Why reading helps you learn English
Reading a lot in English really helps you improve. We need lots and lots of input (that's when we listen to or read English) to learn a new language. When you read, you learn new words without thinking about it. You also learn grammar: if you see 'I ate' 100 times while you are reading, you probably won't say 'I eated'. And, you learn how English speakers usually build sentences and the kinds of things that are normal for them to say.
Books written for learners of English (graded readers)
There are some very good books you can buy for students who are learning English. If you go to an English language school, they probably have some you can borrow. These books are specially for students and have been written in easy English. They come in different levels so you can choose the right one for you. Don't pick something too difficult - you should be able to read it without a dictionary.
Oxford Bookworms Library
In British English, for example, there is a series of books called the Oxford Bookworms Library. These come in seven levels. The easiest level is called 'starter' and the hardest level is 'level 6'. To read a 'starter' book you need to know around 250 words of English vocabulary. You can see an explanation of how many words and the kinds of grammar points which are in each level here. You can also read more about these books on the Oxford website here, and they are available on Amazon here.
Penguin Readers
Other books which have been written especially for learners of English include the 'Penguin Readers' series, which also has seven levels. The easiest level is called 'Easystart' and the most difficult is 'level 6'. You can read more about these books on the Penguin website here, and they are available on Amazon here.
An app for personalised reading
I love the StoryLearning App and I'm using it myself now to learn Spanish. It gives you personalised reading and uses AI to write short stories in English for you, at your level and it creates the kinds of stories you like, for example mystery or romance. When you find a word you don't know, you can save it. The app then puts your saved words into your later stories again, days and weeks apart, so you keep meeting them until you remember them (this is called spaced repetition).
After each story, you say if it felt too easy or too hard, and over time the app makes your stories easier or harder. You can also tap any word to hear it and see it explained in English, and if it's a verb, you can see which tense it is. Everything stays in English, so you don't translate back into your own language. That's better for learning, because you keep thinking in English.
The stories go from about A2 (pre-intermediate) up to advanced, so the app isn't for complete beginners. If you're not sure of your level, you can check it with our free level test here. The app works in your web browser on your phone or computer, so there's nothing to download. You can read more about the app on the StoryLearning website here.
'Real' English books
Here are a few 'real' books that I recommend for students. If you have any more ideas about books which are easy to read, I'd love to hear about them. Please email me!
Children's and teenagers' books
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (available free here or on Amazon here)
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (available free here or on Amazon here)
- Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (on Amazon here)
- His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman (on Amazon here)
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (on Amazon here)
Books for adults
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (another book by F. Scott Fitzgerald called 'This Side of Paradise' is available free here)
- The Poirot Series by Agatha Christie (you can download a Poirot novel called 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' free here)
Free English ebooks
More free ebooks are available at Open Culture here, Project Gutenberg here and on Amazon (if you have a kindle or the kindle app) here.
Newspapers and magazines
From the UK
- The Guardian (politically left-wing)
- The Independent (politically central)
- The Telegraph (politically right-wing)
- The Economist
- BBC News
Also, the BBC Learning English website is excellent.