By Patrick Fitz

Reading frequently and widely is one of the best things students can do to improve their English language skills. These skills will benefit students in all of their academic courses, on the SAT or ACT exam, and most importantly throughout the college admissions process. Admissions counselors can spot right away students with superior command of the language. Those who are ESL or EFL (English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language) will similarly benefit from further immersion in the language.

The internet provides an abundance of reading material for students, across disciplines and at various reading levels. Gone are the days of relying on physical books and trekking to libraries to borrow. Below are some sources, across genres, that can get you started on your reading journey!

Fiction

The Literature passage in the Reading section on the SAT and one of the passages on the Reading section of the ACT are both drawn from fiction. This could be from a short story or a novel, from a recent work or one published earlier in the twentieth century, from an American or British writer or from anyone across the global Anglosphere. SAT in particular has truly diversified their stock of Literature passages, meaning that the next SAT Reading Test may feature text from virtually anyone set virtually anywhere. Recent versions have included passages set in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Australia. Students should be prepared to read text from anywhere around the world.

This means that the best preparation for this on the SAT or ACT exam—and for academic work generally in English-language literature and text—is to read widely. Fiction probably exists somewhere that will excite most any reader; it’s simply a matter of figuring out what engages the student. Above and beyond introducing readers to different types of people in different locations from their own, fiction provides an opportunity to address societal concerns, imagine alternate realities, and work through difficult issues facing the individual up to the global community.

Online, websites including the New Yorker, the Paris Review, the London Review of Books, and n + 1, in addition to many others, offer readers a wide variety of original stories and poetry.

Popular Science

A wide variety of resources online exist for various domains in science and at differing levels of authoritativeness. While the vast majority of academic writing on science is published by formal journals and therefore remains behind a paywall, there exist websites devoted to more accessible coverage of contemporary scholarship, experiments, and research in scientific fields.

These include Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic. More niche sites also exist, covering more specific topics; a simple search on Google will reveal many more. For students unaccustomed to consuming science in written form (more comfortable engaging with work in classes or projects outside of school) this format may provide just the stimulation they need to keep reading, in addition to educating them on currents in their field of interest and supplementing their education in classes at school. Since much of the contemporary scientific process is communicated via the written word, exposure to even rudimentary coverage provides a gateway through which students can access the cutting edge of their domains.

Politics and Economics

Among the best ways to stay up to date on news and events around the world is to read widely and daily from reputable news sources. Now no longer reliant on print editions, students the world over can access high-quality journalism straight from their laptop or phone—some sites even offer student discounts! Such reading will expose students to diverse perspectives on manifold topics, increasing their awareness of the world around them, while also exposing them to new words and technical language in those topics—a signal of erudition and the language of engagement.

For a North American perspective, consider the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, in addition to the Globe and Mail (Toronto). For news in the UK, consider The Guardian and the BBC. For perspective from Asia, consider the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and the Straits Times (Singapore). Additionally, the Financial Times and the Economist address business and politics from a global (if Anglicized) perspective, while the Wall Street Journal does the same in the US.

Another popular innovation in recent years has been the growth of the subscription-based newsletter. Popular writers on websites like Substack sell newsletters to subscribers for premium content; occasional posts are available for free. This hearkens back to the early 2000s, when blog culture first exploded on the internet. Students are likely to find someone on these sites writing about topics that interest them at a level far more detailed and specific than one is likely to find elsewhere. If you have an interest in transportation policy, macroeconomic theory, or Central Asian studies, for example, this may be the format for you.

Science Fiction / Fantasy / Graphic Novels

While not, strictly speaking, useful for standardized test prep or for academic work, reading novels and short fiction from different genres—including from graphic novels—will likewise increase fluency with the language and expose readers to different points of view.

For fantasy and science fiction work, past winners of the Hugo and Nebula awards would be a great place to start. A quick search of graphic novels—”Maus”, “Persepolis”, and “Watchmen”, to name a few—reveals a long list of intriguing and thoughtful work accompanied by images and text alike.

Ultimately, students should start where they’re engaged and branch out to include at least a little from all of the categories above. Universities, especially those in the Ivy League, are simultaneously looking for narrow experts and broad consumers—they expect students to be well-read in their intended field of study while also curious about and aware of the world around them. Educational consultants here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi would recommend exactly the same: students should start reading more and start today.

- Hale Education Group