<p>Hello,
I'm a student going into second year in Fall.
My weak English skills make it hard to read and grasp contents of textbooks and research papers quickly and efficiently.
English isn't my native language.
In high school English classes, I've never received a grade higher than a B.
I really want to be like those who read textbooks and research papers in a flash and still understand them very well.
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to become like one of those kinds of people.
What is the best way of becoming a master at verbal?
Just read, read, and read?
Will reading things like the Economist and the NYT really allow you to become a great English user?
Of course, becoming a great English user doesn't happen overnight, but, generally, how much should you read to see an effect?</p>
<p>I started off reading books when I was young, and now I still read books, albeit not as much as when I was young, however, I still like to read the newspaper (LA Times) and when I chat with certain friends on instant messaging programs, I try to supplement big words for the more common words as to get used to them, that may help. Try to integrate “big” words into your everyday vocabulary as well.</p>
<p>EDIT: Oh and you should enjoy reading, don’t force yourself to read stuff you do not like.
Take me for example, in Sophomore and Junior year I always put in a bit of humour into my essays, my teacher didn’t really think I would pass the AP Comp test because he didn’t really see that I was enjoying writing, suffice to say, he was wrong.</p>