How Reading English Books Makes You Fluent Fast | Simple Method That Works
Hello my friends, welcome to Bookish English. My name is Ariel and today I want to share something close to my heart. It is reading. Many people ask me, why should I read books in English? I already watch videos, I listen to podcasts, I go to class, I even do grammar practice. So why more reading? My answer is simple. Reading is the strongest way to grow your English. It helps in ways that no other method can. You may think reading is boring or hard, but reading is powerful. When you do it in the right way, it becomes simple and fun. Reading can make your English faster, clearer, and more natural.
Long ago, many people never read books at all. Today, reading is everywhere. We read text messages, emails, news, social media posts, and signs. If you want a good job, you need to read and write. Even if you are a driver, a cook, or a nurse, you must read important things. Reading is not only for school, it is for daily life. And if you want to be good at English reading, you must read often. Reading helps you learn new words. It helps your grammar. It makes your writing better. And it even helps your speaking. You may wonder, how can reading help me speak? The reason is this: when you read, you see language in action. You see how people use sentences. You see how words connect. Later when you speak, your brain remembers what you read. Your words come out more natural. Reading is not just for reading; it supports every part of the language.
But the magic of reading only works when you enjoy it. If you read for a test, you may learn little. If you read for fun, you will learn a lot. When you read something you love, you feel happy. Your brain learns faster. That is why I always say: read what you like. If you enjoy stories, read stories. If you enjoy cooking, read recipes. If you enjoy comics, read comics. There is no wrong book. Any book can help you, as long as it makes you smile.
Many students say to me, I want to read but it is too hard. I need a dictionary every line. I feel tired and I stop. I understand. That is why I started this channel, to help you love reading and make it easy. The first step is to begin with very easy material. Read where you know almost everything. Maybe 95 to 98 percent of the words. That is perfect because you can enjoy without stopping. You do not need a dictionary. You just follow the story. You feel the rhythm. You start to think in English. That is the real goal. I want you to feel English, not just translate. I want you to feel meaning, not only grammar rules.
When we read, we meet words many times. We meet grammar many times. Our brain slowly understands and we do not forget. It becomes an experience, not just a lesson. Let me give you an example. One of my students was a boy from Korea. His name was Min. He loved video games but hated English. He thought English was too difficult. One day I gave him a small comic about robots in English. He opened it, read, and started to laugh. He liked it. He read more. After two months he finished ten comics. One day he told me, “Teacher, I don’t use the dictionary anymore.” His English improved because he read what he loved. No tests, no stress, just fun. That is the true power of reading.
Part 2 – Small Steps, Big Change
When I started to learn other languages, I also had problems. Many people think teachers learn fast, but that is not true. I remember when I tried to study French. I could not understand fast speech. I forgot new words quickly. I felt slow and tired. Then I told myself, do what I always tell my students: start with something easy. So I went to the library and looked for French books. Many books were too hard. I felt lost and almost gave up. Then I found a small book with pictures and very easy words. At first I thought it was for children, too easy for me. But I opened the book and read one page, then another page. I understood almost everything. I smiled. I kept reading. That day I read twenty pages. I did not use a dictionary. I just followed the story. I laughed, I felt happy, and I felt smart. That was the first day I enjoyed reading in French.
After that I read more small books. I read short stories, comics, and easy novels. I made a habit to read every day, sometimes ten minutes, sometimes thirty. I read before bed, I read with tea, I read in quiet moments. Slowly French became my friend. I started to speak better. I started to think in French. My words grew, my grammar improved, but I never studied grammar rules. I just read them again and again in stories. That helped me more than any grammar class. Later I did the same with Spanish. I started small, with simple books. I did not care if they were made for kids. They helped me, and that was enough. Soon I could speak Spanish with people and write simple things. I felt proud, and I did it with reading.
Now when students ask me what is the best way to learn English, my answer is always the same. Read. Read what you love and what you understand. If you open a book and every line has ten new words, close it. That book is too hard. A good book is one where you only meet one or two new words on a page. That way you do not stop every second. You just enjoy. Easy books are not a waste of time. They are the best start. You learn more when you enjoy the process. Later, when you are ready, you can read harder books. But in the beginning, start small and grow big. That is the way.
Part 3 – Choosing the Right Book
Many learners ask me, “How do I know which book is right for me?” This is a smart question. If the book is too hard, you will stop reading. If the book is too easy, you may not grow. The best book is the one where you understand almost everything but still learn a little. For example, if a page has one hundred words and you know ninety-five or more, that book is good for you. If you only understand eighty, it is too hard. If you know all one hundred, it may be easy, but it is still fine if you enjoy it. Easy and fun is always better than hard and boring. When the book feels simple, your brain is relaxed. When you are relaxed, you learn more. If the book is too hard, you stop after five minutes. If it is easy, you may read for thirty minutes without thinking. That is how you improve.
I tell my students to test the first page. Open the book, read a little, and then ask yourself: Do I understand? Do I enjoy it? Do I feel curious to know more? If the answer is yes, continue reading. If the answer is no, close it and choose another one. You do not need to finish every book you start. This is not school. You are free to choose. Reading should not feel like stress. It should feel like a nice walk with words.
Now let us talk about types of books. First are graded readers. These are special books made for English learners. They are short, use simple words, and come in levels. Second are children’s books. Do not feel shy to read them. They are easy, full of pictures, and often very fun. Third are fairy tales. Most people know these stories already, so it is easy to follow. They are short, repeat words, and teach small lessons. Fourth are comics and graphic novels. These are great because pictures help you understand. Sentences are short, and the stories are exciting. Fifth are books you already know in your own language. If you know the story, you can follow the English version more easily. This makes reading faster and happier.
