Communication barriers are frustrating.
And if you’re trying to get that job or land a promotion, struggling to communicate isn’t something you can risk.
Reading English books for ESL beginners is an easy way to improve your English fluency.
Check out how reading English books can help you, and take a look at some of the best books to start with.
Does Reading English Books for Beginners Help?
Reading an English book for ESL individuals immerses you in the English language. It doesn’t just let you practice reading words, it helps you understand their meanings.
So yes, reading English books can be very helpful.
You may struggle at first, but the more you read, the better you’ll get. The idea of reading a novel in a different language can be daunting, but there are a lot of English books that are clear and easy to understand for beginners.
But before we check out the list, let’s look at some of the reasons why you should spend some time reading beginner English books.
Benefits of Reading English Books
There are a lot of benefits that come with English reading books. In fact, reading English books can help you become more fluent in English faster than many other methods.
Reading an English book as an ESL student might be hard at first, but if you stick with it, the reading will get easier.
Besides, you have to challenge yourself if you want to get better.
Reading Helps You Understand English
Though reading an English book does improve your vocabulary, we aren’t just talking about grammar here.
Reading English books can actually give you more knowledge about culture too. As you read, you’re exposed to perspectives you aren’t familiar with.
So you learn more than just language when you read English books. You learn about different countries and lifestyles.
You Can Learn at Your Own Pace
Because you’re reading at your own speed, you won’t fall behind or miss anything.
Have you ever tried to learn English by watching English movies? It can be fun, but it can also be frustrating. Movies play at a set speed, and if you miss something, you might have to rewind several times before you finally get it.
Books aren’t like that.
You can read as slowly as you’d like. If you have trouble understanding a sentence, you can stop and reread it however many times you want.
It’s a Big Achievement
Reading an English book might not be as hard as you thought it would be, and you could surprise yourself.
Finishing is a big achievement and something to be proud of. After all, most people don’t ever read a book in a different language from their own.
It’s an Enjoyable Way to Learn
If you choose the right reading book for your level, you’ll probably enjoy yourself. This is a great way to improve your English, especially if you already love reading.
Reading books out-loud can greatly improve your ability to pronounce the English language correctly.
Six English Reading Books for Beginners
These easy to read books are good options to get started. The writing isn’t complicated, and the stories are easy to follow and understand.
If you want to practice reading an English book, you should head to the library and pick out one of these books first.
1. Charlotte’s Web
Written by E.B. White, this is an English classic. Most schools have this book in their English curriculum. If you want to have a conversation about it after you’re done reading it, you can talk to almost anyone.
2. Thirteen Reasons Why
This book is written by Jay Asher. The story is present tense, so the grammar is easy to understand. Most of the sentences are short, and the paragraphs are small, so it’s not hard to get through a page.
This book focuses on heavy topics, so don’t read it if you aren’t ready for some dark themes. But if that doesn’t bother you, it’s a good read.
3. Peter Pan
Don’t skip this book because you already know what the story is about. Understanding the basic plot can actually make it easier to read the book. So if you’re having a hard time with some other English books, you might want to give this one a try.
It’s written by J.M. Barrie, and it’s meant for children. But, again, don’t let this turn you away. Because it’s written for children, it has simple grammar and vocabulary.
This is a good first book for most beginners.
4. The Giver
This book is longer than the others, but don’t let that overwhelm you. The book uses easy grammar, most of which is past simple and past perfect.
The plot itself is pretty straightforward, so you’ll be able to follow the story without any problems.
Lois Lowry starts this book in a way that will capture your attention. So even though the book is long, you probably won’t have a hard time finishing it.
5. A Wrinkle in Time
This book is more challenging than many of the others. Though there are short, easy sentences, they are mixed with longer, more complicated sentences.
You probably shouldn’t start out with this book.
There’s a lot of vocabulary in this book you may not know, so trying to read it without any experience may be difficult. But if you’ve already read a few English books and would like one that’s a bit harder, this book is for you.
It’s written by Madeline L’engle.
6. The Old Man and the Sea
This is another book that may take a bit more experience. The vocabulary can be difficult, but the book is also short. It shouldn’t take you too long to get through it.
The author of this book is Ernest Hemingway, and it’s another English classic.
Do Some Reading for Beginners
Reading English books for beginners is a good way to improve your English fluency. It exposes you to vocabulary, grammar, culture, and different perspectives. You can learn a lot more than language while reading these books.
There are a lot of other easy to read books out there for beginners. If none of these books sound interesting to you, spend some time at the library to look at other options.
Don’t worry about starting small. It’s better to start with short and simple books and work your way up to longer, more complex books as you get more experience.
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