How to improve your spoken English through reading in English

student improving her spoken English by reading

Learn English: Recommended Reading Blogs, Books, And Magazines

Reading is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary, spelling and understanding of English, and can lead to you improving your spoken English too. Reading can be done at your own pace, you don’t have to pause or rewind a book to re-read a subtitle, you can take it as slowly as you like. Plus, there are many different great books and magazines for all levels that will help you improve your spoken English.

Blogs can improve your reading skills!

Why not read blogs online to improve your English! We have a wonderful range of blogs and we post new ones every week. Our blogs range from tips to improve your English to news about what is going on at our school to information about British culture. Why not check it out to improve and practice your reading in English!

Books to help learn English

One way you could improve your spoken English would be to read books that have been made into films or programmes. If you have seen a film that you really enjoyed and it has been based on a book, you may find it easier to understand the book once you have watched it on screen. Some of these books will be in a series e.g. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Twilight. It’s a great way to get into reading if you really enjoyed watching the films. You will be familiar with the characters and plot, so reading will be a bonus and a great way to improve your English speaking.

A brilliant way of learning English easily is to choose a book you have read many times and find an English translation. If you have a favourite book it will be fun to read this in English. Some people may have a religious text that they know really well, and this might be a great reason to learn it in English too.

Children’s books for English learners.

A great place for beginners to start are children’s books. Don’t be afraid to try books for children. Many students love to read children’s books as they can be full of interesting characters, rich descriptions, and enjoyable storylines. A fun way for beginners to increase their vocabulary and improve spoken English.

girl reads an English book

One author highly recommended is Roald Dahl. His books are very famous and most have been made into films or series for television. His books are read and enjoyed by both young and old and his writing style is easy but engaging. Here is a brilliant website that will tell you all about Roald Dahl and his books both for children and adults.

Another book recommended for improving your English is Charlotte’s Web. This is a story about an English Farm and an unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider. It is a likable story and easy for those of you just starting to read more English.

A more intermediate read is Goodnight Mr. Tom. A story of an evacuee from the Second World War sent from London to the countryside and his growing relationship with his guardian. This is a book loved by many and has also been made into a television drama.

Using novels to improve

There are a lot of great novels for more intermediate and advanced level readers. A great place to start is your favourite genre. Reading what interests you, to begin with, will help you get into a book and not want to put it down without finishing. You don’t have to read a book that you don’t enjoy, reading is fun and you don’t need to struggle through a book that is too hard or you find boring, this won’t help with improving your spoken English.  Going into your local bookshop or library can really help in choosing a book you will like. They will already be sorted into different genres, and you can flick through to see if you think a book will be the right level of English for you to enjoy.

If you shop online for books a useful tip is using the ‘look inside’ feature on amazon.co.uk. Many of the books you can buy from Amazon have a feature that you can have a quick look at a few pages of the book before you buy it. It will give you an idea of the level of English you will be reading. Also if you have enjoyed a book there will be suggestions for books that are similar and other readers have liked. Here is a YouTube video that explains how to use the ‘Look Inside’ feature.

Novels for intermediate English language learners

If you are an intermediate reader you don’t want to start by reading old classics, the language can be harder to follow. You will enjoy the book more if you understand it, and some of the language in old classic English books are very hard to follow at first. These books are great to read once your English is more advanced, but might not help with improving your spoken English as the language used is not what would be used today.

student reading to improve

One book highly recommended for intermediate readers is The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time. This is written from a Childs perspective while he investigates the death of his neighbour’s dog. It’s a very clever and interesting book the language is a bit harder but it’s worth the read. It has been praised as a great book for learning English by many English learners.

Another more intermediate book is The Diary of Anne Frank. This book is a real diary written by a young girl in World War Two while her family was hiding from the Nazis. She has a natural way of writing and it’s a really amazing story well worth the read.

Magazines

Magazines are an excellent way to learn English. This is a great way to get engaged and improve your spoken English as magazines come in all different levels and subjects, and will be written in modern spoken language. They are readily available and you can browse the magazine isles to see what really interests you. The articles won’t be too long or hard to get through. Plus, if you pick a magazine in an area you are passionate about, e.g. fashion, photography, music, you will really engage with the writing and learn lots of English at the same time. Magazines are readily available from supermarkets and high street shops so always easy to grab a couple if you’re out and about.

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English language teacher reading book to improve