1. Introduction

"I've traveled the world twice over, Met the famous; saints and sinners,

Poets and artists, kings and queens,

Old stars and hopeful beginners,

I've been where no-one's been before,

Learned secrets from writers and cooks

All with reading."

~ Anonymous ~

Reading is a skill that does not attract exceptional attention in day-to-day life, since it is one that goes without saying.

However, it is this particular skill that we owe our current scientific knowledge and our gracious living to, for the human kind has been able to pass knowledge from one generation to the next. It is hard to image, how the human kind would live nowadays and what the world would look like, if we had never been able to read. A life in a civilized world permanently sets moments, where it is necessary and often vital to read any given information. But is not only the language that is spoken in the country we live in, that requires our reading skills on a daily basis.

English: English as a foreign language materials a...

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Comparison of research results on reading speed En...

Due to a globalizing world, the human kind has moved closer together and new skills have been set on the focus.

It is the English language that is increasingly important in everyone`s life. Be it in professional life, in literature, in the supermarket or at the train station, one is constantly exposed to English, both orally and in writing.

Especially good reading skills in the English language are often required when it comes to gathering information in the internet, reading international academic papers or communicating with colleagues in foreign countries.

Based on this increasing need for good reading skills, it is essential for teachers of English as a foreign language (in the following EFL) to understand the process of reading in general and to know where differences are between reading...