You can also read short stories online. Many websites share free stories. On my channel, Bookish English, you can read and listen at the same time. This is a strong method. When you read and hear together, your brain connects sound and text. You remember the rhythm of sentences. You learn naturally. That is why I always suggest: if possible, read with audio.
But what if you see new words? Do not stop for every word. Try to guess the meaning from the sentence or the picture. If you cannot, just skip it. You do not need to know every single word. Important words will appear again and again. Our brain is smart. It learns from meeting the same word many times. That is why reading is more powerful than memorizing lists. When you read, grammar and vocabulary repeat. You learn them without pressure.
Some learners like to keep a notebook. That is fine, but do not write every word. Choose only three or four words each day. Use them in sentences and say them out loud. That is enough. If you try to collect too many, you will feel tired and stop. Small steps are better. Reading is not about speed. It is about habit. Reading every day, even five minutes, is stronger than one hour only once a week. Make reading part of life, like drinking water or brushing teeth.
I want to share a short story. One of my students, Omar, loved animals. He read simple books about cats and dogs. He laughed and enjoyed them. After two months, his English was better. Not because he studied grammar, but because he read with joy. Another student, Sophia from Brazil, wrote to me. She said, “I never liked English. I always failed my tests. Then I started reading your easy stories. Now I read every night. I finished three books. My teacher asked, what happened? Your English is better. I answered, I read.” Her message made me so happy. It shows again that small steps create big change.
Part 4 – Practice and Growth
Ariel woke up early one morning and looked at his small notebook. On the first page he had written, “Practice every day, never stop.” He smiled. He wanted to practice speaking. Reading was helping, listening was helping, but speaking still felt scary. Ariel went to the mirror and whispered, “Hello, my name is Ariel.” His voice was soft. He laughed a little and said it again, louder this time. “Hello, my name is Ariel. I like English.” He repeated the same line many times until the words felt easy. Each time he spoke, he felt stronger. Ariel smiled at his reflection and said, “Good job.”
At breakfast he played a short English audio. A woman’s voice said, “How are you today?” Ariel paused and answered, “I am fine, thank you.” Then the voice asked, “What is your name?” Ariel said, “My name is Ariel.” He spoke to the audio as if it were a real person. It made him feel brave. Later, when he went for a walk, he looked at the world around him and spoke in English. He said, “This is a tree. That is a bird. The sky is blue.” His sentences were simple, but he was speaking. Every small line gave him courage. He told himself, “I am learning. I am growing.”
That afternoon he met his friend Ali. Ali asked, “How is your English?” Ariel laughed and answered, “Better. I even talk to the mirror now.” Ali smiled and said, “Great, let us speak in English for ten minutes.” Ariel felt nervous, but he agreed. Ali asked, “What did you eat today?” Ariel said, “I eat… no, I ate eggs and bread.” Ali clapped and said, “Good! What are you doing now?” Ariel said, “I am talking to you.” They both laughed. Ali told him, “Just keep going.” Ariel saw that practice was working. Mistakes did not stop him. Every mistake was a step forward. That night he wrote in his notebook, “Today I spoke more. I made mistakes, but I did not stop. I feel proud.” He closed his eyes and whispered, “I believe in myself.”
In the next weeks Ariel worked harder. He joined a small English group in town. At first he was shy. People were speaking fast, and some used difficult words. He wanted to stay quiet, but then a young woman asked, “What is your name?” Ariel smiled and said, “My name is Ariel.” The group welcomed him, and soon they spoke about food, work, and hobbies. Ariel was quiet in the beginning, but then he started to share. He said, “I like reading. I read English books.” Someone asked, “What book do you enjoy the most?” Ariel answered, “A story about a boy who learns English like me.” Everyone laughed kindly. Ariel stayed for one hour and when he went home, he felt stronger. He told himself, “I can speak, I can listen, I can join a group.
From that day, Ariel made English part of his life. He read books every evening. He listened to short audios. He spoke in the mirror. He wrote in his notebook. He joined groups and even watched small movies with subtitles. He repeated the lines from movies out loud and acted them like the characters. Sometimes he said, “I am going to the shop, do you want anything?” and then answered himself with a smile. He turned practice into play, and learning became fun.
One evening his teacher asked, “Ariel, what do you think your level is now?” Ariel thought for a moment and said, “Maybe A2, maybe more. But I know I can talk, I can listen, I can help. I feel better.” The teacher smiled and said, “That is the best answer.” Ariel now wanted to help others too. He started a small group at home and invited three friends who were afraid of English. He said, “Do not worry about mistakes. Just talk. We are learning together.” At first his friends were quiet, but Ariel guided them. He asked them to say their names and share one thing they liked. Slowly they relaxed and spoke more. Ariel told them, “I was like you. I could not speak. I was afraid. But I started small, and I did not stop. Now I can help you.” His friends felt encouraged because they saw Ariel was not perfect, but he was brave and he believed in them.
That night Ariel stood in front of the mirror again. He looked at himself and said, “I am better than I think. I can do more than I know.” He wrote in his notebook, “I can speak. I can learn. I can grow.” He closed his eyes and imagined standing on a stage. In his dream, people were clapping as he spoke in English. He told them, “You can do it too. You are better than you believe.” The crowd smiled and believed him. And deep in his heart, Ariel knew it was true.
THE END
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