ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Hello!

One of the things I think is the most important in the quest to learn English is reading, and understanding what you've read. Books and words are (as in Japanese) an intrical part of understanding the language. The words we use are developed from the words we read, whether through books, or even the signs and markers we use in everyday life. I remember some of the first words I could read where the road signs that indicated how far away the town I lived in was.

One of the best ways that I think early readers can develop and polish reading skills is through pictures books, which is universally accepted, but also using comics and graphic novels as ways to get older readers interested in learning and developing their ability to sight read. Graphic novels (or Manga here in Japan) use both narrative storytelling through the written word as well as visual imagery to tell a more complete story. Often the written aspects of the books are secondary to the images, but the images serve to drive the story forward as well. One of my favourite graphic novels is a book called Scott Pilgrim, which tells of a Canadian boy (Scott) who must fight the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his new love in order to prove that he is worthy. It's humorous, sweet, sad, and uplifting all at the same time, and it rekindled my love of reading after many years of not doing it. It's a series I would recommend to anyone who is looking to either polish their reading skills or is trying to encourage some one new to reading English to keep at it!