10+ English news websites and apps to enhance your language skills

Reading English news websites and apps is one of the useful methods to improve your language proficiency. In today's article, PREP will provide a compilation of 15+ reputable English news websites and apps, along with guidance on effective reading. Let's check it out!

I. Why should you read English news websites and apps?

Regularly reading English news websites and apps brings numerous significant benefits. Reading news helps effectively improve your English proficiency, especially vocabulary. You will learn how to construct sentences through the words and structures used in the articles. This enables you to grasp the writing style of English in various topics and contexts.

Furthermore, reading English news websites and apps allows you to absorb diverse international and global information, providing opportunities to learn about specialized fields in life, while expanding your knowledge and fostering creative thinking.

Especially for those preparing for international English proficiency exams such as IELTS or TOEIC, reading English news websites and apps is strongly recommended by examiners. Global issues in the media are often addressed in the Writing and Reading sections of these exams.

Cambridge standardized tests not only evaluate English language usage but also assess knowledge and logical thinking in academic subjects. Therefore, reading English news websites and apps can help you prepare well for questions related to academic fields.

II. Compilation of reputable English news websites

Firstly, let's explore some reputable English news websites in Vietnam and abroad suitable for different proficiency levels.

1. English news websites 

1.2.1. The Times

The Times is one of the renowned newspapers in the United Kingdom. Reading English news on The Times helps you broaden your multidimensional current affairs knowledge with authentic visuals to better understand the world we live in. The newspaper also provides in-depth analysis and commentary on various issues, helping readers develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper understanding of global concerns. However, some opinion articles may use vocabulary that can be challenging for English learners.

Link website: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ 

1.2.2. USA Today

USA Today is a leading newspaper in the United States, covering diverse topics such as breaking news, politics, sports, entertainment, business, and travel. Reading English news on USA Today is concise and easy to understand, with a concise writing style that allows readers to follow along easily.

Moreover, within the articles, USA Today often highlights important information to emphasize key points, ensuring readers' attention is drawn to crucial details. The newspaper also includes multimedia content such as videos and podcasts to improve both listening and comprehension skills simultaneously.

Link website: https://www.usatoday.com/ 

1.2.3. The economist

The Economist is also an online magazine from the UK that publishes weekly on international issues. It provides readers with information on global economics, taxes, finance, and offers some insights into future economic development.

The writing style of The Economist analyzes academic issues in-depth, making it suitable for improving vocabulary and preparing well for IELTS exams. Additionally, some IELTS Reading exams in recent years have sourced data from research articles in The Economist.

Link website: https://www.economist.com/ 

2. Websites for reading English newspapers based on proficiency level

2.1. Basic level

2.1.1. ENews

ENews is a specially designed website for English language learning. ENews provides weekly news articles for learners at various proficiency levels, especially for beginners. Each article has different versions of English ranging from easy to difficult, accompanied by detailed vocabulary and grammar structures. If you read all the versions of an article, you will accumulate many synonymous words that can be used interchangeably.

Learners also acquire a list of keywords related to the article's topic and their meanings in specific contexts. Furthermore, this English news reading website also includes audio files with gradually increasing speeds to allow learners to adjust according to their abilities.

Link website: https://www.enewsdispatch.com/ 

2.1.2. "Learning Network" section of The New York Times

Learning Network is a weekly section in The New York Times. In this section, The New York Times not only provides stories written in easy-to-understand American English but also includes exercises after reading the articles, such as answering questions, choosing appropriate vocabulary, and analyzing content.

The "Learning Network" section of The New York Times uses sophisticated sentences and diverse vocabulary, ranging from basic to advanced, making it suitable for practicing IELTS and TOEIC exams!

Link website: https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning 

2.2. Advanced Level

2.2.1. The Guardian

The Guardian is an English news website with extremely diverse and abundant information. Particularly, at The Guardian, readers can comfortably switch between vocabulary and news suitable for different English styles such as British English, American English, and Australian English.

The Guardian provides English learners with a large collection of articles on politics, culture, and lifestyle. However, some scientific articles and opinion pieces require readers with an intermediate to advanced level of English to fully understand.

In addition, The Guardian's "Long Read" section offers long and interesting analyses to enhance skimming and scanning reading skills. The writing style of The Guardian is very clear and sharp.

