books about english language

Language is a funny thing. If you're reading this sentence, for example, there's a good chance that you speak and understand English perfectly well. But there's also a good chance that your English is slightly different from my English — we might disagree on whether it's "standing in line" or "standing on line," for example. Or you might call carbonated beverages "pop," whereas I would call them "soda." Or we might have a knock down, drag out fight over whether a long sandwich is called a "hoagie" a "sub" a "grinder" or a "hero." That's because English may seem like a perfectly stable language with rules and standards, but it is, in fact, a lawless jumble of several other languages stacked up, wearing a trench coat. English is a (very interesting) hot dumpster fire of a language that just keeps mutating with every passing day. So here are a few excellent books to help you de-mystify the English language, in all its many forms.

Some of these books delve into the history of English and how it got that way (did you know, for instance, that the word "spit" is roughly 15,000 years old, but the word "orange" is only about 450?). Other books explore different varieties of contemporary English, grammar rules, linguistic bigotry, curse words, and just about everything else you could possibly want to know about the language of English:

'Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue' by John McWhorter

books about english language

This is the most exciting book on grammar history that you are ever likely to read. Instead of looking at the history of individual words, McWhorter looks at at the very structure of English and all the different languages that comprise it. Check it out if you want to know which syntactic quirks come from ancient druids, which from French monarchs, and which from cutthroat viking invaders.

Click here to buy.

'The Everyday Language of White Racism' by Jane H. Hill

books about english language

It's not an exaggeration to say that reading this book in college genuinely changed the way I think about language. Jane H. Hill looks at everyday, "normal" English, and unpacks all the ways in which it can be a tool of bigotry and oppression. After all, who says that there is one "correct" version of English? Why do some dialects of English sound more "scholarly" or "polite" to our ears? Read this book, and you'll never police someone's grammar on Twitter ever again.

'Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation' by Lynne Truss

books about english language

But then, of course, sometimes it's helpful to learn the technical rules of English grammar, even if those rules are problematic as hell. We all need to write grammatically airtight cover letters every once in a while. Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a witty, fun guide to punctuation in English, for anyone who's a secret fan of the much-maligned semi-colon.

'Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing' by Melissa Mohr

books about english language

Swears, curses, cusses, and slurs have always been a part of the English language. In this clever micro-history, Melissa Mohr takes us from the obscenities of Ancient Rome to the foul-mouthed kids on the playground today, looking at what our swearwords say about us along the way.

'Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language' by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman

books about english language

Languages change. This is the very simplified thesis of the delightful Origins of the Specious, which debunks popular myths and misconceptions about English. This book will finally explain why it's OK to boldly split infinitives, and how a lot of the grammar "rules" we learned growing up don't actually come from English at all.

'The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of "Proper" English, from Shakespeare to South Park' by Jack Lynch

books about english language

If you're wondered who, exactly, sat down and wrote the actual rules to English grammar (years after English was already a widely spoken language), then take a trip back in time with The Lexicographer's Dilemma. This book looks at the actual historical figures who make it their business to impose new rules on English, for better or for worse.

'Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries' by Kory Stamper

books about english language

What goes into making a dictionary? Besides, you know, a lot of words? Dictionary writer and editor Kory Stamper is here to illuminate the secret life of dictionaries, from defining words to changing definitions to deciding what, exactly counts as a word in the first place.

'Articulate While Black: Barack Obama, Language, and Race in the U.S.' by H. Samy Alim, Geneva Smitherman

books about english language

If you've never heard the word "code-switching" before, drop everything and read this book. Articulate While Black uses President Barack Obama as a jumping-off point to explore the relationship between race and language in America (and why calling someone "articulate" isn't always a compliment).

'Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen' by Mary Norris

books about english language

Mary Norris spent over three decades in The New Yorker 's copy department, so she knows a thing or two about commas. Between You & Me is a lighthearted look at punctuation problems and when, exactly, you should add that extra comma. But she doesn't get too hung up on the official rules. As Norris puts it, "The dictionary is a wonderful thing, but you can't let it push you around."

'The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way' by Bill Bryson

books about english language

Bill Bryson is like your fun uncle and/or the English teacher who brings in donuts on the last day of class. His history of English is jam-packed with tangents and fun facts about how a strange little hybrid peasant language grew up to be one of the most widely-spoken tongues in the world.

