What’s the best way to improve your English? Of course, there are many ways. But big, easy reading is one of the best. And it probably has the most research and evidence to support it. What is big, easy reading? First, you read lots of books and stories. That’s... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 So you want to improve your word power. But what words should you learn first? You can waste time learning uncommon words first. But it’s smart to learn the most common words at the beginning. The top 2,000 words of English make up 80% of all... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Most serious learners of English know about the TOEFL. But did you know that many American colleges and universities accept two major English tests? First, they accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. And second, they accept the International English Language Testing... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 How do you do big, easy reading? Well first, what is “easy”? Here’s where people make a big mistake. They think knowing 70% or 80% of the words in a story is easy. But in just 4 pages, 80% = 200 unknown words! That’s way too... Read more
How to Attain Presentation Zen (Step 2)
IdeasLevelsListen!ProtectedStep 2StoriesStyles March 7, 2019 1
ReadOasis Step 2 PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software today. Over 400 million copies are in use. But there are problems with PowerPoint. It can cause you to simplify too much and stop you from connecting with people. To give good presentations, you need practice. Expert presenter Garr... Read more
This is Professor Thomas Robb from Kyoto Sangyo University, and he is one of the world’s renowned experts on extensive graded reading. Q: Tell us. Why should students do extensive reading? Dr. Robb: Why? Because it works. I’ve done it for Japanese as well. Really? Yeah. So I chose a mystery... Read more
Book Trailer by David Bellos ReadOasis Step 5 Um, Well, different languages have words for mostly similar kinds of things. I mean, because we're all human, you know, we have words for legs, and arms, and hands. And we have words for up and down. And we have words... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Mary lay down on the sofa with her book, and she opened it again. She couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. She loved science fiction, and this book was one of the most famous sci-fi books of all time: 2001: A... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Creative Commons Photo by William Warby How can teachers help students read more and feel more like reading. Try the five minute drill! This activity helps readers avoid procrastination and kickstart their reading behavior. Readers act as if they are interested and motivated to read by... Read more
A Joke Told by Marty Adickman ReadOasis Step 2 So it's Friday night in the synagogue, and during the course of the service, the rabbi standing at the pulpit is looking out over the back of the congregation. And in the very back he sees a young man who's... Read more
By Randall Short ReadOasis Step 1 At ReadOasis, you can read lots of short stories. Short stories are great because you can read to the end without stopping. You may keep on reading even if the words are difficult and the story is hard to understand. You know that... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Be careful of the man who really knows how to be a fool. Alec Fronimites Knowledge is power. Through science, we have learned to fly. We make medicine and build great cities. We use the power of nature. And we fill our cities with energy. Through... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 During the 1930s and 40s, Jack LaLanne became famous for fitness. He was one of the first people to open a modern health and fitness club. He was one of the first to get athletes to work out with weights. And he was one of the... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 More than twenty US states ban smoking in public places. And many countries around the world also have similar bans. A new study shows the strongest evidence yet that smoke-free laws can reduce heart disease, which is a major effect of tobacco smoke. The study took... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Julie is visiting the Spanish city of Madrid with her friends. One night, they decide to go to a beautiful restaurant in the Main Plaza of the city. Julie studied Spanish in high school, and she can communicate fairly well. But tonight she is having trouble... Read more
By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 1 Geisha are traditional performing artists from Japan. These women are good at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and song. The word "geisha" comes from Chinese words that mean "art" (GEI) and "person" (SHA). So "geisha" actually means "artist." In the... Read more
A Simple Recipe for Learning English
LevelsListen!ProtectedStep 1StoriesStylesTop Picks February 12, 2019 2
ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more
Zoe Nova (simplifying Mahalo.com) ReadOasis Step 1 People have been drinking green tea for about 5,000 years. Green tea came from China. And today it is produced mainly in China and Japan. Green tea is different from other kinds of tea. The leaves are not processed much. So green... Read more
By Zoe Nova ReadOasis Step 4 Japan is a land of festivals, and on the third day of the month of March, many Japanese families celebrate the Doll Festival, which is called "Hina Matsuri” in Japanese. This special day is also called Girl's Day, a day when families pray... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 A boy was about to go on his first date. He was worried about what to talk about, so he asked his father for advice. The father said, "My son, there are three subjects that always work. I suggest that you talk about food, family, and... Read more