Reading

Reading a lot in English really helps you improve. We need lots and lots of input (that's when we listen to or read English) to learn a new language. When you read, you learn new words without thinking about it. You also learn grammar: if you see 'I ate' 100 times while you are reading, you probably won't say 'I eated'. And, you learn how English speakers usually build sentences and the kinds of things that are normal for them to say.

Books written for learners of English:

There are some very good books you can buy for students who are learning English. If you go to an English language school, they probably have some you can borrow. These books are specially for students and have been written in easy English. They come in different levels so you can choose the right one for you. Don't pick something too difficult - you should be able to read it without a dictionary.

In British English, for example, there is a series of books called the Oxford Bookworms Library. These come in seven levels. The easiest level is called 'starter' and the hardest level is 'level 6'. To read a 'starter' book you need to know around 250 words of English vocabulary. You can see an explanation of how many words and the kinds of grammar points which are in each level here. You can also read more about these books on the Oxford website here, and they are available on Amazon here.

Other books which have been written especially for learners of English include the 'Penguin Readers' series, which also has seven levels. The easiest level is called 'Easystart' and the most difficult is 'level 6'. You can read more about these books on the Penguin website here, and they are available on Amazon here.

'Real' English books:

Here are a few 'real' books that I recommend for students. If you have any more ideas about books which are easy to read, I'd love to hear about them. Please email me!

Children's and Teenager's' Books:

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (available free here or on Amazon here)
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (available free here or on Amazon here)
• Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (on Amazon here)
• His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman (on Amazon here)
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (on Amazon here)

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (another book by F. Scott Fitzgerald called 'This Side of Paradise' is available free here)
• The Poirot Series by Agatha Christie (you can download a Poirot novel called 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' free here)

Newspapers and Magazines:

From the UK:

• The Guardian (politically left-wing)
• The Independent (politically central)
• The Telegraph (politically right-wing)
• The Economist
• BBC News

• The New York Times