'That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us' by Erin Moore

books about english language

Technically, the English and the Americans both speak English. But in reality, there are quite a lot of subtle differences between English English and American English (never mind the dozens of other Englishes spoken around the globe). Erin Moore looks at the awkward, hilarious differences between the two dialects, and what they say about our two cultures.

'The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words' by Anu Garg

books about english language

There are just so many weird words in English. Anu Garg has scratched the surface of the wacky English lexicon with these 300 words and the stories of how they wormed their way into our vernacular. From dord to petrichor, avocado to sprachgefuhl, this book is sheer fun for all you word nerds out there.

'Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite' by June Casagrande

books about english language

Nobody likes a grammar snob. But everybody likes learning for spite, and that's exactly the premise of this laugh-out-loud funny book on English grammar. With chapters ranging from "Semicolonoscopy--Colons, Semicolons, Dashes, and Other Probing Annoyances" to "Is That a Dangler in Your Memo or Are You Just Glad to See Me?" this book is a deeply silly guide to some very practical syntax advice.

books about english language

Improving Your English

Explore 18 of the best books to learn English, for beginner to advanced learners

books about english language

Reading books is a great way to learn English . Whether you want to expand your vocabulary, enjoy a short story, or study English grammar or pronunciation, books will help improve many facets of your English language skills.

Here we will take you through 18 of the best books to learn English through self-study . You can choose to focus on one topic at a time or pick a comprehensive resource to take your English to the next level.

We will also look at how you can use ebooks and audiobooks to learn English .

In each section, we have book recommendations suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced English learners. So, we hope you find something here that piques your interest, whether you are browsing English learning books for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

man reading the best books to learn english

The best English learning books

Let’s begin with some of the best books for English learners who want to take a comprehensive approach to learning English or improving their fluency. The following books cover all aspects of English in one place – from vocabulary and grammar to reading, writing, and more.

English for Everyone: Beginner Box Set

books about english language

Level: Beginner (A1 – A2)

Focus: Straightforward and well-illustrated vocabulary, grammar, and sentence-building lessons for self-study.

Highlights: This box set of 2 course books and 2 practice books is ideal for beginners who want to give themselves a strong start in learning English. The full-color pages are engaging and easy to understand. Supplementary audio recordings are available on the DK website and app to enhance ESL learning.

English Made Easy: Volume One

books about english language

Level: Beginner to intermediate

Focus: Learning English through pictures

Highlights: Written by experienced language teachers who wanted a completely new way to teach English visually, this book is full of illustrations and comic-style dialogue. Rather than directly teaching grammar, it lets English students learn by observing language patterns and building simple sentences.

Volume Two moves on to more complex sentences and grammar patterns.

Practical English Usage, 4th Edition

books about english language

Level: Advanced

Focus: Common vocabulary and grammar questions from advanced English learners

Highlights: Divided into two parts covering grammar and vocabulary, this is one of the best books to learn more advanced aspects of English like the singular ‘they’, how to communicate politely, and differences between British English vs American English . The book is written by an English teacher with over 20 years’ experience, so he understands the questions that ESL learners often have.

English Short Stories for Beginners

books about english language

Level: Beginner

Focus: Building English skills by reading stories (with comprehension exercises)

Highlights: Build up your English vocabulary by reading short stories in English for beginners, based on real-life situations. While reading, you will also naturally improve your English grammar skills through exposure to different sentence structures.

Stories are written in simple English suitable for beginners. Each chapter has a glossary and a comprehension test to reinforce what you have learned.

If you like this style of English learning book, you may also want to purchase English Short Stories for Intermediate Learners .

The best books to learn English vocabulary

Next, we have some English books that focus on learning new vocabulary at different levels. Whether you want to learn words, phrases, idioms, or slang, the books in this list should help.

1001 English Expressions and Phrases

books about english language

Level: Intermediate

Focus: Common expressions and phrases shown in natural English conversation dialogues

Highlights: An essential part of English language learning is not just learning individual words, but knowing how they fit together to form phrases. This book has over 1,000 expressions to help intermediate English learners get a better grasp of the language.

