Kazuma Kitamura: A World Expanded Through English Reading Comprehension

2022/01/20

How does the ability to read English expand one's world? Before answering this question, let us first clarify what is meant here by "reading ability."

Perhaps because many people studied English most intensely during their university entrance exam years, there is a tendency to judge reading ability based on whether one can solve the long-form reading passages found in those exams. Certainly, since entrance exam texts are not easy, being able to answer those questions correctly is evidence of a certain level of ability. However, there is actually still a significant gap between being able to solve exam problems and being able to read newspaper articles, novels, and essays that people in the English-speaking world read daily without stress. Even among those who feel they gained confidence in English reading through exam preparation, it is common to find them enjoying English novels in translation rather than the original. Furthermore, many people are aware that even if someone was good at English in high school, they cannot necessarily achieve a near-perfect score on the reading section of a proficiency test like the TOEIC right away. I have discussed where that difference lies in detail in my book, "How to Read English" (Chuko Shinsho), so I will leave that for you to see there. For now, I would like to state that the English reading ability I am referring to here is the ability to fully enjoy popular novels and trending books in their original language, and to understand newspaper and magazine articles at a speed that does not feel stressful.

Now, if one possesses the reading ability described above, how would their world expand? I would like to discuss this from three perspectives: books, newspaper news, and daily research. First is books. It goes without saying that if you can read English, there is the major benefit of being able to enjoy English books that have not been translated into Japanese. Even in Japan, which is known as a major translation power, not all works by popular authors are translated. For example, American psychologist Steven Pinker has released one popular science bestseller after another, but his 2014 work, "The Sense of Style," has not been translated into Japanese as of yet. Although it is aimed at experts who write in English, it contains much content that is beneficial for Japanese readers from the perspective of general writing style and English learning. Or, what about British philosopher Alain de Botton? He published many works for general readers from the 2000s to the 2010s and is a regular on lists of influential intellectuals alongside Sandel, Harari, and Piketty, yet only a portion of his early work has been translated into Japanese. He is an author of many masterpieces that sharply analyze the psychology of people in modern society with a unique style, and it is a pity that his name is not better known in Japan. Being able to freely access such works and authors because you can read English is undoubtedly a major advantage.

When the subject is newspaper news rather than books, this benefit should be even easier for more people to realize. Currently, the internet is overflowing with articles and videos from English-language media. Not to mention English-speaking media such as CNN, the BBC, the New York Times, and the Guardian, non-English-speaking countries also have their own English-language media. Therefore, if you can read English, it is possible to directly access news articles from a considerable number of countries. Furthermore, on video distribution sites like YouTube, various news media outlets have opened channels, allowing you to enjoy news programs from different countries for free. Even if you are not good at listening, English subtitles can be added to most videos, so those with the "reading ability" mentioned here should be able to understand sufficiently using the subtitles as hints. Knowing how overseas media reports on news that has become a major topic in Japan, such as the Olympics or general elections, can also serve as an opportunity to see things from multiple perspectives.

Of course, English reading ability is also effective for quick research. When wanting to know a basic overview of a certain topic, many people likely refer to Wikipedia articles first. It is an extremely useful information tool as long as it is used carefully. Looking at the number of articles on Wikipedia, while Japanese has a vast number of over 1 million articles, English is overwhelming with over 6 million. Naturally, there is much content that does not exist in the Japanese version, and by mastering the English version, the range of daily information gathering will expand all at once.

Above, we have looked at the benefits of being able to read English and how it expands one's world from three perspectives. It has long been a cliché in the criticism of English education that "it is meaningless if you can only read and not speak," but even if one truly could "only read," it is worth emphasizing that daily life becomes greatly enriched in the ways described here.

How to Read English: From News and SNS to Novels

Kazuma Kitamura

Chuko Shinsho

256 pages, 902 yen (tax included)