Reading in English is a waste of time!

TalkingPoint · Post by **TalkingPoint** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:35 am

Reading in English is a waste of time!

Do YOU agree?

Vega · Post by **Vega** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:34 am

No, I don't.

Hardi · Post by **Hardi** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:55 am

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, but there is a huge amount of interesting text in English. I can't say reading in English is waste of time.

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:32 pm

It's absolutely not. By reading in English, we can enrich our English vocabulary. In addition to that, by reading in English we can get a lot of information because most information and knowledge are written in English . And most importantly, we can broaden our horizon by reading.

So,reading in English is a waste of time? No way !!!

wolfbike · Post by **wolfbike** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:56 pm

Not on any account. Even so I live in Hannover, a German town, in many companies the office post have to write in English. Because of globalization many companies have contact to foreign countries and the only language all understand is English today.
Therefore in future you only will have a good chance with English and in my opinion the second language must be Spain.

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:40 pm

wolfbike wrote:...in my opinion the second language must be Spain.

First of all, my friend, I'd like to straighten your opinion on "the second language". The second language means a language which you are using in communication besides your mother tongue as the first language.

As an Indonesian, my first language (mother tongue) is Indonesian. My second language is English. However, one of my friends, his first language is Indonesian and his second language is Arabic. He doesn't speak any English.

My point is, it's up to the people to choose their second language. Some people even only speak one language. It means they don't have any second languages.

Next, my friend. You can not force anybody to choose Spanish as their second language. Don't use "must" dude !!!

Everybody is free to choose their secong languages. And most people usually learn a second language because they need it. I am learning English as my secong language because I need it. If somebody thinks that English is not important for him (of course I disagree with his idea), still it's up to him. We can not force him to learn English. To him, English is not important in his life. We can do nothing buddy. It's his life.

Lastly, supernaturally speaking, English will be being used as the second language at least for the next 2 centuries.

wolfbike · Post by **wolfbike** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:26 am

Okay, „bambang“ ….you are right! Of course the second foreign language people can speak or learn is not their second language but their third language. Sorry, I thought I am here in an English forum and not in a mathematics lesson.

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:05 pm

wolfbike wrote:Okay, „bambang“ ….you are right! Of course the second foreign language people can speak or learn is not their second language but their third language. Sorry, I thought I am here in an English forum and not in a mathematics lesson.

My friend, I am so sorry for you. You didn't get my points. Re-analise my post first dude, then give your comment. Make sure you have understood what my points were.

If you feel hard to understand them, don't hesitate to consult me on them. OK dude. Happy analising !!!

satisfaction · Post by **satisfaction** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:15 am

Hi teacher,

Well, i think that reading english is not wasting time because; in my openion there are two kinds of reading.

First kind: That you are reading a news paper, silently, without moving your lips, or hearing your ears.

Second kind: That you are reading carefully and with well pronounciation, and at this kind, i find that i can improving my talking skill, find out new vocabularies, and feel interesting with my new language.

Thank you :)

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:41 pm

Fine dear satisfaction.

Keep reading !!!

Improve your English anywhere anytime possible !!!

Good luck.

satisfaction · Post by **satisfaction** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:56 am

Thanks bam bang
8)

I will

nightwish · Post by **nightwish** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:20 am

I don't agree with that!

English is an international language. Besides, it's so easy to learn it and great language.

openboy · Post by **openboy** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:42 am

bambang wrote:It's absolutely not. By reading in English, we can enrich our English vocabulary. In addition to that, by reading in English we can get a lot of information because most information and knowledge are written in English . And most importantly, we can broaden our horizon by reading.

So,reading in English is a waste of time? No way !!!

YOU SAID VERY GOOD!

nhinhilove · Post by **nhinhilove** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:27 am

"Practise makes perfect" I think that sentence is absolutely right, therfore we have to improve all the skill of English. Reading book is a way. And I don't think it waste my time, when you read, you can find the structure, the words that you forgot or unknown. Book is a friend who is really patient!!!

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:54 am

openboy wrote:
bambang wrote:It's absolutely not. By reading in English, we can enrich our English vocabulary. In addition to that, by reading in English we can get a lot of information because most information and knowledge are written in English . And most importantly, we can broaden our horizon by reading.

So,reading in English is a waste of time? No way !!!
YOU SAID VERY GOOD!

Thank you my son.

Psychologically speaking, you are a nice boy.