The author, Jackie Bolen, has been an ESL teacher for over 20 years. She has also published Advanced English Expressions, Idioms, Collocations, Slang, and Phrasal Verbs , which is an equally good resource for advanced learners mastering English.

English for Everyone English Idioms, Vocabulary Builder, Phrasal Verbs – 3 Book Box Set

books about english language

Level: Beginner to advanced

Focus: General vocabulary, idioms, and phrasal verbs

Highlights: This set of 3 books for English learners teaches more than 5,000 words, expressions, and helpful phrases. Beginners will find it helpful for expanding their general vocabulary, while intermediate and advanced learners can dig into more complex phrasal verbs and idioms.

77 Real Life English Dialogues with 500 Most Common English Words

books about english language

Focus: Learning how to use 500 common English words

Highlights: This book includes 77 English conversation dialogues for beginners, including free audio dialogues that you can play at slow or normal speed. They cover everyday topics such as ordering food and making plans, and you’ll even begin learning business English .

This English learning book is a good way for beginners to understand how to use 500 of the most common English words in writing and speaking.

The Big Book of Words You Should Know

books about english language

Level: Advanced (and native)

Focus: Advanced and obscure vocabulary

Highlights: Reading this book will expand your vocabulary beyond a reasonable level and teach you some new words that most native speakers don’t even know. It’s certainly not an essential book for English learners, but is a real treat for those who like to have an above-average vocabulary.

English Collocations in Dialogue

books about english language

Level:  Intermediate

Focus: See English collocations in use in conversation and learn what they mean

Highlights: Collocations are groups of two or more words that commonly go together, such as “make a mistake” or “take care”. They are an important linguistic element for anyone wanting to improve their vocabulary for TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS exams. This book lets you learn American English collocations by seeing how they are used in everyday conversations, with a definition provided for each one.

Fancy A Cuppa? The Hilarious Guide to British Slang

books about english language

Level: Intermediate to advanced (and native)

Focus: A humorous guide to British slang, idioms, swear words, and more

Highlights: For those who want to learn British English in a way the textbooks don’t teach, Fancy A Cuppa? is packed full of authentic English colloquialisms. You’ll learn some classic British idioms , insults, and Cockney Rhyming Slang to make you feel more at home in the UK.

This book would also make a great novelty gift for a language lover who is unfamiliar with British slang terms – but be advised that some of the language used is not suitable for children.

Of course, another book that you’ll find invaluable for improving your vocabulary is an ESL dictionary . These are specially designed with English learners in mind and cover grammar points and confusing words, too.

The best books for learning English grammar rules

Our final selection has some books for English learners (and even native speakers) who want to learn English grammar properly or build on what they already know.

Grammar Daily: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl

books about english language

Focus: An assortment of 365 grammar tips to help you communicate more clearly (and correctly)

Highlights: New York Times  bestseller and successful podcaster Mignon Fogarty (AKA Grammar Girl) addresses common grammar questions – as well as some vocabulary and punctuation topics – in an approachable way. From the misused ‘supposably’ to the controversial ‘a myriad of’ and from prepositions to pronouns, each day you can take a step toward improving your use of English.

The English Grammar Workbook for Adults

books about english language

Focus: Detailed explanation of essential grammar for everyday use

Highlights: Whether you are learning English as a second language or are a native speaker who needs to improve your grammar skills, this comprehensive guide to English grammar is an excellent resource. Look up a particular topic of interest or work through the book methodically, completing simple exercises on each topic you learn.

Word Order in English Sentences

books about english language

Level: Intermediate to advanced

Focus: Word types and sentence structure

Highlights: If you’d prefer to tackle one topic at a time rather than buying an all-encompassing grammar guide, Phil Williams’ learning guides are great books to learn from. This one focuses specifically on how to build sentences and the flexibility that exists in English grammar. Exercises throughout the book put into practice what you are learning.

The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide is another book by the same author that’s a good investment for anyone who needs help understanding verb tenses.

The Perfect English Grammar Workbook

books about english language

Focus: A comprehensive grammar guide to American Standard English that’s easy to understand

Highlights: This grammar workbook takes you through everything you need to know to keep your speaking and writing mistake-free. It’s a great reference tool for ESL students and teachers, and even editors. Each section contains quizzes and exercises to recap the topic.

