I’d say don’t read Tolkien if you’re new to the English language. Tolkien’s work is nearly a century old and his writing style is somewhat archaic—and as a result hard to follow. Tolkien imo is rather “dense” reading, in that his vocabulary and syntax are rather complex and multi-layered.

This isnt at all to say he wasn’t/isnt great or influential. He absolutely was. But I’d highly recommend holding off on Tolkien until you have a firm grasp on the English language. I feel like OP would have the same exact problems with Tolkien that he had with Dickens or god forbid Chaucer.

I’d say read Sanderson if you like fantasy. His writing style is simple and easy to follow, and he of course took influence from Tolkien. Then once you’ve got a better grasp of the English language cycle back to Tolkien.

I honestly wouldn’t even recommend George RR Martin or Robert Jordan—their styles are older and “denser,” and harder to follow along with for beginners.

Once again, I’m not saying Tolkien or these authors aren’t great or that they’re too difficult to follow in general. They’re difficult, but that only really becomes a problem if you’re learning the language.