The Importance of Reading for EFL Learning

　　The Importance of Reading for EFL Learning
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Simonxu
　　As Francis Bacon put it well， reading makes a full man. Reading plays such an essential role in our daily life that almost everyone reads for different purposes---- reading for information or for pleasure or for healing. When it comes to EFL learning， efficient reading is extraordinarily beneficial for the improvement of learners’ English competence and cultural awareness.
　　First and foremost， reading is a reliable source of language input and reading facilitates language acquisition through visual cues. It is no secret that reading helps enhance learners’ knowledge of L2 lexical items and grammatical structures. In other ways， reading can considerably enlarge vocabulary and consolidate learners’ understanding of grammar. According to Catherine Snow， Harvard University Education Professor， she believes that in order to have a good command of a word or phrase， learners need to encounter it at least 15 times in different contexts. And it is the same case for grammar. Only through extensive reading can learners expose themselves to the correct usage of lexis and grammar and enhance their language competence. It is worth noting that， according to Stephen Krashen， language acquisition occurs primarily through masses of input and exposure， and that the chosen articles should be natural， authentic and contextualized to maximize the power of any article for EFL learning.
　　Besides， reading improves the overall language skills， that is listening， speaking， reading and writing. With repeated exposure to the same vocabulary and correct language structures， learners gradually find that those language items are deeply branded in their brain and begin to make their way into learners’ spoken or written English as well. Undeniably， reading is often integrated with speaking or writing to maximize the benefit learners can get out of a single piece of material. The more learners read， the more likely they are to speak or write idiomatically like a native speaker. Therefore， reading serves to enhance language competence holistically and correctly.
　　Furthermore， reading can expand knowledge and increase intercultural awareness of English learners. With a better understanding of language knowledge， learners are likely to shift their attention to the content of the reading material. Intrigued by the theme and content， they will feel a sense of achievement in language learning， which in turn stimulates their interest in further exploration of the language. They will gradually realize the distinction between the target culture and of their own. As language and culture are inextricably intertwined， learning a language is inseparable from learning its culture. Therefore， through extensive reading， learners not only hunt for knowledge， but also promote their intercultural awareness， thus making them aware of the influence of culture on people’s values and behaviors and helping them recognize and accept the existence of cultural differences.
　　Finally， reading serves to afford pleasure and healing， which will in turn stimulate EFL learning. Compared with doing exercises blindly and mechanically， which will exhaust learners， reading extensively can help relieve pressure. For example， when learners feel stressed， they can pick up an English classic book or a Selected Poems of Tagore， reading in peace and temporarily forgetting all around. The mastery of language usually leads them to soar into the azure sky and dive into the aquamarine ocean. After reading， they will absolutely feel refreshed and stimulated， which helps foster interests in EFL learning and promotes learners’ reading autonomy.
　　Conclusively， reading is vital to EFL learners. However， to give full play to the role of reading， EFL learners are strongly advised to read articles that are natural， authentic and contextualized， based on their own English level， interests and hobbies. One of the most effective ways is， undoubtedly， to read foreign newspapers and magazines or classics， such as The Guardian， New York times， Jane Eyre， etc. Most importantly， EFL learners should be persistent in reading at their own pace and be avid readers. Only in this way can they significantly enhance their reading competence， thus facilitating their EFL learning eventually.
　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tutor：Lena