This workbook is deliberately written to be easy to understand, without the academic explanations that make some grammar guides unapproachable for learners.

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

books about english language

Focus: A guide to grammar, punctuation, and other helpful topics – with quizzes

Highlights: This book is a straightforward guide to the basics of English grammar, as well as punctuation, capitalization , and commonly misused words. It doesn’t go as in-depth into grammar as some of the other resources mentioned here, but nevertheless, it’s a popular reference guide that’s now in its 12th edition.

Can you learn English with ebooks?

Yes, studying English with ebooks (digital books) can be just as effective as using physical copies. The only slight inconvenience is that where there are questions to answer, you can’t write directly on the page. However, it’s much easier to carry books around with you on a Kindle or other e-reader than to take a physical copy wherever you go.

Most of the best books to learn English that we listed above are available on Amazon Kindle. If you are planning to read a lot as you study, consider a Kindle Unlimited subscription. This gives you access to up to 10 ebooks at a time for a fixed monthly fee, so you can mix some fiction books in with your English learning textbooks.

The best audiobooks for English learners

If you prefer to listen to audiobooks rather than read physical books to learn English, you will find that some of the books on this list are also available as audiobooks. This format works better with some (such as the short stories) than with others (such as grammar guides).

Probably the best way to learn English with audiobooks is to listen along while you read. Reading helps with comprehension while listening helps you pick up the correct pronunciation.

If you just want to be able to listen to audiobooks as part of learning English, we recommend using Audible . This program from Amazon gives access to thousands of audiobooks and you can try it free for 1 month .

Here are some of the top Audible audiobooks for learning English:

  • Learn English for Adult Beginners: 3 Books in 1
  • Talk English: The Secret to Speak English Like a Native in 6 Months for Busy People
  • English Short Stories for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
  • The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English

You might also benefit from listening to podcasts to learn English . Many of these come with free transcripts and accompanying exercises so you can dig deeper into each topic.

Benefits of using books to learn English

Here are some great reasons to use books to help you learn English:

  • Affordable: A book costs a lot less than a course of English lessons. Although it’s a different way of learning English , it can be just as valuable. There’s also the possibility of buying textbooks second-hand to make them even more affordable.
  • Longevity: A physical book can last a lifetime and be passed on or sold to other people.
  • Accessibility: You can take a book anywhere and read it any time; no internet connection or power source needed.
  • Self-study: When you buy a book to learn English, you can work through it at your own pace; as fast or slow as you like. You can also dig deeper into any topics that particularly interest you, without the constraints of a course curriculum.

Tips for using books for English learning

Although reading a book is an effective way to learn, there are other things you can do to supplement your learning, giving you a better chance of retaining the knowledge and feeling confident using it yourself.

Firstly, we would recommend you keep a notebook handy at all times to write down the key points of what you are learning. You may want to keep a list of new vocabulary and topics you need to research in more detail, for example. Refer back to this regularly to review the vocabulary you have learned and to take action on any notes you made while reading.

Secondly, although books are a great self-study tool, you will probably learn English faster and more effectively if you take an online course or use a language-learning app to boost your learning in other areas at the same time.

Finally, one of the best ways to improve your speaking skills and become more fluent in English is to practice conversations in real life. Whether it’s with a group of other English language learners, with friends who are native English speakers, or via an online language exchange , this is where you will truly build confidence.

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Interesting Literature

Eight of the Best Books about the English Language

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The best non-fiction books are often the most accessible, at least if you’re a keen amateur or enthusiast rather than a specialist. From language trivia books to overviews and histories of the English language, there are many informative and engaging books about words and language out there, so where to begin?

Here are eight of our favourites, which shine a light on how language evolved, how it’s been theorised and talked about over the centuries, and what surprising connections underlie the various words we use every day.

Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate, we get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

This book was a bestseller upon its publication in 2011, and you can see why. Forsyth takes the inspired approach of highlighting the surprising links between words, such as what connects botox with sausages, or what the link is between California and the Caliphate.

This book also takes an innovative approach to etymology, through presenting a series of ‘top ten’ lists discussing, for instance, ten words derived from British place names, ten words derived from food, ten words derived from literary characters, and various others. It’s full of real gems. @HaggardHawks is also on Twitter, and well worth a follow for daily word fun.