Link website: https://www.theguardian.com/international 

2.2.2. New Scientist 

New Scientist is one of the oldest magazines based in the UK. This English news magazine is famous for its fascinating articles exploring the truth about science and technology.

The vocabulary used in each article of New Scientist is highly academic and scholarly, corresponding to an English language proficiency level of B2 and above. Therefore, it is an effective source for expanding vocabulary and developing reading comprehension skills in the field of science.

Link website: https://www.newscientist.com/ 

2.2.3. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a prestigious magazine that shares research from many famous experts and scholars. This magazine focuses on business news, famous individuals, and information about information technology. Reading English news here will help you broaden your knowledge related to management, business operations, and articles about building a successful career.

Furthermore, it is also a place to select worth-reading articles on strategy, leadership, innovation, and communication. Therefore, in the articles, advanced specialized terms may appear, suitable for people with specialized English knowledge.

Link website: https://hbr.org/

III. Summary of reputable English news reading apps

In addition to English news websites, you can also download apps on your phone for convenient reading anytime. Let PREP reveal some reputable English news reading apps as follows:

1. Google News

Google News is an English news reading app with a simple and user-friendly interface, suitable for all types of users. You can easily search for articles by topic and news sources in various languages. International news is compiled and updated quickly and comprehensively.

Reading English news on Google News integrates a dictionary feature to quickly look up the meaning of new words encountered in articles. It also has a translation mode to translate the entire article into Vietnamese if needed.

• Android download link: HERE
• iOS download link: HERE

2. Feedly

Feedly is a flexible English news reading app that allows users to customize and set preferences for topics, providing a highly personalized user experience. You can choose the news topics you're interested in, and Feedly will automatically display relevant suggestions. You can view articles in a list, grid, or card format, all sorted by Feedly.

Feedly provides a wide range of news sources from around the world, continuously updating news from popular newspapers, magazines, and blogs such as BBC, Ted, Fubiz, and more. Additionally, Feedly allows users to share articles with others and connect with like-minded users.

• Android download link: HERE
• iOS download link: HERE

3. Flipboard

Flipboard is another English news reading app that offers a personalized user experience, allowing you to select your favorite topics and create your own personal magazine. Flipboard provides a "Daily Edition" for each user and allows you to design your own interface and share it with others.

This English news reading app directly links to a variety of reputable news sources worldwide, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and more.

• Android download link: HERE
• iOS download link: HERE

4. BuzzFeed

Unlike other English news reading apps that primarily focus on global political and economic news, BuzzFeed specializes in providing entertainment news. This app constantly updates news about celebrities, the arts, and entertainment trends among young people.

Along with news articles, the app also offers word puzzle games to improve vocabulary effectively.

• Android download link: HERE
• iOS download link: HERE

IV. Guide to effective read English news websites and apps

Reading English news websites and apps offers many benefits for language learning, but how can you read news effectively? Let's take a look at the following steps:

Before reading:

• Choose a news source suitable for your proficiency level: Select news sources based on your English proficiency level. Avoid choosing sources that are too academic or scholarly, as they may be difficult to understand and lead to lack of confidence and frustration.
• Select topics you're interested in: Choose news topics that you're interested in to maintain your enthusiasm and enhance your knowledge in specific areas.
• Install third-party translation tools: Before starting to read English news, install a third-party translation tool such as Ddict Translate, Google Translate, Tab Translate, etc. These tools will help you seamlessly and effectively read English news websites and apps by providing instant translations when you encounter unfamiliar words or phrases.

While reading:

• Skim: Start by quickly skimming through the headlines and introductory paragraphs to get an overview of the article. Most of the important information is often concentrated in the beginning.
• Scan: Once you have a general understanding of the article, start scanning for details, including vocabulary and grammar structures. Look up the meanings of new words and take careful notes.

After reading: After each article, summarize all the new vocabulary and grammar structures you encountered. Write them down in a notebook and provide examples for each new piece of knowledge to ensure understanding and retention.

PREP has compiled these valuable English news websites and apps to help you expand your vocabulary, improve your reading comprehension skills, and accumulate knowledge in various life domains. Save this information for reference and make it a daily practice to read English news websites and apps!