Reading in English is a waste of time!

Monthly topics for discussion

Moderator: TalkingPoint

User avatar
Bambang
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
Posts: 870
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 3:26 am
Location: Jakarta Indonesia

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Bambang »

sweets wrote:"We are in danger if we can't speak English"

well uncle Bambang iam not calling to leave english as a language but to take care about our national languages :|
OK. Never forget to practice our national languages. :P
We're all friends, right?
sweets
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
Posts: 1036
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:35 pm
Status: Other
Location: some where behind the sea

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by sweets »

this is a good move :)
دخلت حياتي كنسمة وخرجت منها كإعصار
lxguy
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:18 pm
Status: Teacher of English
Location: lxguy

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by lxguy »

Reading plays a very important role in language learning.But we should choose suitable reading materials according to learners' learning level.
gem
Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:02 pm

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by gem »

Reading itself is not a waste of time. It is a way of learning, widening your knowledge. Reading english materials will surely improve your english skills. So if you dont want or dont appreciate english language then it will be a waste of time for you but for those who are very eager and find english language very useful..in work , studies and for his /her entire life then its definitely NOT a waste of time..... :P
Seafarer
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:40 pm
Location: where i'm happy

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Seafarer »

Oh, you really talked like my students:) I can't change your mind, but it gets harder as long as you resist it:) The same explanation that i make to my students :D
Annaa
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
Posts: 720
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:15 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Annaa »

I don`t think so
If you don`t like me remember it's mind over matter..I don't mind and you don't matter..
HelenMm
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:26 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by HelenMm »

skorpion wrote:
TalkingPoint wrote:Reading in English is a waste of time!

Do YOU agree?
I think it really depends. If you're a beginner, it is a waste of time, cause you'll be guessing the pronunciation of a lot of words you don't know, and that'll just make your English hard to understand. Beginners should practice their English by listening a lot and then by speaking. When the learner has strong listening and speaking skills, then he/she can move on to reading.

If you're an advanced student, then reading should not be a waste of time... provided that you keep a good dictionary next to you so that you can always check the correct pronunciation of new words.

I hope this helps.

I don't agree that beginners should only listen or speak English. I think that reading helps people to improve their vocabulary and extend their horizons. I began learning English from reading.
alkhader
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 8:21 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by alkhader »

That's completely untrue, because reader gain many things when they read much.
First, Students, people, and none native speakers who don't have ability to read Englsih in correct way they can improve their reading by reading more and more. So the more youread the more you be perfect reader.

Second, Many people and leaders who always read a lot have a lot of experience in many things. For Instance, People who read old histories have a good knowledge and learn from mistakes that happened in last wars and histories and going to a void them.

High Regards
Alkhader Ali
Koala
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:13 pm
Status: Learner of English
Location: Vietnam

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Koala »

I totally disagree. Reading English is the good way to improve your vocabulary and event your grammar. When you read regularly, you meet new words frequently so you can know them without trying to learn them by heart and it save you a lot of energy. Perhaps it take you a lot of time at the first time but it isn't waste and when you accustomed to reading, you can save a lot of time and learn not only English but also many things from this.
User avatar
denvinbo
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
Posts: 958
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:46 pm
Status: Learner of English
Location: Vietnam

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by denvinbo »

When you are reading a book or a story....you should read carefully to recognize the grammars the writer used....you can try to understand some words you don't know....or you can use the dictionary immediately.....and remember after use found it....retain it in mind....and recall it whenever you want it....
bruna
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2008 7:05 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by bruna »

I would never say "reading in English is a waste of time". Reading in a second language is always an effort but it helps a lot. It is a good idea reading a magazine about a topic you really love (travelling, fashion, ...). In my opinion this is the best way of thinking you are learning and not wasting your time.
babyfacehao
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:14 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by babyfacehao »

Our Belief: Credit is the first, Customers are our God.
Our website: http://www.Electronics-Brand.com
Vittoria
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:21 am
Status: Other
Location: Australia