Robert · Post by **Robert** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:27 am

In my opinion, most of the students in Taiwan learn English with an extremely delicate way! For example, they often look up a dictionary when they don't know what a word means. Or memorize a lot of phrases(Dickson’s phrases or something like that, but they don’t use them in daily conversation. Therefore soon they’ll forget).
And they read just few books! From my perspective, reading a lot can help increase your vocabulary because the same words will appear again and again if you read many.
[/b]

mamuta · Post by **mamuta** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:00 pm

satisfaction wrote:...there are two kinds of reading.
First kind: That you are reading a news paper, silently, without moving your lips, or hearing your ears.
Second kind: That you are reading carefully and with well pronounciation, and at this kind, i find that i can improving my talking skill, find out new vocabularies, and feel interesting with my new language

Well said! :D I practised both kinds of reading and as for me it works!

novatena · Post by **novatena** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:24 am

In oder to learn english, it's impossible if you do not use english even in reading.

swet · Post by **swet** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:31 pm

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

Do YOU agree?

Hi All,

I dont think so that reading in English is a waste of time.Rather reading in any language would never be a waste of time.Everytime you will get something new to learn,to read,which increases your knowledge,skill,ability and many more things.

Tinuss · Post by **Tinuss** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:32 pm

How are you around the world? Here in Denmark we are now in full swing after summer holydays - but I have to be better to spell english. This is important.

basmla · Post by **basmla** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:57 am

hi every body

i agree with you all that reading english is very important for those who learn it as a second language . it is the best way to know the other cultures and communication as well as their way of thinking.

swet · Post by **swet** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:09 am

Tinuss wrote:How are you around the world? Here in Denmark we are now in full swing after summer holydays - but I have to be better to spell english. This is important.

Yes,you have to be..
but,are you..???

iamvitaly · Post by **iamvitaly** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:00 pm

I like to read sort stories and jokes (espessialy from Elena)... I know that it's very important and helps me to improve my knowledge of English... My advice for you.... Read more

skorpion · Post by **skorpion** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:57 pm

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.

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:49 pm

I don't agree .Reading in English and in any other language can't be a waste of time !

skorpion · Post by **skorpion** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:36 pm

Lithium wrote:I don't agree .Reading in English and in any other language can't be a waste of time !

Well, it really can be. If you're a beginner then you're wasting your time, cause how are you gonna guess the right pronunciation of each and every word you read?

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:44 pm

skorpion wrote: Well, it really can be. If you're a beginner then you're wasting your time, cause how are you gonna guess the right pronunciation of each and every word you read?

I look it up in a dictionary

skorpion · Post by **skorpion** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:02 pm

Lithium wrote:
skorpion wrote: Well, it really can be. If you're a beginner then you're wasting your time, cause how are you gonna guess the right pronunciation of each and every word you read?
I look it up in a dictionnary

And are you sure you're gonna learn how to produce every single English sound not found in your mother tongue? Mainly when you're a beginner? Not only that, are you sure that you, as a beginner, will be able to read the phonetic transcription of every word?

Look it up in a dictionary, but only if you have already developed good listening and speaking skills.

Otherwise, it's a total waste of time.

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:58 am

:D It isn't a total waste of time !

I'm a beginner and reading english helps me very much , It is not necessery to read long articles and books ... you see what I mean

ps:thanks for the correction

skorpion · Post by **skorpion** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:30 pm

Lithium wrote::D It isn't a total waste of time !

I'm a beginner and reading English helps me very much. There's no need to read long articles and books ... you know what I mean

ps:thanks for the correction

But are you sure you're learning to pronounce words the right way? What about intonation? What about tag questions? What about inflection? Those things (and others) are very important, and you can't learn 'em by reading.

Get my point?

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:38 pm

Yeah ! Thanks

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:27 pm

skorpion wrote:
Lithium wrote::D It isn't a total waste of time !

I'm a beginner and reading English helps me very much. There's no need to read long articles and books ... you know what I mean

ps:thanks for the correction
But are you sure you're learning to pronounce words the right way? What about intonation? What about tag questions? What about inflection? Those things (and others) are very important, and you can't learn 'em by reading.

Get my point?

Cool.

Join these topics:

http://www.englishclub.com/esl-forums/v ... 813#328813

Bibina · Post by **Bibina** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:49 pm

Well,
lots of my students have the opinion that reading generally, not only in English, is a waste of time. I must disagree, it´s a great way of learning vocabulary, you can see how the language works and you can also improve grammar.I believe that reading in the language you are learning is beneficial. Shortened versions of boks for different levels of learners are great, they are very motivating.

norhan · Post by **norhan** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:24 am

I don't think that reading in English is a waste of time. as we all know that now English is the global language .most of the greatest books wrritten in English so if u want to be an aware preson u have to read in English.reading in english isn't that easy u need to practise first and u practise by reading a small books at first cuz we all know that "practise makes perfect".so it's noy wasting for our time...

harryin · Post by **harryin** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:09 am

