9 Reasons Why Reading is Important in a Foreign Language Learning

How important is reading in foreign language learning? Should you read as much as possible when trying to perfect a foreign language?

The answer is simple: absolutely yes! If you want to learn your target language, reading is something you can’t avoid.

Furthermore, reading can help you improve your grammar, vocabulary, writing, and reading skills. It also prepares you for speaking so that you can be more confident when you practice with your tutor.

In case you still aren’t convinced that reading is essential in learning a foreign language, continue reading and find out the 9 main reasons why it's an inevitable part of your journey.

Let’s get started.

The 9 Main Reasons Why Reading in Foreign Language Learning is Important

Reading Helps You With Vocabulary

Regardless of your proficiency level, reading is beneficial for many reasons, especially in your target language. It helps you build and boost your vocabulary because when you read, you are exposed to new words and expressions. Over time, your vocabulary expands and with further reading, you only add new phrases to your vocabulary bag.

That’s why language learners who read a lot often get to fluency level faster and have an impressive amount of words and phrases when talking to native speakers.

Understanding Words And Phrases From Contexts

With reading, you are exposed to new words and phrases used in different contexts. Even if you read a word for the first time, you can find out its meaning from the context, which means that you know how and when to use it right.

When you run into a new expression, you can write it down and pay attention to whether that phrase shows up later in the text so that you can see in which situations you can use it. Some expressions may have multiple meanings which you can find out thanks to reading.

Reading And Grammar Are Closely Connected

Learning and memorizing grammar rules can be boring. However, grammar is one of the essentials in every language because, without it, it is unlikely that you can speak any language fluently.

Reading and grammar are closely connected. With reading, you can see grammar patterns, learn sentence structures, and find out grammar exceptions.

Reading and Writing Skills Improvement

The more you read, the better your reading and writing skills are. It is especially important for learning tricky words.

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Reading is closely connected to pronunciation as well. It's true that tongue twisters are ideal for improving your pronunciation but you can’t improve it without reading, can you?

As for the writing skills, this is something you improve with reading without even being aware of. That’s the best part.  After reading, you can try to write down some words or even sentences to track your progress. Trust us, you will be surprised.

Reading Helps You Sound Like a Native

One of the benefits reading provides us is the possibility to sound like a native speaker. That, of course, can’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of time and effort.  But, the more you read, the closer you are to sounding like a native.

At first, you may need more time to read something and to understand the context but over time, you will be faster, and more and more expressions will be familiar to you.

You Can Read Anything You Want

Reading is mainly connected to books. In today’s world, there are many types of documents and texts you can read and learn new things. Yes, there are plenty of books about language learning and most of them can be really helpful, but you don’t have to stick just to them. You can read anything you want.

If you want to read newspapers and magazines in your target language, go ahead! Forums and discussion boards are also welcomed. 

Should you find sci-fi books more appealing, pick one! And if you are a language toddler, don’t be shy and choose some of the children’s books in your target language. Anything that suits you, feel free to choose it and read. 

Reading And Learning Slang Words And Colloquialisms

No matter what you read, whether it's books, newspapers, or blogs, reading is an excellent way to learn slang words and colloquialisms in your target language. Knowing slang words and colloquialisms is a sign of fluency. When you read, you can see how the slang is used, what it means, and how to use it.

Reading Prepares You For Speaking Practice

Besides helping you to expand your vocabulary and grammar, reading also prepares you for speaking practice. With reading, you are exposed to different situations and dialogues, including some everyday contexts. It means that you are getting familiar with how conversations are held, to get started to talk to native speakers, greet them or talk about casual things.

This way, your brain puts every language part in one place, so when the time comes to proudly show your language skills, you will be well-prepared.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget that reading helps you improve your language skills. Also, don’t think that this can happen overnight.

For language learning, it takes a lot of time, dedication, and effort but in the end, the results will be clear and you can proudly show your Justlearn tutors that reading in foreign language matters.