Reading is one of the most fun and effective ways to help improve
your English language skills. It can help to expand your vocabulary and
expose you to different sentence structures, all while you enjoy some
wonderful stories.
E-readers and tablets make learning English even easier because if
you don’t know a word, you can simply click on it to read its
definition. On the Kindle you can even add new words you’ve learnt to
its Vocabulary Builder feature, which is stored on the device. Others
recommend listening to and reading text at the same time as an excellent
way to enhance the learning process. Kindle’s Whispersync for Voice is
designed for just this purpose and includes audio with selected books,
so you can listen and follow the text as you read.
great novels to help improve your English
Below, we reveal nine novels including William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and George Orwell’s Animal Farm to help improve your English…
1. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
This classic tale takes place in the English countryside and shares
the adventures of the animals that live by the river. Grahame’s simple
use of language with imaginative stories makes this a pleasurable read
for both adults and children.
2. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
This book is a modern classic and a popular study text for schools
all over the world. When a group of boys are isolated on a desert
island, the society they create descends into ruthless behaviour.
Golding uses dramatic and descriptive language, almost like poetry, that
makes you feel as though you’re in the scenes yourself.
3. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway is well-known for his clear, straightforward writing
style and short sentence structure, which is great for English language
learners and many people have read it in school. It’s the courageous
tale of a Cuban fisherman and his battle to land a giant marlin and it’s
a perfect introduction to Hemingway as an author.
4. Animal Farm – George Orwell
This short, allegorical novel tells the story of animals rebelling
against their human masters, and is a satire of Stalin era in the Soviet
Union. Orwell uses simple English to appeal to all reading levels with a
‘less is more’ approach, and the animals speak in short, clear
sentences.
5. Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
When Mitch Albom reconnects with Morrie Schwartz, his former college
professor, he learns valuable life lessons and shares with readers all
the funny, insightful wisdom that Morrie reveals in the last months of
his life. It’s a great book to pick up a more conversational style of
reading and writing. It’s also a great book to be read aloud.
6. High Fidelity – Nick Hornby
A must-read for any music lover, this modern story uses a casual
style of language and is written from the point of view of the main
character, Rob, a heartbroken vinyl record storeowner living in north
London. It has a quick-pace feel with short, funny conversations between
characters that really keep the story moving.
7. The Giver – Lois Lowry
Lowry uses short sentences and simple grammar to create a story
that’s attention-grabbing right from the start. It’s about a boy called
Jonas and the community he is part of – where freedom, individuality and
choice don’t exist.
8. Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is one of the greatest children’s authors and very popular
with adults too. Beginning with a children’s book is a good way to
begin reading English novels, as they often have exciting plots and fun
dialogue.
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
This is the story about the adventures of a young boy with autism,
Christopher. When he discovers the murder of his neighbour’s dog, he
decides to investigate it. As it’s told from Christopher’s point of
view, his matter-of-fact explanations for everything he sees are clear
and easy to understand and take you on an intriguing journey.
Comments
Post a Comment