Reading Aloud in an ESL class: why to use and how to manage

It's no secret that reading is a vital component of brain development. 

Reading enhances almost all areas of a person's life, aiding in the ability to concentrate, pay attention, absorb information rapidly, and comprehend complex ideas. 

There are many techniques available for teachers to help students develop reading skills, but in this article, we will focus on the significance of reading aloud. 

Reading aloud remains a methodical mainstay for many teachers around the world.

To date, there are controversial opinions regarding the effectiveness of reading aloud in the classroom. 

For many, reading is a silent and internal process, and reading aloud is considered unnatural, and, therefore, has no place in educational settings. 

Some educators argue that reading aloud can be deadly boring, especially for students who are not reading at the moment.

If you find yourself questioning: Why ask my students to read aloud? What pedagogical value does it have? 

What are the tangible results for my students?—then it's time to explore what reading aloud truly entails and how advantageous it is for both young and adult learners.

As the name suggests, reading aloud involves the process of reading and simultaneously conveying the text through speech.

Through reading aloud, learners may retain more of what they read, enhance their vocabulary, become more fluent speakers, and are likely to become more confident in their reading and speaking skills.

Getting students to read aloud is one of the best ways to test whether their sound decoding skills are developing. When students read aloud, they engage in active pronunciation practice. 

It enables English learners to practice the correct pronunciation of words and articulation of sounds, as well as to develop clarity and accuracy in spoken English. 

By reading aloud, learners train their tongue and mouth to produce the correct sounds and intonations of English words. 

However, as a qualified teacher, it is important to understand that correct pronunciation of English words is often challenging for non-native speakers due to differences in phonetics and intonation. 

Therefore, before asking students to read aloud, you should focus on certain sounds of the English language that can be difficult to pronounce correctly. 

It is especially helpful, particularly for young learners or those at an elementary level, when a teacher reads aloud or plays a recording where the text is voiced by a native speaker. 

This allows students to be immersed in the natural pronunciation and rhythm of the language. 

This listening experience helps develop English pronunciation skills as students hear the correct intonations and speech patterns.

Reading aloud has a positive effect on your students' memorization skills. 

Researchers have shown in more than one study that we tend to remember more information from texts we read aloud than when we read internally. 

One such researcher, psychologist Colin McLeod, found that readers of all ages remember words better when they are read aloud, and called this phenomenon the "production effect." This means that producing written words, i.e., reading them aloud, improves our memory of them. 

When students read aloud, they engage a much larger part of their brain because they activate speech centers in addition to the areas normally involved in reading. 

The extent to which the brain is involved in the process affects the amount of information readers retain while reading aloud. 

According to scientists, the way our brain encodes and decodes information while reading also contributes to the improved memory performance associated with reading aloud.

Although any reading that students do will have a positive effect on their vocabulary, reading aloud is thought to accelerate vocabulary growth during reading. 

This may be due to the enhanced retention of information when reading aloud, as previously described. 

In other words, students are more likely to remember and retrieve words that they articulate and hear them spoken in their own voices. 

Moreover, reading aloud exposes students to a wide range of English vocabulary in context. It is obvious that context is critical to vocabulary development, especially in second language acquisition. 

When English language learners encounter new vocabulary in context rather than in isolation, they find it easier to make connections between language, form, and meaning. 

Therefore, reading aloud helps students learn new words, understand their meaning, and see how they are used in sentences. 

By consistently engaging in this practice, their vocabulary eventually expands, allowing them to express themselves more accurately and fluently.

Another advantage of reading aloud is that it helps to better understand what is read. Speaking while reading activates more areas of the brain and helps students focus more intently on the text. 

Sometimes, when reading silently, students tend to let their minds wander. 

Reading aloud changes this because it requires them to pay attention not only to the reading but also to the speaking, making it almost impossible for students to disengage from the text. 

This increased focus leads to deeper involvement in the story and the words they read and hear take on a deeper meaning, and as a result, they gain a better overall understanding of the material they are reading.

Reading aloud helps train listening skills. When students read aloud and simultaneously listen to the words being read, their ability to identify and understand spoken English more effectively improves. 

As students continue to practice reading aloud in class, their listening skills become more refined, enabling them to better understand native English speakers in various settings. 

Additionally, they develop a more natural and intuitive conversational rhythm and intonation.

Reading aloud introduces students to various grammar examples and sentence structures. 

They learn the correct ways to form sentences, which later aids in constructing grammatically correct sentences when speaking and writing in English. 

In addition, reading aloud improves comprehension and fluency by requiring readers to focus on each word and sentence. 

This technique allows students to spot typographical and grammatical errors in the text, thereby increasing grammatical accuracy and range.

Are you familiar with the following read-aloud procedure? One of the students begins to read the text, but only the first sentence of it. 

Then, another student reads the next sentence, and so on, around the class. 

Some teachers work methodically, following a predictable order, so students may know when it's their turn to read and, unfortunately, this can lead to students only paying attention when the student next to them is reading aloud. 

To counter this, other teachers are more strategic and careful, and anticipating such tricks, they choose a reader at random so that the students never know when they might be called upon to read and thus are less likely to drift off.

