Setting a reading challenge is a great way to boost your English reading skills.
But how to do it?
There is the right way — setting goals that you can achieve and clear objectives.
And then there is the wrong way — where you just get burnt out and give up.
Let me show you the right way to kick-start your reading challenge. And I will outline three essential steps you need to take to get started.
Time to embark on your ENGLISH READING CHALLENGE this year!
No time to waste, so let’s get right into it.
Set Clear Objectives
You need to set very clear objectives in terms of your reading goals.
With no clear objectives or goals, you will just get lost and then give up.
I have written FOUR questions below to help you define a crystal clear English Reading Goal.
Look over the following questions and take some time to write down your thoughts. This will help you outline a more defined view of what you need to do to achieve your goals.
What is your current reading level?
You need to know your starting position when reading English.
The British Council very kindly provides a helpful reading test you can do to help you figure out your English reading level.
Check this link below.
The British Council is a highly respected organisation to help English learners such as yourself.
Or you could ask a teacher to help you.
The teacher should have access to different texts to test your reading level.
From this, you should get a clear idea of where you are.
If you need some help with this, drop me an email and I will try to help you!
Once you are aware of what your level is, you can make a clearer goal.
Say, for example, your English reading level is B1. Now you may want to advance to C1.
You can outline how long it could take you and what you need to read to get there.
How much do you want to read?
How much you read every day, every week, month or year should be a part of your English Reading Challenge.
There are various ways you can set this.
You could say how many books you want to read in one year.
Or it could come down to how many words you read in one day.
If you are a more advanced English learner, setting a goal for how many books in one year might be better.
But if you are still at a level like A2 or B1, you might prefer to set how many words per day.
At B2 level, you could either set a higher word count or say how many pages per day.
What exactly do you want to read?
Are you trying to read certain kinds of books or articles for your English Reading Challenge?
You need to think clearly about the kind of things you are trying to read.
When we first start reading in English, we often read very simple stories and articles about everyday things in our lives.
But maybe you want to challenge yourself in the kind of genres of fiction you are reading.
If you only read love stories, for example, you might want to push yourself to read other genres that are unfamiliar to you, such as crime, fantasy, or comedy.
You may even want to set a goal to read more literary books. Novels that we might consider hard to read by anyone’s standards.
Or your English Reading Challenge could be about reading articles.
If science articles are somewhat difficult for you, maybe that’s the very thing you need to set a challenge for.
Think about this question clearly and find out what it is you want to read.
How much time do I have to read every day?
Having a clear idea of how much time you have available for your English Reading Challenge is essential.
If you want to improve your English reading, you need to commit to it every single day.
That is the only way to see improvement!
But it is impossible for many people to just set a goal to read for six hours a day!
I am pretty sure you don’t have the time to do that every day… Plus, it could be exhausting.
Much better to set much smaller goals in terms of time.
Maybe you only have twenty minutes every evening to spare to dedicate to English reading.
And that is fine!
But you really should stick to that time every day.
Think about how much time you have. And how much time you can commit to reading every day.
Then stick to it.
Track Your Progress
You need to monitor your reading journey and check all the steps you take as you try to achieve your English Reading Challenge.
Measuring your progress can be a highly motivating thing to do. It will encourage you to push yourself forward.
But how to do this?
Let’s look at some things you can do.
Keeping A Notebook
I have always maintained that keeping a notebook is a great asset for English learners.
But for reading — and making any progress in English reading — it is essential.
If you are setting yourself an English Reading Challenge, you absolutely must use a notebook!
The first thing you can use a notebook for is to jot down all the new words you have learnt.
You should also write down the meanings of the words (Look in a dictionary!) and try to write sentences of your own using the new words.
But you can also have a notebook for the books or articles you have read.
You can write your own summaries, your personal thoughts on the books or articles you have read, along with more details of anything you have read.
I wrote a full guide about keeping notes for English learning which you can find here:
Note Taking and English Reading
Digital Apps and Sites
Please allow me to introduce TWO fantastic sites/apps you can use in your English Reading Challenge.
I am a HUGE fan of Goodreads — and if you plan on reading lots of books to improve your English, I highly recommend this fantastic website.
You can monitor all the books you read. Plus, you can write your own review of the books too.
You can also join groups and discuss books that you have read with others.
This is a great way to help you talk about the books you have read.
Another site that I love for taking notes on reading is Obsidian.
This app is FREE and I think it is just made for learning.
You can add links and tags that connect all the notes you write down.
This way, it acts like a Second Brain.
Check the link here to find out all about Obsidian and how to use it.
Monthly Reviews
You must review everything you read in your English Reading Challenge.
It’s no use just reading, writing down new vocabulary and other notes, and then forgetting it.
You must go over all your notes periodically.
Ideally, I think a monthly review will really help you to make powerful gains in your English reading.
Set aside a time to do this, maybe at the end of every month, and go over the notes you have written down.
Review all the new vocabulary or phrases, too.
All of this will help you improve your English reading and your overall English.
Share Your Experience
As human beings, we are creatures of communication. We like to share our thoughts and ideas.
And you can do this as part of your English Reading Challenge too.
The more you talk or communicate with others on your reading journey, the more gains you will make.
There are some great ways to do this.
Join Online Communities
I already mentioned Goodreads, and this website has many groups that you can join to help you with your reading challenge.
There are reading challenge groups on Goodreads too. Here are some I found:
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Reddit is another great site with many subreddits dedicated to reading.
Here are some of the useful subreddits I found that you can check out.
And of course, there are all the social media platforms.
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all have their own reading English groups and channels.
Check all of it out and see what is useful for you.
Write A Blog
There are many blogging platforms where you can keep people updated about your English Reading Challenge and the developments you have made.
Here are the most popular blogging sites you can use:
All of these platforms are free to use.
Plus, there is a social media aspect to some of them as it helps you connect with other people interested in reading in English.
One of the best things about blogging the details of your reading challenge is that you are making it all public.
Every single detail of your journey is out there.
This can give you a tremendous boost of energy and help you march towards your end goal!
Start Your Own Reading Challenge Group
It can be very daunting to do something that we believe to be difficult all by ourselves.
But this can be much easier if done in a group with other people.
With this in mind, why not share the idea of a reading challenge with other like-minded people?
In your hometown, you may be able to find other people willing to pursue a reading challenge.
Advertise on social media and get a few people together keen to drive towards the same goal.
And if this is not possible in real life, you could do it online.
Start a virtual reading challenge group and get motivated by the force of others!
Being in a group like this is not only great for motivation, but it is good to hold you and all the other members accountable.
Safety in numbers!
Conclusion
I have included three simple steps to help you embark on your English Reading Challenge and keep it in motion.
But I think it is essential to be very clear about what you want to achieve in terms of your objectives.
Also, tracking your progress and sharing your experience online or with others can be of great benefit too.
I wish you the best of luck with your English Reading Challenge!
Let me know how it goes…
