The Best Books to Read to Learn English
Although there are many ways to learn English, the best place to begin is with a few high-quality textbooks.
In my own experience as an autodidact autodidact: a person who teaches himself / herself, rather than existence taught by a instructor , no other method offers so much data for so little money. Not apps, not podcasts, not YouTube.
Fifty-fifty free learning materials toll something: your time. The more time y'all spend on a poorly designed learning program, the less fourth dimension y'all have for other goals and interests.
I also find that my students who are the fastest English learners are fractional autodidacts: they do extra self-study at home, and they spend their written report time learning from books – not movies or games.
With that in mind, here are 8 books that I typically recommend to students who desire to do extra self-study. I've organized the list into 3 categories:
- Best Vocabulary Books
- All-time Grammar Books
- All-time Books for Speaking & Pronunciation
If you're planning to have the IELTS, I've too include iii useful books specifically for IELTS preparation.
Some of these books are a flake pricey pricey: (informal) expensive – only when you consider that yous will report them and refer back to them for many weeks, months, or years, they may be the cheapest investment you make in your education.
All-time Books for Improving English language Vocabulary
A very common fashion to learn a new give-and-take is to first think of the give-and-take in your native language and so search for its English translation (using Google or a dictionary app).
I can identify which students practice this bad addiction, because they struggle to speak fluently – even after many years of English study.
When you hear about people learning English in 6 months, one reason is that they employ good books to learn new words in English methodically methodical: done in logical way, using a plan or organisation .
English Vocabulary Builder (DK English for Everyone)
Buy Online
The fastest way to learn English (or any language) is by using pictures. After all, a large part of your encephalon is devoted to processing visual information. This is also how babies learn their first words. They see 🍕 hear the discussion pizza, and learn that they can say the word pizza when they want to talk almost 🍕.
There are many books that you tin can use with this picture-learning method. 1 of the all-time ones for learning English is DK's English for Everyone serial.
For adults, I recommend the English Vocabulary Builder, which includes 3,000+ words and phrases related to ordinary objects, actions, and situations. In that location are besides volumes for learning grammer, idioms, and business phrases.
What makes DK's books different from other picture books is that each section of the book includes listening and review exercises, and y'all can practice pronunciation on their website or using their gratis app.
English language Collocations in Use (Cambridge)
Buy Online
Learning a new discussion can be hard. You lot demand to learn what it ways, how to pronounce information technology, how to spell it, and how to utilize it in a sentence. But at that place is also the question of how to apply the word naturally, like a native speaker.
To speak natural English, you will need to spend some time studying collocations. Cambridge University (also famous for their English experts) has created a series of books that tin help yous learn these tricky phrases. They take similar books for learning Phrasal Verbs and Idioms, in case you want to expand your vocabulary even farther.
Oxford Avant-garde Learner'southward Dictionary (OALD)
Oxford University is famous for creating one of the biggest English dictionaries (with 600,000 entries).
More importantly, their experts take also created the Oxford 3000. This is a list of the most useful, and most-oft used, words in English-speaking countries. According to these experts, one time y'all learn these 3,000 words, you can understand lxxx-xc% of English conversations, websites, newspapers, etc.
These 3,000 words besides permit you to empathize every word in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, a special lexicon for students who wish to nourish an English-speaking university. The newest edition includes lx,000 words and 109,000 examples.
The OALD includes a lot of special features that y'all can't discover in other dictionaries — like synonyms and collocations. You can also download an app version on your smartphone that allows you to speak the word you want to look upward (in case you don't know how to spell it — which is a common trouble with English words).
Best Books for Learning English Grammer
It'due south true that English grammar is not simple. Only a lot of books brand the topic more difficult and confusing than necessary.
The three books below are great because they make English grammar as simple as possible — and sometimes even fun. The all-time affair virtually these books, of course, is that they tin can assistance you larn English at home, and fast.
(Note: If your goal is to review English grammar before taking the IELTS exam, it'south ameliorate to go a specialized text.)
English language Grammar in Use (Cambridge)
Buy Online
A not bad book for studying English at home is Raymond Murphy's workbook, English language Grammar in Use. (Brand sure you get the version with answers.)
It'due south the most popular grammar book in the world, and for good reason. Each grammer topic is explained in simple terms, with lots of examples and practice exercises.
At the dorsum of the book, there is a exam that yous can take to place which grammar topics are the most difficult for you.
In fact, the best way to report this book is to offset with the topics that y'all find most interesting or confusing. Practice note, however, that the Intermediate volume is written for B1/B2 learners, so if your English level is lower or higher, yous should consider getting the Beginner or Advanced books instead.
Practical English Usage (Oxford)
Purchase Online
A common problem with grammar books (in any language) is that they give the reader too much data. They are written by linguistics professors who are interested in the history, psychology, or science of language — so they don't explain mutual issues for English learners.
In contrast, Practical English language Usage is designed specifically for readers who want to learn English. It was start published in 1980 and has been improved several times over the past 40 years.
For intermediate and advanced students, it is a dandy resources to have. Do note, however, that in that location are no exercises. It only offers explanations and examples.
English Grammar: Understanding the Basics (Cambridge)
Purchase Online
If you feel dislocated about terms like 'transitive' and 'intransitive' verbs or 'demonstrative' and 'interrogative' pronouns, and then another book to consider is Cambridge University'southward English language Grammer: Understanding the Basics.
Different the other 2 books in a higher place, this text explains English language grammar footstep by step. It'southward especially useful if you have to do a lot of writing in English, just likewise good to read if you want to reach an advanced level fast.
With the other two books, you will how to ready your mistakes and build longer sentences, but this book helps you to understand 'the big picture' of English language.
In the excerpt below (explaining phrasal verbs), yous get a 'taste' of how clear and simple the book is.
Of course, the best mode to better your speaking skills is to practice with a tutor or some English-speaking friends. Just you tin can also acquire a lot almost speaking from a couple good books, like those below.
Finally, if y'all want to attend an English-speaking academy or get a visa to piece of work in an English language-speaking state, you will probably need to take the IELTS. The three books below can ready yous to get the best possible score.
Source: https://soenglish.me/books-to-learn-english/
0 Response to "The Best Books to Read to Learn English"
Post a Comment