As an enthusiast rather than an expert (though he did work in copy-editing for many years), Bryson’s style is marked by a fondness for anecdote, and some of the interesting stories about the English language which he recounts here are the stuff of great pub conversation.

Our favourite of his many anecdotes involves a letter that somebody in the US once addressed to ‘Wood / John / Mass’ – which reportedly arrived at the correct destination: ‘John Underwood, Andover, Massachusetts’. Though that may have just been the US postal service bigging itself up.

This book is that rare thing: a popular yet scholarly book, full of detailed research, which its author wears lightly. It’s also frequently laugh-out-loud funny. If you want to know how eighteenth-century England’s greatest man of letters came to compile the first substantial English dictionary, this is an indispensable book.

This is not so much a ‘trivia’ book as a scholarly (though very accessible) study of the ways in which we develop our language skills cognitively, first as children and then as adults. But Pinker is a very engaging writer and the examples he uses are often fascinating. The focus is not limited to English but considers the ways in which we are all hard-wired to learn our language, though naturally many of Pinker’s examples come from English.

Every serious logolept or word-lover should invest in this book. It’s essentially a bumper collection of word lists, including all the major phobias (and some rather weird and niche ones), sleep-related words, acronyms, words related to sex and love, and so on.

Of all the collections of weird and wonderful words out there, this book has to be one of the best and most informative. If you wish to know the technical word for the wish to pull out your hair, or the name for a fear of being in a room full of people, this book has all the answers and many more.

No list of accessible books about the English language would be complete without one of David Crystal’s many highly readable books on the subject. He’s probably the best writer on the English language publishing today.

Of all his books, this one gets our vote, since it comprehensively gives the reader an entertaining and enlightening crash-course in all of the key aspects of the English language, from its history and development through to its structure, vocabulary, and the impact of recent technology (such as textspeak, about which Crystal has also written a separate book).

This book is of an older pedigree than the others on this list, but is one of Crystal’s favourites on the subject – and one of ours, too, not least because, like Samuel Johnson before him, Quirk understood the importance of looking to English  literature to understand the English language. It’s sadly out of print, but thanks to online second-hand bookstores, you can pick up a copy for the price of a pint.

If you enjoyed this pick of some of the best books about the English language, we have more book recommendations in our list of  ten favourite books on Shakespeare . For more language fun, see our post about Reverend Spooner, who gave his name to the spoonerism .

13 thoughts on “Eight of the Best Books about the English Language”

Now, these are my kind of books. Except the Bill Bryson one. He gets on my wick.

Those of Bill Bryson’s listed are worth a read. On another topic altogeter his Short History of Nearly Everything is masterly!

I have read it and couldn’t stand it, unfortunately – very different senses of humour, I think!

Great compilation!

Thank you for a marvellous list of books for those of us who own up to being word-nerds…

Reblogged this on Janet’s thread .

  • Pingback: Eight of the Best Books about the English Language — Interesting Literature – 3mmablog

Reblogged this on Recommended book and blog news, poetry and tarot inspiration and commented: A few titles I had never heard of on subjects most of us would like to know but wouldn’t know where to start looking

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Great list. As a lover of words, I own more than 1,000 books on words and dictionaries — a source of inspiration for many of my posts on Bookshelf: for the intellectually curious. A few others to consider to add to this excellent list: There are Tittles in This Title by Mitchell Symons (2014) and The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson (2008).

Reblogged this on nativemericangirl's Blog .

Shame you missed out Melvyn Bragg’s ‘The Adventure of English.’ The best book I’ve read on the subject, accessibility-wise.

Agree with Speesh – an essential addition to this list has to be the one I am currently reading: The Adventure of English – The Biography of a Language by Melvyn Bragg (2003)

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  • Books Learning Guide

The 9 Best Books to Learn English Effectively

books about english language

Langoly is supported by our readers. We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions if you buy through links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, Langoly earns from qualifying purchases. Please read our  full disclosure  for more information.

If you are learning English, there are so many resources available that it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Maybe you’ve already decided that a book is a good choice for you (and you wouldn’t be wrong!). We’ve compiled some of the best books to learn English that can benefit any type of learner. No matter what your level or language goals are, you’re sure to find something that’s a good fit for you.