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Vittoria »

bruna wrote:I would never say "reading in English is a waste of time". Reading in a second language is always an effort but it helps a lot. It is a good idea reading a magazine about a topic you really love (travelling, fashion, ...). In my opinion this is the best way of thinking you are learning and not wasting your time.
Yes, you're right. In addition, when you start to read in a second language you'll spend more time than usually due to the fact that impossible to refuse your original mentality and the way of thinking but it trains your brain.
rehman
Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:03 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by rehman »

reading newspaper and books in english are very important to enrich english..... it is only the best way to collect vacuballary and way of writing........ so i think more reading you will learn more grip over the language.......
studentss
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:45 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by studentss »

Even though I would like to read from original sources, I couldn't learn all possible languages and since there isn't translated everything to every language
User avatar
Rui
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 300
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:41 am
Location: World, Portugal, Porto, Maia

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by Rui »

For me the most important way of learning a language is to communicate, of course that to achieve a level where you are able to establish a normal conversation you must study a bit by reading, writing and learning some grammar rules, although after that just start communicating with other people because its when you really figure which words and how you should express your thoughts in certain matters.
keenlearner
Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:56 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by keenlearner »

No Way! Reading in English is not a waste of time

It is the best remedy to our minds nowadays.
martinohare
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 11:14 am
Status: Teacher of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by martinohare »

Wasting time is one of the biggest problems that faces us these days. Why? There's so much info. available these days that dealing with the deluge is what defines good usage of our time - to a large extent.

Reading fiction that is not tainted in any way is a great way to fire the imagination,likewise non-fiction that is uplifting gives food for thought. Seeing how others showed wisdom ,overcame adversity or showed great originality or bravery can make us think in a positive light.

For learners of English it is a great way to extend their vocabulary,to give them a greater sense of sentence construction and pnctuation. They should remember to read in a half voice - to enunciate the words as this helps retention of chunks of language allied to vocab retension.

So reading, a balanced diet of it,is one productive way to use your time. Seconds out!
lyphan
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:44 am
Status: Learner of English
Location: Hanoi-Vietnam

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by lyphan »

English is a international language, it becomes more and more important nowadays. Mastering English skill is one of the gold keys to communicate with people all over the world.
Reading English help you develop your English skills, therefore it is very essential.
i study English as my second language. Although i have studied hard, my English is not good until now. Please give me advices at "khicon_*******.com"
thank so much.
coolg
Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 12:51 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by coolg »

I think,for every language learning, reading, writting, listening, and speaking are complementary things. So it's impossible for us to neglect one of those methods if we want to master the language. In my case, I can't master these four things yet, but I try to progress here.
So, I extend special thanks to the creator of the site for letting me participate in this very nice web!
tuanhoang
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:26 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by tuanhoang »

If you are an English learner, reading in English gives you many big advantages that you can not afford to ignore it!

First of all, reading English books or articles helps you to improve your vocabulary and grammar. Almost English contents you encounter will be written in correct and precise English. So you will learn lots of correct sentences and words by reading those texts. But many people afraid of new words when reading English books which is usual and shouldn't see as a problem. Those new worlds will stay in your brain once you read more texts about the same subjects, for example: medical or technology. Once you master those words, reading will become a leisure activity for you.

Secondly, most of the world's best books are written in English. So improving your English reading skill will be an important key to your future success. If you are a college student, you can clearly see that most of the reference books of your courses are in English. Of course, there are translated editions to some books you want to read. But normally, translated editions somewhat altered contents of original editions and will not fully give you ideas the authors want to tell you.

Finally, according to scientist reading in any language or in English with good contents will keep your brain sharp! No matter how old are you, keeping your mind sharp is a key activity to make you live longer. Besides, with a good brain, you will live your life to the fullest. What can be better than this!

In conclusion, reading in English helps English learners improving their language skills and also give them opportunity to put their English skills to use. In addition to that, reading English books will broaden your knowledge and help you sharpen your brain and live a best life. So, make this as your everyday activity and experience the good it bring to you.
cassieho
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:33 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by cassieho »

Don't need to mention much...reading is absolutely a good way to improve english...everyone knows that...
User avatar
emresenoglu
Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:34 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by emresenoglu »

I'm opposite to your idea.
Reading is so imported to improve your skill in English.
If someone wants to learn English easly, must read whenever it is posible.
User avatar
ArnauEstanyol
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 177
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:58 am
Status: Learner of English
Location: Catalunya

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by ArnauEstanyol »

Read in general is very good. Why would be a waste of time read English?. I like read in English, so I don't consider I'm wasting my time. I do what I like, I don't care. I'm happy. In addition I learn many new words and expressions. Improving is not a bad thing.
duytrung
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:59 pm
Status: Other

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by duytrung »

Reading so much seems crazy for me. Use your time for other things not only in reading English. In addition, learning English doesn't mean you only reading as much as possible.
User avatar
ArnauEstanyol
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 177
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:58 am
Status: Learner of English
Location: Catalunya

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by ArnauEstanyol »

Obviously I'm not reading all day. But reading is culture. You can never learn too much.
Haiziasher
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:17 am
Status: Learner of English

It depends

Post by Haiziasher »

Reading good English papers and essays in large amounts surely improves my reading ability, by not only enabling me to read fast, comprehend easily, but aslo helping me absorb various categories of knowledge and information, which might be of use, big or small, in my future work or study. Of course, I need a good memory to support storage of them. And one of the feasible methods is by repetition.

Going to the bad English, including those poorly-structured sentences, ill-worded contents, casually-planned essays, I suggest an efficient solution: skipping and skimming, which is a skill my English teacher passed on to us at university, by spotting the just useful parts in briefing, a common way most readers apply when reading papers.
nurwandi
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:49 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by nurwandi »

Hi.. . i'm new in this forum chart. i'm indonesian, in my country the nationality language is Indonesia, the language similar with malay language. i'm happy can joint in ESL forum, it's can make my English be better. by the way, telling about a waste of time, only 1 word for this phrase NO WAY IN OUR LIFE. i really angry if i meet someone do something but nothing. he/she spend their time only for nothing to do, not productive.
ArnauEstanyol wrote:Obviously I'm not reading all day. But reading is culture. You can never learn too much.
triochrio
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:49 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by triochrio »

First,there are a lot of books in english I like to read,because they aren`t translated into my mother tongue german.

Second,for me it worked very well to improve my english grammar and enriched my vokabulary.

Third,as mentioned earlier in this thread,if you read out loud,you improve your talking skills.
adin
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:46 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by adin »

The idea proposing the post "Reading English is a waste of time!" is really provocative and I love it. You know already the answer from the others and good luck for your good idea.

How about if I propose "Having sex before marriage is okay" will you think it is an idea we should really discuss about? For me, as long as it is for practicing our language.. and then why not.

Best regard

Adin
khaled
Member
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:35 pm
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by khaled »

It is the best habbit that one should adopt is to read in English coz it is a global Language and by reading in English you strengthen your vocabulary, grammar, spelling and speaking as well...
It is a must!!
monaji
Rising Star
Rising Star
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:42 pm
Status: Learner of English
Location: there

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by monaji »

alkhader
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 8:21 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by alkhader »

alkhader wrote:That's completely untrue, because reader gain many things when they read much.
First, Students, people, and none native speakers who don't have ability to read Englsih in correct way they can improve their reading by reading more and more. So the more youread the more you be perfect reader.

Second, Many people and leaders who always read a lot have a lot of experience in many things. For Instance, People who read old histories have a good knowledge and learn from mistakes that happened in last wars and histories and going to a void them.



High Regards
Alkhader Ali
jarishman
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:47 am
Status: Learner of English

Re: Reading in English is a waste of time!

Post by jarishman »

in my family no speak english
who is i can speak english with?
Post Reply