Reading is one of the four basic skills that learners must master in learning a foreign language. English reading can improve readers' perception ability, which is of great help to improve listening, speaking and writing ability. It can increase knowledge, broaden horizons and improve their interest in English. However, in China, in foreign language learning, many learners seem to find it difficult to read accurately and efficiently. In order to help learners become more effective readers, it is very important to improve their reading ability. This paper expounds how to improve reading ability from the following aspects: improving language knowledge, expanding readers' schema, developing good reading habits, using reading skills and reading confidently and actively. [Keywords:] reading ability; Language knowledge; Reading schema knowledge; Reading skills 1. Now, the influence of English is increasing. Today, whether you like it or not, English is the closest thing to global language; English is widely used in business. Between different countries, most business letters in the world are written in English, and three quarters of books and newspapers in the world are made in English. Reading is one of the four basic skills that learners must master in learning a foreign language. English reading can improve readers' perception ability, which is of great help to improve listening, speaking and writing ability. It can increase knowledge, broaden horizons and improve their interest in English. So obviously, it is very important to do a lot of English reading. But the problem is that many English learners seem to find it difficult to read accurately and effectively. In addition, in various international and domestic exams, English reading accounts for an increasing proportion. In this case, how to improve English reading has attracted more and more attention. This paper talks about how to help English readers improve their reading ability. 2. Improve your language knowledge. The language knowledge here mainly refers to vocabulary and grammar. Your knowledge of language can help you read quickly and have a high understanding ability. There are about 750,000 words in English, and more new words are put into use every day. In addition, words are constantly being redefined. Every word has an extra meaning, over time, until it has many meanings. Facts have proved that readers with a small vocabulary will find it difficult to read and understand. How to solve this problem? According to Hatch and Brown's research, learners' vocabulary learning strategies can be divided into five basic steps: 1) having the source of new words; 2) acquiring the form of new words; 3) Learn the meaning of words; 4) Strengthen the memory of words; 5) Use words. This theory of vocabulary acquisition not only reveals the inherent laws of vocabulary learning, but also reveals three important aspects of vocabulary learning: word form, meaning and usage. [1] Therefore, we can build up our vocabulary from the following aspects: First, learn word formation. You can enlarge your vocabulary by using word formation rules. Many words in English are composed of roots, prefixes and suffixes, such as "sad", "sad" and "sadness". Therefore, this method is used to help readers understand the meaning of unknown words by analyzing the word structure, which is to divide words into available parts such as root, prefix and suffix. If you know some common prefixes, roots and suffixes, they will help to decipher the meanings of new words you find in reading. For example, when you know the word "courage", "encourage, discourage and be brave" will not be unfamiliar to you. [2] Secondly, collect new words that are often encountered in reading. This does not mean that you are encouraged to look up new words in the dictionary when reading. The appropriate method is to try to guess the meaning from the context clues and the words around it, and then you will gradually know the clear meaning of the word after you often encounter it. Now, if you look it up in the dictionary, you will have a good memory. Third, recite a certain number of new words every day. Young students have a good memory. It is possible for you to remember some words every day. You can choose some words for yourself, which is very helpful. When you meet these words in reading, you will feel relaxed, "Aha, I know what they mean." You will feel confident and more interested in reading. 2.2 Grammatical language consists of words and grammatical structures. The accuracy of comprehension depends on the mastery of words and grammar. For example, in the case of learning a language, a child or a beginner learning a foreign language first learns some words, and then begins to contact the rules of sentence grammar, and then he can make sentences with words himself. Only by understanding the rules of the game can we win the game. Sometimes, we find that some learners recite a lot of words, and they can say the meanings of the words they see, but when these words are arranged into a sentence, these learners can't understand them. Why? That's because they are not familiar with grammar. Grammar is the skeleton, which produces various combinations of words. We know that if you wear coins with a rope, you can easily take away many coins at once; If coins are scattered on the floor, it is difficult to pick up each one. Grammar is like a rope that gives life to word combinations and diversifies expressions. It lets us know the tone of approval, doubt or surprise and so on. Mastering grammar is the basis of making progress in English reading. Doing more grammar exercises is very good and won't do any harm. Sometimes, in reading, you will find that the understanding of the whole article depends on your ability to understand individual sentences. Very long sentences, sentences with more than one meaning, or sentences with complex grammatical patterns often lead to comprehension problems. In this case, readers should keep the following points in mind. (1) If the sentence is long, try to divide it into several small parts: The general then added, "The only reasonable solution to such problems caused by the current unstable political situation is diplomatic and economic measures, not the use of military force." You should read this sentence like this: "The only reasonable solution to such problems caused by the current unstable political situation is one of diplomatic and economic measures, not the use of military force." (2) Look for keywords that can tell you the internal relationship of sentences. "The West sent troops to occupy and control Jerusalem; On the contrary, they themselves become victims of new ideas and subtle influences. "On the contrary" means that something contrary to expectations has happened. 3. Expand your schema about various topics and things. "In the process of reading, the importance of readers' understanding of the world has always been emphasized. The role of this previously acquired knowledge in language understanding has been formalized as schema theory [3]. According to schema theory, understanding text is an interactive process between readers' background knowledge and text. The more you already know, the less you need to find out. A good reader does not passively read only for the prepositional meaning of each sentence, but more importantly, for the pragmatic meaning. He can not only understand the superficial meaning determined by vocabulary and grammar, but also understand the author's real purpose of using a particular language. He negotiates meaning by creating an effective dialogue between himself and the author. 4. Develop good reading habits. If you are reading for meaning, try to read quickly. Some people read slowly. They think reading slowly will help them understand better. This is not right. In fact, the faster you read, the better you understand. The phrase "haste makes waste" does not apply to reading. Remember, nothing hurts attention more than reading too slowly. Your brain will keep up with your reading speed if you ask it. By always reading at the fastest speed, you challenge your understanding and make it easier for you to concentrate on the material. To improve your reading speed, you must get rid of the following bad habits: a. Pointing at words or holding a pen or pencil or ruler offline when reading; B. mumble or say what's on your mind, even though others can't hear you reading; C. Read back from time to time; Stop reading when new words appear and look them up in the dictionary. [4] A good reader should develop correct reading methods. That is to train yourself to read attentively (not by memorizing) and silently (not aloud), sentence by sentence, not word by word. Whenever you meet a new word, try to guess its meaning from the context. Looking up the dictionary from time to time not only affects one's reading speed and understanding of reading materials, but also makes readers feel depressed. 5. Use various reading skills 5. 1 prediction