English has become the lingua franca for international communication. It’s a necessity for business, travel, and even specialized interests like gaming, music, and many more. With 1.425 billion speakers, it has become the most spoken language in the world. Not because it has the most native speakers, but because so many people speak it as a second or third language. Several large corporations that are based outside of an English-speaking country, like Nokia, Renault, and Samsung, have even made English their common corporate language. So whatever your motivation is for learning English, this list of books will definitely help you!

books about english language

How We Chose and Tested the Best English Books

For any language learning products we’ve tested or researched, we follow a strict testing methodology to make sure our experts make the same considerations. Here are the factors we looked at when specifically testing English learning books:

  • Structure and Topics: We not only considered the layout of the book’s content, but we also wanted to see which topics each book covered and how in-depth and accurate the explanations were.
  • Quality of Content: We read several chapters of each book to gauge the quality of the content, including the example texts, exercises, and explanations. It’s important that each book contained clear and easy-to-understand content.
  • Value for Money: We took the two previous factors and compared them to the price of the book to determine if it offers a good value for the cost. 

Our Top Picks for the Best English Books

Below you’ll find the best books to learn English. Scroll down to learn more about each one.

English for Everyone

Best overall english book.

English for Everyone is the best overall book to learn English because it’s a comprehensive reference for English learners and uses a lot of visual teaching methods. The book is entirely in English, and the material is presented with pictures, diagrams, and color-coded explanations so the instructions and examples are clear. The main reason I recommend this book is that it comes with a lot of practical “extras,” like audio files that let you hear native speakers and a sentence formation guide that shows you exactly how to craft the perfect English sentence.

The English for Everyone box set includes both the level 1 & 2 coursebook and practice book. If you are a more advanced learner, English for Everyone also has an Intermediate to Advanced box set. The exercises that I think are most helpful are the ones that ask you to find errors in a sentence and correct them. This helps you remember important points that you learned. You can grab your copy of the book here .

Key Benefits

  • You get access to audio files to improve your listening skills
  • The sentence formation guide visually shows you how to build perfect sentences
  • It’s more expensive than some other English books, but it includes a large amount of helpful study materials

Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies

Best for self-study.

Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies is an excellent option if you want to self-study English because it focuses on vocabulary and grammar for everyday situations. All the text is written in English, so it’s best if you have already had some exposure to the language. In fact, the first chapter is called “You already know a little English.” I recommend this book to my friends learning English because it includes a lot of topics most other books never discuss, like making phone calls for work and going through security at the airport.

Another aspect that makes this one of the best English books is its section on phrasal verbs (every English learner’s nightmare!). It walks you through what a phrasal verb is, helps you practice them, and shows you a list of some of the most common phrasal verbs, like “get up” and “lay down.” The book doesn’t focus a lot on grammar, but instead focuses on communicating effectively. This makes it the perfect choice for most English learners who want to sound more natural when they speak. You can take a closer look at the book here .

  • The book teaches you how to navigate different situations that other books ignore
  • The phrasal verb section helps you quickly learn essential phrasal verbs without confusing explanations
  • The text is simple and straightforward to read and doesn’t use unnecessary and difficult vocabulary

Practical English Usage

Best for advanced english learners.

Practical English Usage is the ultimate English reference book for advanced learners or those preparing for a certification test. I recommend it because it’s organized in two logical sections that are easy to navigate: grammar and vocabulary. Practical English Usage has 87 different diagnostic tests, which are especially if you’re preparing for an English certification exam. These diagnostic tests are designed to help you identify your weaker language skills, and the content of the book helps you immediately start improving them.

There are already a lot of specialized books that help you prepare for specific certifications, like TOEFL and IELTS. The reason I prefer Practical English Usage is because it’s more of a catch-all reference that is helpful for exam preparation as well as general English questions. It’s important to note that this book is a reference though – it’s not an actual course. One aspect of Practical English Usage that makes it stand out is its explanation of the subtleties of English, such as the difference between “also” and “as well” or when it’s more appropriate to use “begin” instead of “start.” You can find more information about the book here .

  • The layout of the book makes it easy to navigate and find answers fast
  • It teaches you how to use vocabulary correctly in different situations, which makes you sound more like a native speaker
  • It’s a comprehensive reference guide that’s useful for exams and general English questions

English Collocations in Use

Best for english collocations.

