What are the Benefits of Reading Aloud?

How reading aloud with Lilly stimulates learning.

 

Have you ever been caught enjoying a captivating story, and suddenly the instructor calls on you to read it aloud in front of 20 people? This can be stressful for someone who is shy, but for someone who has language difficulties, it can seem near-impossible.

Children are often encouraged to read aloud whenever they are learning new words in a group or classroom. This is because when a child reads slowly, it helps to stimulate their imagination. It also helps them understand how syllables create full words. Besides creating an interest in vocabulary, it also gives them the ability to describe the world around them more effectively. Reading aloud helps children with their word diction and language skills above all other methods.

For adults, learning a new language has been proven to improve memory, enable better concentration, and improve problem-solving skills. Much like children, the adult mind needs the full picture. In order to get this clear image of complex ideas in their mind, they must enhance their learning language patterns in varied directions. Today there is a wide range of mediums one can use in their daily life to learn a new language, such as:

 

• Joining a class
• Using a self-study CD
• Downloading a foreign language app

Irrespective of which medium is used, how one studies is a key factor that will decide how fluent one will become in their chosen language.

Reading Aloud from the Text (RAT) is a method of learning a language that has been subject to praise and criticism. Especially in terms of how effective it truly is in helping students speak a foreign language. It has been suggested that it has no genuine communicative purpose to this method because it doesn’t behave like a real conversation. However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in various ways. In this article, we will explore the various benefits of reading aloud. These examples will show how reading aloud enables faster, long-term retention of words in a foreign language for students. It also increases the student’s confidence in a wide range, that practising organic conversation cannot.

The Benefits of Reading Aloud

Studies have shown that the act of reading a word and saying it aloud helps the reader to retain the word in their memory for longer. So, why is reading aloud beneficial for a student? This is because when a student reads a part of a text aloud, the brain engages in the act of talking (reading from the text), listening (hearing the way each word is pronounced), and understanding (relating the word to its meaning). This is why most foreign language classes emphasize different aspects of pronunciation, tone, and diction when teaching in a group. The other benefits of reading aloud for students include:

 

• Helps identify incorrect pronunciation and correct it
• Improves overall focus with immersifying
• Improves vocabulary
• Opens the mind to new experiences
• Improves confidence to converse in a foreign language with another person
• Greatly improves memory
• Enhances conversational skills and tone

It’s normal for readers to fear making mistakes or being laughed at when reading aloud. On the other hand, this sense of discomfort is insignificant when compared to the number of advantages that reading aloud gives a student. Skills such as pronunciation can not be achieved otherwise. Neither can the ability to converse with others in your chosen language.

Reading aloud is always the first step in learning how to communicate with native speakers. Students who never take the initiative to do this are missing a large step in their learning process. Without learning by reading aloud, you cannot hope to ever achieve success in reading skills.

 

 

How Reading Aloud Helps You Jump the Hurdles of Language

So why is learning a foreign language difficult? One of the main reasons could be that the native language spoken by the reader is nothing like the foreign language the student is learning. The differences could be in the way the foreign language is written, the manner in which the words are pronounced, and also the script which is used for writing. No doubt, becoming fluent in a foreign language is difficult, but reading aloud can make learning so much easier in the following ways:

 

• Reading aloud motivates learners and gives them a chance to actually enjoy what they are learning. When one enjoys what is being learned, there is a greater possibility of word retention. Students are also more likely to practice their new set of comprehension skills with other people. The more one practices, the better one’s fluency becomes.
• One of the more difficult nuances of language levels includes the use of words being written in one way and being pronounced differently. Reading aloud is especially helpful in understanding grammar and other forms of speech that may not make much sense otherwise.
• With regard to being able to monitor the actual progress of a student who is learning a foreign language, reading aloud gives a teacher or trainer active involvement to correctly judge a student’s proficiency or knowledge of the subject.
• When students studying a foreign language together in a group are asked to read aloud one after the other, a trainer will also be able to identify which student requires more guidance and personal attention. The input of a trainer is very important here for active listening.
• Reading aloud from a given text also enables quicker correction of mistakes and reinforcement of the correct pronunciation to use. It also helps comprehension skills and a better understanding of the structure of books.
• Most importantly, reading aloud and doing so continuously also helps to improve oral skills which in turn gives eventual success and confidence in speaking the foreign language as well.

 

Factors To Keep In Mind While Reading Aloud

Reading aloud, especially when one is pronouncing unfamiliar words in a foreign language, can be uncomfortable. In some instances, there is no preparation involved and the student can find themselves put on the spot. Sometimes they are prepared but not in the correct ways. However, there are a few adult reading tips that can be put into practice before actually reading out loud in front of a group:

 

• Listening to audiobooks, stories and word pronunciations from reputed sources can help a student improve tone and diction. The more one listens to auditory material, the better acquainted the student will become with the foreign language.
• In instances where they want to try speaking fluently, the reader can also become familiar with the text that he or she is expected to read. Underlining certain words, writing the phonetic pronunciation next to words that are hard to pronounce, and adding punctuation marks throughout the text can help a reader feel more confident when reading in front of a group.
• The text that is chosen for reading should match the current reading levels of the reader so that he or she is able to comprehend what is being read. For beginners, starting with reading out a few basic words and simple material like picture books or chapter books can help to build up confidence.
• Practicing reading book conversations aloud in front of a mirror can be very helpful in helping a reader understand where they need to improve and what their mistakes are. Reading aloud to oneself helps the student understand which part of a sentence needs to be better emphasized.

 

 

Our Solution for the Student at Home:

When learning a new language, it is important to have someone there to guide you through the seemingly never-ending process. The right guidance can play a paramount role in helping a student master a foreign language. Keeping all the factors from this article in mind, our experts created a specialized guided English learning application.

Say hello to Lilly! Lilly has been designed to tutor students on a one-on-one basis so various skills such as reading fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension can be dramatically improved with regular practice. Your time with Lilly will also focus on spelling, using the right words in the right context, and putting together sentences for easy conversing. Lilly offers students the ability to speak aloud without the fear of judgment – a great way to build their speaking confidence/competence – in the privacy of their own homes! She also guides you through collections of books in a human voice which has superb benefits for adults learning complex texts.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions