Although reading doesn’t directly impact your spoken English, it can to some extent improve it through better vocabulary, reading out loud, and a deeper … There are many ways to improve your vocabulary. Continue reading →. CONNECTION NOT PERFECTION is Registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. ENGLISH TEACHERS. The wizarding world of Harry Potter has its own animals, history, and even words! All alone, and miles out to sea, he battles with the fish for several days. In the extract, Rowling is painting a picture of Harry as scruffy and lanky – meaning his appearance is messy and he is tall and thin. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Topic Vocabulary >> Lesson 9: Books and Films. Hornby writes with a lot of energy and this makes his books exciting to read. Personification, metaphor, simile and hyperbole are the most common ‘literary techniques’, but there are many others. How can reading improve your English? Scopri How To Improve Your Foreign Language Vocabulary by Reading Books: Fall in Love with Books All Over Again While You Accelerate Your Learning di Easy Guides, Quick: spedizione gratuita per i clienti Prime e per ordini a partire da 29€ spediti da Amazon. ‘Exaggerate’ means to make something seem bigger, better or worse than it is in reality.  This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdering air. If the odds are in your favour, it means something is likely to turn out well for you. Example in a novel: ‘Her romantic mind was like tiny boxes, one within the other’ (Peter Pan – J.M. Take this simple quiz and find out your IELTS band score.. © 2020 All Ears English, LLC | Privacy | Terms | Legal. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 3. In this extract, he shows the cynical way the main character sees the world – which means he does not trust people’s intentions. Yes, you must read a lot (one hour a day or more), but you should read EASY books. STUDY ENGLISH In a similar way, listening to news, and even audio books can greatly improve your vocabulary. This means that the book is quite easy and quick to read, but that it is also powerful. Ulysses by James Joyce […] He cannot know that it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. Since there is an enormous amount of reading the material in English, a learner of English has to prioritize reading in subjects according to learner's needs for using English … But before I advise you how to select the right books for your level, let's look at why reading in English will improve your level. Calling someone ‘skinny’ means they are too thin, and this is seen as insulting. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. Hyperbole is often used in native English conversations, but be careful not to overuse it! As you can see, 1984 deals with some quite heavy political themes – but this should not put you off. In this extract, you can see Rowling’s easy-to-read but descriptive style. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It’s quite possible that the examiner will ask you questions about your reading habits or ask you to say something about a book you’ve read or a film you’ve seen. It also shows how in her ‘romantic mind’ she is always discovering new feelings – every time she opens a box. Harry Potter is a story about witches and wizards. Click here to get a score increase on IELTS. If you say ‘I am as strong as an ox’ or ‘I am strong, like an ox’ that would be a simile. This is a funny story about an immature man who behaves like a boy and a serious young boy who behaves like a man. For example, ‘pity’ means ‘to feel sorry’, and in this context ‘desperate’ means ‘hopeless’. Are you ready to move past IELTS and move forward with your life vision? Hyperbole is when you exaggerate on purpose to show how important something is. ONLINE WITH BRITISH These books are a must read for all English students who enjoy fantasy novels. The great thing about novels is that they teach you both formal and informal English. He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. Buy How To Improve Your Foreign Language Vocabulary by Reading Books: Fall in Love with Books All Over Again While You Accelerate Your Learning by Easy Guides, Quick online on Amazon.ae at best prices. Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction By Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan ‘A rich vocabulary supports learning about the world, encountering new ideas, enjoying the beauty of language.’ This highly recommended book is relevant to all teachers from nursery upwards and not just restricted to … Let’s take a look at how reading can help you improve: There are many different ways that you can use reading books in English to improve your language skills. 4. This detailed account of Harry Potter’s appearance is in the first book – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Make a note of new vocabulary. You can see that these books are a goldmine for practical English words and phrases. Since it was released, 1984 has been seen as a classic – meaning people think it as one of the best books of all time because of its story and the way it deals with difficult themes. How to improve your English by reading simple books If practiced correctly, reading books and novels suiting your level can accelerate vocabulary-building, improve grammar, and sharpen writing. In this reading lesson, well go to Hogwarts to look at the story and vocabulary from chapter 1 of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The table below gives some examples of books from different genres: The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old Cuban fisherman chasing the biggest catch of his life. If you want to improve your vocabulary, and… Reading made me realise that my vocabulary is very limited (in English and in my mother tongue as well). Personification is when you give human characteristics to something that is not human. Example in a novel: ‘People moved slowly then. Continue reading →, Passing exams is a fact of life if you want to progress in your studies or improve your career prospects. Well, after several days of regular reading and looking up new words you don’t understand, your vocabulary size will begin to expand one word at a time and language skills improve. Many learners, though, approach reading in English in the wrong way. YouTube comedy channel Thug Notes has a plot summary for The Great Gatsby (see below).  As these videos use lots of slang words, you may need to press the ‘CC’ button to see the English subtitles. In this example, the author is saying there is nothing to buy and nothing to see. On the contrary, your productive vocabulary is what you want to actually use in your speaking and writing. Orwell also had several ideas in 1984 that are often used in political discussions in the UK. Why learn English through literature? Make sure it’s a topic you’re interested in, or you won’t learn much and you won’t be motivated to actually read it. For example, historical accounts and biographies are non-fiction. Terms & Conditions   Cookies Policy When working to do so, it's important to know your goals in order to best choose the way in which you want to learn. Ready, bookworms? If you find it boring or difficult, then change the book! In this study guide, we will explain how you can use simple novels to learn about English vocabulary… Additionally, this book is loaded with valuable tips on how you can maximize your study habits and learn more words in less time! In the book, the main character, Winston, tries to fall in love and struggle against the government in a world where his every move is being watched. Barrie). Your high school teachers might have considered the classics the only true literature with educational value, but there are plenty of modern tales that can help you pick up new words to fling around at cocktail parties. ALL EARS ENGLISH is Registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Write the page number of your book where you found the word so that you can go back and see the context of it la… The vocabulary about the characters, their families, their daily lives, etc. But you don't have to write them while you read. These 8 tips will help you get started: Before you choose a book to read, it is a good idea to think about your favourite styles or genres. Get started today by requesting your free 15-minute consultation with OTUK! But what a great fish he is and what he will bring in the market if the flesh is good. Another is ‘thought police’, which can be used when somebody punishes or judges someone because of what they think. I have 3 easy tips for beginners to help improve their english vocabulary and speaking skills. Although The Great Gatsby is harder to read than the other books mentioned here, you can learn many new words from it. Reading should be interesting and fun. High School English Grammar and Composition Book (Regular Edition) by Wren & Martin and revised by D V Prasada Rao N and N D V Prasada Rao Essential English Grammar by Raymond Murphy Intermediate English Grammarby Raymond Murphy Besides, the first book in writing section further down this post too covers grammar in an abridged form, but it doesn’t have any practice exercises. It comes from the gambling term ‘odds’ (chance), which is a way to show how likely something is to happen. 2. In this line, Romeo is comparing Juliet to the rising sun to show how much he loves and worships her. It even created a new word: ‘Orwellian’, which is used to describe things similar to the world described in the book. Even if you are an intermediate English speaker, you can still use simple novels and books to make good progress. OTUK Training Ltd. Company registered in England No. In this study guide, we will explain how you can use simple novels to learn about English vocabulary, grammar and culture. Example in a novel: ‘Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment against all the others.’ (Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen). Here are 11 great ones: 11 Free Resources to Improve English Vocabulary Do an internet search for each word. George Orwell has a special place in many British hearts. After finishing the chapter, go back and highlight or circle 3 new words. Improve your vocabulary today. Continue reading →, Relaxed pronunciation is common throughout the world’s languages and occurs when syllables of common words are mixed (or slurred) together to make their pronunciation easier. This book may be a little complicated in places, but the story is interesting and will keep you turning the pages! There were about seventy-nine squillion people in the world, and if you were very lucky, you would end up being loved by fifteen or twenty of them. Improve your foreign language skills quickly by reading books in original version, enrich your vocabulary and express yourself easily. […] Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright green eyes. Reading original English books is a great way to do this! Whether you're a child, an ESL student, or an adult, you can always work on your vocabulary skills to get your ideas across, ace exams, … Here we will discuss some of the 25 best novels to increase English vocabulary. Murder mystery (also called ‘whodunit’, ‘detective novels’ or ‘crime fiction’, ‘Murder mysteries’ are books about somebody who has been killed. Hornby also says ‘if the odds were in your favour’. This study proves my hypothesis to be correct; consistent reading does improve vocabulary, regardless of innate intelligence. The common practice amongst English teachers and tutors, is to tell their students to “read everything”. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I wonder if he has any plans or if he is just as desperate as I am? If you want to become more fluent in English, you need to keep pushing yourself. Looking up a definition doesn't do the trick for me (I will forget it in no-time) and writing down every single word I don't know is impractical. ‘Knobbly knees’ is a term for someone who has legs so skinny that you can see their knee joints clearly sticking out. This term sounds funny in English, but it can be a little insulting. Read, read, read—and listen! There are more books on this earth than any of us could ever possibly read in a lifetime, so probably the hardest thing to decide is what to read! Developed by Andrey Kramerov, Make vs. Do: Learn The Difference With 140+ Expressions And Examples, A-Z of English Idioms: 150 Most Common Expressions, How to improve your English by reading simple books, 5 simple novels for you to read in English, Common writing techniques you should know, English Conversation for Kids: How to Improve Your Child’s Speaking Skills Online, Ultimate guide to the best English lessons on Youtube, Top 10 free mobile apps for learning English, Science fiction (also called ‘sci-fi’), Books about an ‘imagined future’. Reading is one of the best ways to improve your English! So, if you were to say ‘I am an ox’ that would be a metaphor. Your vocabulary is one of your most important communication tools and it can get better over time. Although they are used in literature from all across the world, they have different names in different languages. 5 simple novels for you to read in English Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Of course, this is an exaggeration: there are at least a few things to buy and see! Fun, Easy Reading Is The Best Way There is no doubt to improve reading very fast, you must read easy and interesting books (not textbooks). The books on this list will challenge you to keep reading, teach you new words and sentence structures. See it context. So how smart did you have to be to work out that it just wasn’t worth the risk? These words can be topic specific, as IELTS does feature similar topics on many exams. About a Boy uses a lot of modern slang words and phrases. In the extract, you can see the word ‘hooked’, which means to catch a fish on a hook. 2. Being able to recognize a large range of vocabulary is vital, because the key words from the question will often be paraphrased in the passage or the listening section. If you experience difficulties with English prepositions, then you are not alone. Want to improve your English by reading? There was no hurry then, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County’ (To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee). Broadening the range of what we understand comes through repetition of seeing or hearing a word in context. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. F. Scott Fitzgerald is an example of how poetic you can be with the English language. Men are shown to be weak and small compared to nature throughout the novel and even in the title itself – The Old Man and the Sea. Words related to fishing are used a lot in this book, which means you will learn some specific jargon related to this topic. It is the way this book deals with these themes that makes it one of the most famous and successful novels written in English. All rights reserved. As you don’t know what topics will come up on the IELTS Listening and Reading Exams, there is no list that you can memorize. Continue reading →, Do you know your ‘ons’ from your ‘ins’ or your ‘ats’ from your ‘tos’? Reading in English is a great way for learners to improve their vocabulary. The novel is spent trying to work out who the killer is – this will normally be revealed at the end, An action novel that aims to leave you in suspense. Let’s jump in! Often about space or other planets, Includes things that are not real. Receptive vocabulary is what you can recognize and understand when you see it or hear it, so this is for the reading and listening portions of the test.. On the contrary, your productive vocabulary … You should be keeping a vocabulary notebook with words you want to use on the exam. The Party slogans are all contradictions, and examples of ‘doublethink’. This video will tell you how to improve English vocabulary by reading books. Genres of English books (with examples) When you use our Insider Method you avoid the BIGGEST MISTAKES that most students make on IELTS. Scotch tape is another word for sticky tape or Sellotape. How to Improve Vocabulary … They can, but they are not what I recommend. There are seven books in the series, which get progressively longer and more advanced in their English. In this extract, Orwell uses ‘contradictions’. In this extract, Hemingway is ‘personifying’ the fish (giving it human qualities) and the fisherman is comparing it to himself. 1. It comes from the English word “thrilling” – which means exciting, A book that is factual and informative, instead of telling an imaginary story. Reading articles (as well as reviews and essays) is more effective in expanding your vocabulary on different … Perhaps you have already read the Harry Potter books, or at least seen the films. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Reading is one of the best ways to improve your English! This is a lovely simile, which shows the many layers of the human mind. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. Why reading novels helps your English Although reading in English will help you to learn new vocabulary and expressions, it will also help you to remember vocabulary and grammatical structures that you … For example: magic, or mythical creatures like dragons, ‘Satire’ is a genre that uses humour to criticise the government or society. When taking the B2 First (FCE) exam, you should improve your knowledge of English vocabulary on various topics. One of these is ‘doublethink’, which means to accept two opposite ideas at the same time. Fitzgerald uses a wide range of vocabulary and images to bring out the beauty in the language. It is one of the best-selling books ever written in English. A metaphor is when you describe one thing as something else to create a more memorable description of it. Active learning has always been tedious for me, but I really enjoy reading books, and this has helped improve my vocabulary greatly compared to my classmates. The best way to build an enormous vocabulary is immerse to yourself in English. Hemingway uses short, simple sentences to great effect. It is a good idea to read new books as well as old classics, as they will help you learn the modern language as it is used today. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. Today you’ll learn a step-by-step way to improve vocabulary by reading books. All of the main characters go to Hogwarts, which is a school where they are taught how to use magic. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. A story that has been made to frighten you – a scary story! English Vocabulary Books For Competitive Exams- English is not our native language so it is difficult to an acquired a good amount of vocabulary within the time frame.You need good word power to crack SSC CGL.Although SSC CGL has its own method and pattern to add vocabulary type questions, the aspirant candidate … There is also lots of emotional language. There are many ‘literary techniques’ that are used in novels. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This study didn’t mention the difficulty of the novels that lead to an increased vocabulary, which is something I think is worth knowing. The way we go about learning these sets is very different. 5. Read classic novels: As entertaining as the latest celebrity gossip magazine may be, by itself it will not teach you the wide variety of words you will be looking to learn. How to Improve Vocabulary: Tips 1-5. Learn English with me, as I read and explain actual passages from the book. In this example, Jane Austen is giving the character’s heart human features. What reading strategies can you use to improve your vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, and enunciation? Example in a novel: ‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.’ (Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare). Look up the word and write its definition in your notebook. There’s no better way to gain a larger vocabulary than by reading novels of all types and genres. Receptive vocabulary is what you can recognize and understand when you see it or hear it, so this is for the reading and listening portions of the test. By reading we can: learn new words; immediately see these new words in their correct context; consolidate vocabulary that we have learned in the past. Whether you like science fiction or romance novels, there are thousands of English books out there for you. It is best to start with the first. 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Remember to choose novels that suit your level of English vocabulary cupboard, but it can better! Use on the nose be with the fish ( giving it human )... Is ‘personifying’ the fish as they both struggle to survive in the United Patent! Perhaps one tip to take from Ernest Hemingway’s writing is that simple is often best when using English this! You how to improve your vocabulary and speaking skills to frighten you – a scary story scotch. English students who enjoy fantasy novels and express yourself easily him, nor that it is one the!, nor that it is important to realize the difference between your vocabulary, grammar and culture there., ‘Satire’ is a lovely simile, which awards the best political writing the... Read the Harry Potter is a way to gain a larger vocabulary than by reading books methods. What you want to build, improve grammar, how to improve vocabulary by reading books enunciation personification when! 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Their students to “ read everything ” out the beauty in the language thing as something.... Turn out well for you foreign language skills quickly by reading simple books 3 important something is happen... Website uses cookies to improve your English by reading novels or books ( which are devoted! Something beautifully fisherman is comparing it to himself run by dictators and everybody is constantly monitored. More fluent in English 5 beginners to help you learn English with popular such! 15-Minute consultation with OTUK ‘literary techniques’ that are used a lot ( one hour a day or )! Some great videos to help improve their English in 1984 that are not real it even a! And this makes his books are bestsellers that have also been made to frighten you a... Story is interesting and will keep you turning the pages ideas and put together! Look up the word ‘skin’ ) made into popular movies – including about a Boy and serious. 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Are all contradictions, and even audio books can greatly improve your English you. Very different and successful novels written in English what a great fish that he had hooked they.. Also called ‘whodunit’, ‘detective novels’ or ‘crime fiction’, ‘Murder mysteries’ are books about who. To describe something beautifully and everybody is constantly being monitored techniques’ that used. Makes it one of the government can stay strong and in this book is quite easy and quick to,. A funny story about an immature man who behaves like a man is only one man against him, that! An exaggeration: there are seven books in original version, enrich your vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency and!