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HOW DO YOU BECOME A BETTER READER?This introductory guide will help REDC participants become better readers and to help themcope with the reading material that is provided during training. This guide is divided into twoparts. Part one is the basic level and that includes R1, R2 and R3 and the other part is advancelevel and is covered in R4, R5 and R6.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. Anotherworry is that you may not be able to tell whether you have become a better reader or not aftersome time of learning. But if you plan your learning carefully, you will find that it is notimpossible to evaluate the progress you have made in reading. Also, you may get a surprisebonus: both your writing and speaking could have improved, too.
Improving reading speed (R1)
 You may want to increase your reading speed so that you can cope with the heavyreading load. This sheet suggests some of the ways that can help you read fast.
Reading for main points (R2)
This sheet helps you identify the main points of a text. This subskill is particularly usefulif you do not want to bother about details.
Reading for specific information (R3)
 If you want to locate specific information from a text, this sheet will suggest tips fordoing so. Normally you have already had some basic knowledge about the topic and youhave some specific questions in mind that you hope the text will be able to provideanswers for.
Reading critically (R4)
 If you are not satisfied with basic understanding of a text, this sheet will give you someideas on how to read between the lines. In other words, you will be able to distinguishopinions from facts; and you will be able to form your own judgement on the issuesraised in a text. This sheet will also give you advice on how to make use of textorganisation to understand a text.
Devising a reading plan (R5)
 This sheet helps you plan your reading project. First, it explains the four key componentsof an effective plan. Then it shows examples to give you a better idea on how to make areading plan.
How to enjoy reading (R6)
 This sheet aims to raise your awareness on how to enjoy reading by means of aquestionnaire. You can also try out the strategies suggested in this advice sheet. They willhelp you enjoy your reading more.
 
IMPROVING READING SPEED
R1
"I read very slowly.""I tend to read the same line over and over again.""I have loads of readings to do and I don't think I would ever finish them."Do these comments sound familiar to you? If yes, don't feel bad because you are reading in aforeign language. When people read in a foreign language, very often, they don't have enoughconfidence in their text interpretation; and therefore, they usually read more slowly than they doin their own language. After these words of comfort and reassurance, of course, you still want toimprove your reading speed. Before you read on, consider the following:How fast (or how slowly) do I read?It is important to measure your reading speed before and after your practice in speed reading sothat you know how much you have achieved. To do so,Choose two reading passages of about the same length and the same difficulty level.Use one passage before practice and the other after.Get a stop watch ready.Read the passage.Record the time you took to finish the passage.If you read a passage with comprehension questions, you may also check and see how well youhave understood it. After you have recorded your pre-practice reading speed, you may startpractising. REMEMBER: You may use any reading materials available, and you may practiseanywhere you like. Now, are you ready for some tips?Tips on improving your reading speedIdentify a purpose for your reading and try to achieve that purpose in your reading. (Thistip can be useful for any kind of reading.)Ignore the word(s) or part(s) that you do not understand.DON'T ever read back! This will slow you down. Just go on reading, bearing the
passagetitle
in mind.DON'T let your eyes stay on the same line for more than 5 seconds.Try to identify one main idea from one paragraph. (Of course some paragraph maycontain more than one main idea, whereas in other cases, one main idea could beexpressed in several paragraphs.)
Eye movement:
There are different suggestions on how to use your eye movement tohelp you read faster. There is no one solution. The best way is to experiment yourself before you identify the method that suits you. Different methods are as follows:
 
 
1. Move your eyes diagonally.2. Read the words at the beginning and at the end of each line.3. Read the words in the middle of each line.Read nouns and verbs only.With the help of these tips, practise as much and as often as you can. Don't forget to measureyour reading speed at the end to see how much faster you can read.
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