There are many reading problems in English, and they create a big challenge for many students. Here, we are talking about reading problems related to incorrect pronunciation when reading or speaking. Some of these problems come from the way people learn English, while others come from the English language itself. Now, let’s look at these problems and how to solve them.
Reasons for Weak Reading Skills in English
1. Learning English Skills in the Wrong Order
There are four main English skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The correct order to learn them is:
This is the natural way to learn a language. However, some people start in the wrong order. For example, they begin with writing before they have good listening, speaking, and reading skills. To solve this problem, you should follow the correct order when learning English.
2. English Pronunciation Is Different from Your Native Language
English has 44 sounds, and some of them do not exist in Arabic or other languages. For example, the sounds /p/ and /ch/ are not found in Arabic. These differences make reading English difficult for many learners.
For example, some Indian speakers pronounce English words with the sounds of their own language. This makes their English difficult to understand. We will discuss how to fix this problem later in the article.
3. Learning from the Wrong Teacher
Recently, many people have started YouTube channels to teach English, even though they do not speak it correctly. These teachers often pronounce words incorrectly, such as pronouncing /p/ as /b/ or mixing up /r/ and /l/ like Arabic sounds. These mistakes cause serious reading problems for students.
4. Some Words Have Special Letter Combinations
Some English words have letters that combine to make one sound. For example:
- ch, th, ph, sion, tion
In the word location, the letters tion are pronounced “shun” (/ʃən/).
5. One Letter, Many Pronunciations
Some English letters have more than one pronunciation. For example:
- S can sound like /s/ (soft) or /z/ (zebra).
- Ch can sound like /tʃ/ (chair) or /k/ (school).
This makes reading more difficult for learners.
6. Some Words Have Many Vowel Letters
English vowels can have different sounds. For example, the letter A sounds different in different words. When vowels are combined, they can change even more. For example, in the word beautiful, the vowels create a special sound.
7. Some Letters Are Silent
English has many silent letters that are written but not pronounced. For example:
- w in who and write
- h in whey and what
Silent letters make reading harder for learners.
Solutions to English Reading Problems
Now, let’s look at some solutions to these reading problems. Some solutions can help with all problems, while others solve specific issues. By using them together, you can improve your English reading and pronunciation.
1. Listen to English a Lot
When learning a new language, the first step is listening. Think about how babies learn their native language. First, they listen to their parents for months before they start speaking. Later, they learn to read and write.
You should follow the same process:
- Listen to a lot of English.
- Speak when you feel ready.
- Read after developing listening and speaking skills.
- Write when you are comfortable with reading.
This method will help you learn English in a natural way.
2. Listen and Read at the Same Time
A great way to improve reading is to listen while reading the text. This helps you connect sounds with letters.
You can find many English audiobooks and stories on YouTube in American and British accents. Just search for “Learn English through story” to find videos that match your level.
3. Read Out Loud
Once your listening skill improves, start reading aloud.
- Watch a story on YouTube.
- Listen to it once while reading the text.
- Play the video again, mute the sound, and read the text out loud.
By practicing like this, your reading and pronunciation will improve over time.
Conclusion
We have now reached the end of this article. If you found it helpful, don’t forget to share it on Facebook and Twitter so others can benefit too!
