In language courses, the use of reading is a very frequent resource: teachers often suggest real or adapted articles to students on different current topics that may be of interest to them. In general, texts are a very useful tool to improve written comprehension and expand vocabulary.
Reading in a language they are learning provides students with a model of correct grammatical and lexical structures, more complete than those they can create on their own. Therefore, having a model serves to fix structures and also to help memorize spelling.
What books to read?
As a teacher, students often ask me to recommend a book for them to start reading in Spanish. When that happens, I suggest that they read something that is not too difficult for their level, as they run the risk of becoming discouraged and abandoning reading halfway through.
For that reason, I advise them to choose a work that they already know and that arouses their interest, as this makes sure that the theme will motivate them and that following the narrative will not be an added difficulty. In addition, I suggest that the book is not too long, and it may even be a good idea to choose a children's book, for example, since the vocabulary is usually simpler and at the same time more current and alive.
What other resources are useful for practicing reading?
From my experience as a teacher, I have already seen that, as a rule, students do not spend much time reading books, even in their mother tongue. Some say they don't like to read, but when we delve deeper into the subject, I quickly realize that after all, they read, but not books. Their reading focuses much more on articles on the Internet, posts on blogs, comments on Twitter or other social networks. Today, we write more than ever before and therefore read more than ever before, but it becomes evident that we don't read in the same way as in previous decades.
In this case, I try to motivate students to do the same, but in another language. Anything they read in their own language that arouses their interest, they can also read it in Spanish, whether it's publications related to their hobbies, their work or their favorite celebrities. If a student enjoys cooking and trying new dishes, for example, I suggest reading recipes or watching tutorials in Spanish. It doesn't matter what you read, the important thing is to read!
And you, do you like to read? What do you read in Spanish? Share your comments and recommendations below, as they will surely help other students!