ESL Learners – Improve Your Reading, Speaking and Writing Skills With a Book Club
May 19th, 2011Author: maureen
Margaret Welwood asked:
As we’ve discussed in other articles, one of the best ways to learn a new language – and the way you learned your first language – is to speak it with others. Add to that the fact that the best way to improve your reading skills is to read, and you have a recipe for a book club!
* First, find one or more students who want to join you. It’s best to have a mix of first languages so you’re not tempted to speak your own language.
* Choose your book. Choose one that everyone wants to read. Don’t choose one that’s too difficult – you want to spend your time READING and ENJOYING the book, not looking in your dictionary. There is a good selection of ESL readers for adults. You may also want to choose a children’s version of an adult classic.
A book on tape or CD is an excellent choice because you can read along with it at your meetings.
* Decide when you want to meet. Once or twice a week is probably best.
* Decide how much you’re going to read before each meeting. Will you read a whole chapter, or just a few pages?
* What if someone doesn’t do their “homework”? Charge a fine, say 10 cents per missed page. Use the money to buy snacks for your end-of-book party.
* Take turns planning your club meetings. Here is a suggested plan:
USE a tape or CD if you have one.
Begin by listening to a short passage. Then listen again, reading along with the tape. Mark the stresses and pauses. Read out loud with the tape, paying attention to the stresses and pauses. You may wish to do this more than once. Try to guess the meaning of new words from the context. Then look them up in a dictionary. Read the passage again with the tape, this time focusing on the meaning. Listen again without looking. That’s it! What are you practicing with this method?
Listening–for natural rhythm and pronunciation Listening–for meaning Pronunciation–you are practicing this skill with a native speaker. And s/he never gets tired of repeating the passage for you! Reading speed–you are reading at the same speed as a native speaker Reading comprehension–by listening and reading at a normal rate of speed and with pronunciation similar to a native speaker’s, you increase your understanding. TALK about the part that you read. Here are some questions to get you started:
Do you think ________________ did the right thing? What do you think is going to happen next? What would you like to see happen next? FOLLOW UP with an activity. Here are some examples:
Study the new words. Write the sentences that contain them in your notebook, along with the dictionary meanings. Then write your own sentences. Act out the story. This can be a lot of fun for people who like drama! Draw pictures with stick figures to show the action. Put the pictures in order and summarize the story orally. Write a letter to one of the characters. Each club member say which character they would like to meet and why. TALK about how the club has helped you learn English at your end-of-book party. Then choose your next book!
As we’ve discussed in other articles, one of the best ways to learn a new language – and the way you learned your first language – is to speak it with others. Add to that the fact that the best way to improve your reading skills is to read, and you have a recipe for a book club!
* First, find one or more students who want to join you. It’s best to have a mix of first languages so you’re not tempted to speak your own language.
* Choose your book. Choose one that everyone wants to read. Don’t choose one that’s too difficult – you want to spend your time READING and ENJOYING the book, not looking in your dictionary. There is a good selection of ESL readers for adults. You may also want to choose a children’s version of an adult classic.
A book on tape or CD is an excellent choice because you can read along with it at your meetings.
* Decide when you want to meet. Once or twice a week is probably best.
* Decide how much you’re going to read before each meeting. Will you read a whole chapter, or just a few pages?
* What if someone doesn’t do their “homework”? Charge a fine, say 10 cents per missed page. Use the money to buy snacks for your end-of-book party.
* Take turns planning your club meetings. Here is a suggested plan:
USE a tape or CD if you have one.
Begin by listening to a short passage. Then listen again, reading along with the tape. Mark the stresses and pauses. Read out loud with the tape, paying attention to the stresses and pauses. You may wish to do this more than once. Try to guess the meaning of new words from the context. Then look them up in a dictionary. Read the passage again with the tape, this time focusing on the meaning. Listen again without looking. That’s it! What are you practicing with this method?
Listening–for natural rhythm and pronunciation Listening–for meaning Pronunciation–you are practicing this skill with a native speaker. And s/he never gets tired of repeating the passage for you! Reading speed–you are reading at the same speed as a native speaker Reading comprehension–by listening and reading at a normal rate of speed and with pronunciation similar to a native speaker’s, you increase your understanding. TALK about the part that you read. Here are some questions to get you started:
Do you think ________________ did the right thing? What do you think is going to happen next? What would you like to see happen next? FOLLOW UP with an activity. Here are some examples:
Study the new words. Write the sentences that contain them in your notebook, along with the dictionary meanings. Then write your own sentences. Act out the story. This can be a lot of fun for people who like drama! Draw pictures with stick figures to show the action. Put the pictures in order and summarize the story orally. Write a letter to one of the characters. Each club member say which character they would like to meet and why. TALK about how the club has helped you learn English at your end-of-book party. Then choose your next book!