For some reason, this procedure does not seem effective. Do you agree? 

How can you implement reading aloud in class to ensure students experience the positive effects described above?

Choose texts and stories on topics that will appeal to students and be relevant. 

Reading aloud can be practiced with a wide variety of texts, catering to the diverse interests and skill levels of both adults and young learners. 

When students are interested in the content, language learning becomes more enjoyable and effective.

Whether it's a fun educational tale, a gripping crime novel, or a moving biography, the right choice of material will motivate students to invest more time and effort in learning the language.

Consider the following age-appropriate material recommendations when preparing to read alouds.

Recommendations for young learners:

Younger students will love the bright illustrations that help them understand the meaning of the story more quickly. 

Additionally, the stories in these books are usually written in simple sentences that often contain repetitive phrases, making them ideal for practicing pronunciation and intonation.

These textbooks are specifically designed to focus on letter sounds and phonetic patterns. 

They help young learners practice reading words aloud, improving their phonetic comprehension and pronunciation skills.

Fairy tales are always exciting stories. They increase vocabulary and understanding. 

There are well-known fairy tales, and if students already know the story in their native language, they can focus less on comprehension and more on natural pronunciation.

Reading poems helps to practice intonation, rhythm, and expression, while at the same time fostering a love for linguistic creativity.

Each young reader develops at their own pace, and such books will suit them perfectly because they have different levels of difficulty. These books offer age-appropriate content with controlled vocabulary to support fluent reading.

Recommendations for adults:

Yes, these books can also be great for adults. There are many options available and you can choose books by age group or difficulty level.

Excellent for their compact size and informativeness. 

They can be found on a variety of topics and genres, increasing vocabulary and understanding in a particular area.

They help introduce readers to current events, a diversity of topics, and different writing styles. 

Reading authentic articles improves vocabulary because students encounter words and expressions used by native speakers in real life.

They offer exciting adventures and complex characters. 

Reading English novels is more difficult and requires a lot of time and effort, but at the same time provides the most immersive and enjoyable reading.

By engaging with a variety of texts, you can tailor both young learners' and adults’ reading practice to their interests and language level, making the process of developing English skills more enjoyable and effective.

As it was mentioned above, reading aloud boosts pronunciation, so the teacher reading aloud serves as a powerful modeling tool. 

Be sure to model correct pronunciation and intonation. 

It’s also a good idea to Practice tongue placement, lip movement, and vocal cord control to teach your students to produce accurate sounds. 

Moreover, emphasizing important words and phrases in the text will add a natural flow to your speech and convey the meaning better. 

Another option is to play a recording of the text to be read if it’s available as it may provide varied accents, tones, and pacing. 

It may also be a good idea to use online pronunciation checkers or language learning apps where you can hear native speakers pronounce certain words and expressions.

When preparing for your class, go through the story that you want to introduce, to find which words might be new or challenging to your students. 

In the stage of pre-teaching a few words, you can use visual elements (flashcards or illustrations), objects, and materials from everyday life, or devise activities (such as matching) to give students more opportunities to work with vocabulary.

We have agreed that popcorn reading where one sentence is read one by one around the class isn’t very effective in boosting English skills. 

Adults and young learners may have different needs when learning English. 

For instance, young learners need more support in reading out loud. There are various reading techniques that you may apply based on your learners’ needs and abilities.

Choral reading involves the entire class or group reading a text aloud together in harmony. 

This method is particularly beneficial for young learners, as it fosters a sense of collective participation and reduces feelings of self-consciousness. 

When students read in unison, those who might usually feel anxious or shy about speaking out loud gain confidence from the group support. 

Additionally, this technique enhances reading fluency by providing students with an opportunity to hear the teacher, a fluent reader, demonstrate proper rhythm and pronunciation before they join in.

Another useful technique especially in teaching young learners is an interactive read-aloud. 

It is an activity in which a teacher reads for students, modeling vocabulary development, reading fluency, and comprehension strategies, and involves them in the reading process actively through questions delivered during the reading. 

Even though the teacher is the one who is reading aloud, learners are not simply passive listeners but are actively involved in making predictions and asking, and answering questions.

During this method students work in pairs or small groups, taking turns reading aloud to each other. 

Applying this technique, you may create a safe and less intimidating environment. 

It provides more opportunities for practice as students are involved in peer teaching, where they can help each other with correct pronunciation or comprehension, and give constructive feedback, thus, encouraging peer support.

It is a collaborative strategy for developing oral reading fluency through reading parts in scripts. 

This reading is quite entertaining and engaging, as all the students are involved and they may improve fluency, and expression as well as practice different intonations, pace, and even accents.

This type of reading involves students reading and then reproducing and performing a passage it in front of the class. 

It requires students to use repeated reading in preparation for their performances, thus, enhancing fluency, confidence, and public speaking skills.

It’s up to you whether to implement reading aloud in your teaching or not, but taking into account all of the above, the benefits of reading aloud extend far beyond and are advantageous for young learners and adult learners alike.

“Reading aloud is a ritual of connection, a time when voices merge, when children and adults weave a bond through the power of story.” (Jim Trelease)