By Phillip WiseReadOasis Step 1 Philosophy is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and people. Philosophy is abstract. It’s about ideas and thoughts, such as love, beauty, or truth. But philosophy also deals with the real world. Ethics is a part of philosophy, dealing with good and... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 2 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now. And her teachers worried about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. Gillian’s mother worried, too. She took her daughter to see a doctor. At the doctor’s office,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 English is currently the world’s common language. It’s the international language of business, politics, and the Internet. About 400 million people speak English as a first language. And about a billion people are learning it today. To learn any foreign language, we need motivation. Motivation is... Read more
By Cielo Vera ReadOasis Step 4 Gillian Lynne could not sit still. She was eight years old now, and her teachers were concerned about her performance at school. Perhaps she had a learning disorder. (Today a psychologist might say that she had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, but that... Read more
A Simple Recipe for Learning English
A2-Beginner+BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!PublicStep 1StoriesStylesTop Picks 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
ReadOasis Step 2 English is a global language. It is the main language in science, business, entertainment, and foreign affairs. There are about 400 million native speakers of English. And maybe one billion people speak it as a second language. English became international mainly through the economic and cultural... Read more
Self-Testing Helps You Remember
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories 1
ReadOasis Step 2 Dr. Katherine Rawson says that taking practice tests can help you remember information. This is especially true if the practice test pushes you to recall something from memory. Rawson said, "It's surprising that we know very little about why testing improves memory." This is surprising because... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) The buildings are rich in color and history. The trees are tall and stately. And the wind blows with the quiet whispers of the great people who have walked these paths. Eight American presidents have studied here. Some fifty Nobel Prize winners have been... Read more
Reading Makes Words Stick in Your Brain
B3-Intermediate++CEFR LevelsListen!PublicStep 2StylesTeachersTVWhy Read Big 0
ReadOasis: So here we are with Dr. Paul Nation, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wellington, Victoria (New Zealand). And of course one of the most well-known linguists in the world. It’s an honor to have him. Just one quick question for our learners: How can extensive graded reading help... Read more
Extensive Reading, Because it Works!
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!PublicStep 2StoriesStylesTVWhy Read Big 2
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
Simple Steps for Learning English
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsListen!PublicStep 1StoriesStyles 2
By Ashley J. Hastings, PhD President, Global Language Education Service, Inc. Many people around the world are studying English. They need English to succeed in work, school, or relationships. Common sense tells us that we can learn to read a language more quickly if we can already understand it well.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Adapted from Mahalo.com Mary and Joe are from Portland, Oregon. They are both sixteen years old, and they have many friends. But when they go to college, they may have to leave their hometown and friends. Mary likes the arts, especially music. And Joe likes English,... Read more
By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 4 Philosophy is a discipline for thinking about the world, the universe, and people. Philosophy is abstract. It’s about ideas and thoughts, such as love, beauty, or truth. But philosophy also deals with the real world. Ethics is a part of philosophy, dealing... Read more
Rules for Your Working Brain (Step 2)
A3-Beginner++BNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedSciencesStep 2Stories 2
ReadOasis Step 2 The bell rings. Students close their books and start packing their bags. Raising his voice, Professor Jones says, “Remember to read Chapter 6 before next class, and your first report is due in 3 days!” Some students groan. Mar y hurries back to her room. She’s... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 The idea of Liberal Arts has roots in ancient Greece. Plato made a school for gaining knowledge and understanding through science, critical and creative thinking, and challenging accepted beliefs. Today Liberal Arts schools focus on theology, literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and science. A Liberal Arts... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 An e-book is an electronic book. People can read e-books on personal computers and mobile phones. A special machine also exists just for e-reading. It is called an e-book reader. The Sony Reader is one popular e-reader. But in November 2007, Amazon.com created an e-reader, too. It... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) "I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office." These words were spoken by President Richard Nixon on August 8, 1974 on national television. They came after many months... Read more
Can International Students Work in the US?
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 2StoriesStyles 0
ReadOasis Step 2 International students can work for the college or university that they attend. They can also work for a business at the school. But the business must directly serve students at that school. For example, you could work at the bookstore. But you could not work for... Read more
A Big Idea: Critique of Pure Reason
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasListen!ProtectedStep 3Stories 0
ReadOasis Step 3 By Will Durant (Re-presented in Basic and Essential English) Kant’s Critique is not a criticism, but a critical analysis. Kant is not attacking "Pure Reason." He hopes to show its potential. He wants to praise it above knowledge that is not pure and that comes through... Read more
Are Lectures Effective? (Step 3)
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsIdeasProtectedStep 3StoriesTop Picks 0
ReadOasis Step 3 The professor stood in front of the class. He put his notes on a tall stand. The stand was in the middle of the room, and the professor could move around behind it. As he faced the class, there were many windows on his right. On... Read more