IELTS Reading Part 5 - Improve Reading Skills

Photo by Thomas Barwick via Getty Images

When it comes to finding things to read in English it’s never been easier than it is these days. Thanks to the internet, you have access to newspapers, blogs and all kinds of articles in English. Find a topic that you’re interested in and you can find something to read about it. Many of you are fans of British literature. It’s not always easy to read some of the great works in literature, in English, especially if it’s from earlier centuries. I know that doesn’t stop some of you but it can be easy to get discouraged if you’re reading something and you have to stop and open your dictionary every two minutes to look up a word that you don’t understand. However, there are lots of simplified readers in easier English that let you read some classic books and also some new stories in English you’ll find easier to understand.

We’ve put some links on this page to show where you can find some. There are also links to the British Council’s LearnEnglish website that has lots of short stories for learners at all levels.

Photo by Thomas Barwick via Getty Images

Remember that reading should be a pleasure. You can set tasks for yourself while you read, like identifying the main ideas in a passage or an article, but don’t forget that it should be enjoyable.

Courtesy: British Council

You should practice with both the types of text that you will find in the General or Academic test, and a wider range of reading materials. It’s important to find a balance between reading materials that you are genuinely interested in and want to understand and materials which may be of less personal interest to you, but will help you prepare for the test itself. Here are a number of suggestions, as well as tools to help you get the most out of your reading:

BRITISH COUNCIL READING RESOURCES
LearnEnglish Magazine has a wide selection of articles from intermediate to advanced levels, all with audio and language practice activities.
Reading Skills Practice has a range of general reading activities at B2 level.
LearnEnglish Teens Magazine has lots of short, interesting articles on general topics.
EducationUK The Magazine is full of interesting articles for students aiming to study in the UK.
The Voices blog is an excellent source for articles on education, arts, cultural relations, science and more.
Cubed magazine has an excellent selection of articles on science and technology, many of which also include language activities.


NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
There are lots of free newspapers and magazines online that can help you practice a little every day by following your own personal interests. Here are a selection for you to try:
The Guardian. You can also practice with their worksheets, based on past stories.
New Scientist
National Geographic
Flipboard is a useful tool you can use on your web browser or as a free Windows, Android or iOS app. You choose your interests and it then collects all the latest articles on those topics. You can flip through short extracts then click on the ones you want to read.


READING TOOLS
Professor Word is a free reading tool which lets you click on any word in a website to get the definition. When you print out the page, all the words and definitions you clicked will be included as footnotes.
Lingro also makes every word in a website clickable, so you can check and record any new vocabulary without leaving the original page. It also translates into eleven languages and includes a range of games and activities to revise vocabulary.

Cue Prompter,you can copy and paste in any text, then adjust the speed it scrolls up the screen. You can use this to help you focus on skimming and scanning and also to work on your reading speed.


Source: FutureLearn - Understanding IELTS by British Council