. However, maybe you’ll have a problem reading a whole book. If you want something shorter, you can choose from another category of modern writers: journalists, poets, musicians, and bloggers.
Reading – Your Way to Successful Learning
Maybe you plan to be a marketer or a wedding photographer. Maybe you want to travel the world. Maybe you just want to make progress in your current position. Whatever the case is, English is a requirement. You need English for professional success, but you also need it for communication with foreigners.
Why do you need to read books and other texts in English if you want to learn the language? Reading opens your mind to new words and words. It takes you up to a new level of learning. When you get engaged in the content you read, you don’t think about memorizing words. You are doing that without making any effort.
If you study in an English-speaking country, you’ll have to write many essays, book reports, and other papers in this language. Most foreign students consider that to be a huge challenge, so they have to hire services like australianwritings. If you read enough, you will also learn how to write. Emails, blog posts, papers… you’ll be able to write anything.
Through reading, you also learn how to speak. You know more words and you feel more confident to use them.
How Modern Writers Help You Learn English
1. Start with the masterpieces of modern writers
“Girl, you’re free, can’t you see that? You’ve got your child, you’ve got your family down here who love you, you’ve got your farm. You don’t have to ask for anything. You know how few women in this world get to say that, black or white?” – Natalie Baszile (Queen Sugar)
Natalie Baszile is one of the contemporary writers who are worth reading. Her style is clean, precise, and powerful.
You’ll find that modern authors write in a much different way when you compare their work to the classics. That’s because they live in our time. They understand the language the way we do.
Pick up a bestseller and you’ll see: it will be engaging and easy to read. Here are few suggestions:
- The Whistler by John Grisham
- Cross the Line by James Patterson
- Night School by Lee Child
- Chaos by Patricia Cornwell
2. Check out some graphic novels
Graphic books are also cool for language learners. The style is more comprehensive, especially when they are written for a younger audience. If you’re too old for reading children’s graphic novels, don’t worry. V for Vendetta also comes in the form of a graphic novel. How cool is that?
How do you choose the perfect graphic novel? Read the first page before you buy it. If it gets your attention, it was meant to be yours.
3. Mark the unfamiliar words
When you’re reading a very interesting book, it consumes you. Suddenly, it seems like you understand even those words you haven’t learn. You understand from context, through your intuition. Still, it’s important to pay attention to the words you don’t know.
Write them down as you read. Use a special notebook for that. Find the meaning in a dictionary. This strategy will help you build your vocabulary without much effort.
4. Read online content, too
Who doesn’t love blogs? When you read a well-written blog post, you get the impression that the writer is speaking directly to you. That direct style is engaging, so you get inspired to write a comment.
You can find blogs focused on astronomy, fashion, cooking… everything! Pick an interest and subscribe to the best blogs. Read one blog post per day and you’ll notice great improvement in your comprehension level.
5. Read out loud!
You’ll gain the most benefits out of reading if you read out loud. When you’re saying the words, you are getting better at speaking. Plus, you are giving more character to the book. Don’t worry; you won’t look weird when you’re alone in the room.
Modern English language learners should rely on modern writers. Forget about the classics for some time. You’ll be able to read them when you improve your language skills enough to understand that complex style. For now, you’ll benefit from contemporary literature and online posts, which will help you learn with pleasure.
Author Bio:
Jessica Freeman is a professional journalist and a devoted freelance content writer from Australia. She enjoys writing, traveling, and learning new things. Meet her on Facebook and Google+.
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