I’ve been learning English for over five years, but I’ve just started reading and watching BBC, CNBC news, etc., since last month. The reason why is now I want to expand my vocabulary and knowledge of academic English. If you ask me, “Should I read BBC news to improve my English?”, I would say “Yes and No.”
1, The “YES”
In my opinion, these sites are suitable for at least intermediate learners who want to:
Expand their academic vocabulary
Prepare for the IELTS exam
Get international news
Get to an advanced level
Improve their reading comprehension
I must say that the English used on these sites is not easy. Even though your English is decent, It still can be boring if you don’t like reading news about society, business, or politics. They don’t bring you a comfortable reading experience. But It’s still worth your time if you aim for the five purposes above. I was so dull the first time watching some news on CNBC. But since I came through a bottleneck, my academic English has progressed a lot. My last tip is to read what you really care about first and move to unfamiliar topics later.
2, The “NO”
If you are a beginner, I think It’s not the right time to approach CNBC news. It’s harsh for you to work this whole thing out. It’s too heavy for you. At the beginner level, there are many more crucial things for you to do with your English, such as doing grammar exercises, perfecting your pronunciation, reading news about daily life, etc. When you get to the B1 or B2 level (Intermediate according to CEFR), you can try again with BBC, CNBC, CNN news, etc. It won’t be late at the time.
There are many ways to take your English to the next level. Remember that you can test your learning methods and change them regularly. Speaking about BBC, CNBC, and CNN news, I think they are good resources to improve your academic English comprehension. Therefore, let’s try them if you’re ready, especially when your English level is intermediate. If you are a beginner, let's wait a little bit and get back to BBC news later.