Well!
Here are the benefits of reading english:-
1. Increases General Knowledge.
2. Increases Practical knowledge of daily activities.
3. Source of information.
4. Sharpens your brain.
5. Incrases your concentration level.
6. Incrases vocabulary.
Last, but not least, Helps in learing the language.

vince90 · Post by **vince90** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:13 pm

Sometime it is. There are bad English writers out there.

milococosiro · Post by **milococosiro** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:31 am

English nowadays becomes the second language of many countries. When we talk about language, not only English but also the others, if we want to be an expert, we must practice. One of the most useful way is reading. I have the same opinion with harryin that:
Reading brings out many benefits. Such as:
+ improve knowledge (general and specific)
+ learn more about collocation (which is collected by reading because it isn't taught in classroom)
+ writing skill becomes more better.

harryin · Post by **harryin** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:23 am

milococosiro wrote:English nowadays becomes the second language of many countries. When we talk about language, not only English but also the others, if we want to be an expert, we must practice. One of the most useful way is reading. I have the same opinion with harryin that:
Reading brings out many benefits. Such as:
+ improve knowledge (general and specific)
+ learn more about collocation (which is collected by reading because it isn't taught in classroom)
+ writing skill becomes more better.

:D :)

Cunyeu · Post by **Cunyeu** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:36 pm

if u want to improve ur English,u should read in English alot.this is one of most effective ways to learn E.It not only expand our vocabulary ,but also help us to speak E more fluently.So read in E alot,never think that reading in E is a waste of time. :) :)

meylenlau · Post by **meylenlau** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:35 pm

If ones' proficiency of English language is weak,then the time spent on reading will be definately longer compared to those who are better.That's why they may have the perception: "Reading in English is waste of time"
If one really wants to learn and improve English,he/she really has to spend lots of time and efforts, as Rome was not built in a day!
A strong determination is needed.

brocoli · Post by **brocoli** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 2:28 pm

English reading keep the language alive i think. I`m not of those people who love book reading but i can`t agree with your opinion.

trungkienb · Post by **trungkienb** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:19 am

[quote="TalkingPoint"]Reading in English is a waste of time!

Do YOU agree?[/quote]

well, you know what? to people who don't know english, reading in English is absolutely waste of time, because they can't understand.
but for people who are learning E, it's really useful, and definitely important. to write well, you hae to read a lot.

southrnpride · Post by **southrnpride** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 4:23 pm

Reading in ANY language makes you more versed and intelligent if you read at a challenging level. English is no different. The more you read, the more natural the language becomes to you.

I find English, which is my native language, to be beautiful because there are so many wonderful ways to convey your ideas,describe your feelings, tell a story, and so much more. Most books I've read in English are so enthralling that you forget you're even supposed to be studying. (and perhaps it's like that in other languages, but the only foreign language book I've read is Pobre Ana, and it wasn't exactly a page turner....)

Keep studying!

gvantsa · Post by **gvantsa** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:01 pm

Reading in English is a waste of time!

NOOOO!!!! OF COURSE NOOOOT!!!!!!!

I LOVE ENGLISH AND I WANT TO KNOW IT WELL!!!!!

: )))))))

Wilhelm · Post by **Wilhelm** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:26 pm

Reading english is great. I didn't read much english before, but i started for about 3 three years ago and I beacame much better after having read some books in english. But i don't know if it is best to practice grammar or read books to improve your english fastest :D

aznfantasii · Post by **aznfantasii** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:51 am

Pfft. Nah! I dont think so!

Learning how to read in different languages is actually good!

rcernar · Post by **rcernar** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:22 am

Hi!!

Well, if you ask me the reading is the best for learn any lenguage:English, spanish, italian, etc.
Any way for learn lenguages...is good!! :)

sweets · Post by **sweets** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:54 am

Reading is a good way to improve enghish but sometime it's hard for us as second language but it does not mean that we have to stop reading in same time we can improve our enghlish in other ways t.v. and internet.

but as i think english reduce or destroy our mother languges people tend to use english expression in speaking in order to show superiorty and things like that ................................

[u]so our mother languages as i think are in danger[/u]

see u

Bambang · Post by **Bambang** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:45 pm

sweets wrote:Reading is a good way to improve enghish but sometime it's hard for us as second language but it does not mean that we have to stop reading in same time we can improve our enghlish in other ways t.v. and internet.

but as i think english reduce or destroy our mother languges people tend to use english expression in speaking in order to show superiorty and things like that ................................

[u]so our mother languages as i think are in danger[/u]

see u

We are in danger if we can't speak English.

sweets · Post by **sweets** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:32 pm

"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 :|

EnglishClub ESL Forums