English Collocations in Use teaches those tricky phrases that native speakers know but can be difficult for English learners. Collocations are words that are often grouped together. Sometimes there is no rule as to why it is said that way, but it just sounds “right,” like “burst into tears.” English Collocations in Use is the best reference to master these phrases and it helps you sound like a native speaker, and that’s exactly why I wanted to include it on this list.

The book has 6 different sections that teach you collocations for different topics, like weather (“a blanket of fog” is my favorite example) and health (like “catching a cold”). Using collocations can significantly improve your English certification exam results too, so this book is also an excellent resource for students preparing for the Cambridge or IELTS exam. I recommend this book because each lesson contains a vocabulary list, an explanation of the collocations, and also a bunch of exercises so you can commit them to memory. You can check out the book here .

  • This books focuses on one thing (collocations), making it the ultimate go-to reference
  • The exercises help you practice what you learn, which in turn helps you sound like a native speaker
  • The lessons are complete and explain difficult concepts clearly and concisely

The Vocabulary Builder Workbook

Best for vocabulary.

The Vocabulary Builder Workbook made this list because of its unique value proposition: It was created for native English speakers looking to improve their vocabulary for test prep. It’s also the best vocabulary book for ESL students that have reached an advanced level and need to learn new vocabulary for writing or professional purposes. Note that this book offers a lot of value and quality for its price, and it’s one of the cheaper books on this list.

As the title of the book says, it’s a workbook, so there are activities and practice questions to help you learn 1,400 essential English words in a natural context and remember them. My only criticism of this book is its structure. While the lessons themselves are practical and useful, the overall organization of the book is a little disjointed. The pros far outweigh the cons though. It also includes a few extra features that add even more value, like a pronunciation guide and interesting facts about the vocabulary. Learn more about the book here .

  • Learn and practice 1,400 vocabulary words, ranging from intermediate to advanced levels
  • The index at the back of the book is comprehensive and helps you locate words quickly
  • Using these words can improve your ACT or SAT scores

Short Stories in English for Beginners

Best for reading.

The last couple of books were more helpful for intermediate and advanced learners, but Short Stories in English for Beginners is the best for English students to start reading. The book includes 8 stories that don’t use difficult language or grammar. I think it’s a top choice for beginners because the stories are entertaining and they are truly for beginners (A1 level). They focus on the most commonly used words and have natural-sounding dialogue so you can see how people speak English in real life.

The aspect I found most helpful was the “Six-Step Reading Process” section near the beginning. This tells you how to read the stories effectively and learn from them. In the following sections, each story has a word list, plot summary, and comprehension questions to check for understanding. I also enjoyed the content of the stories because they’re relatable. For example, in the “Crazy Paella” story, the main characters are students who are nervous about travelling abroad for the first time. I did notice a couple typos in the content, but overall, the content quality is still excellent. You can order your copy of the book here .

  • The stories use vocabulary and grammar to help beginners become intermediate readers
  • The book focuses on comprehension and includes several exercises after each story
  • You learn how to read specifically for improving English skills – I haven’t seen this in any other book!

ESL Intermediate/Advanced Writing

Best for writing.

ESL Intermediate/Advanced Writing is the best book for improving your English writing skills in general, but also more specifically for the TOEFL exam. In addition to its high-quality lesson materials, I wanted to include it on this list because of another factor: its author. Mary Ellen Muñoz Page is a Bilingual Training Specialist, and it’s clear in her explanations that she offers a unique perspective on improving English writing. For this reason, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their written English skills.

The organization of this book is clear and the topics are useful because they cover a wide range of important writing techniques. Some noteworthy ones include embedded questions, parallel structures, and thesis statements. I was happily surprised to see the author included information about different styles of writing, too. For example, she discusses how to write different types of essays (narrative, descriptive, comparison, persuasive, and more). Other English writing books I reviewed didn’t include this level of detail. You can take a closer look and see if this book is right for you here .

  • Clear sections help you improve grammar, style, and different writing techniques
  • Practical exercises allow you to fine-tune your skills and master difficult concepts
  • It focuses on the TOEFL writing section and walks you through how to improve your score

Advanced English Conversation Dialogues

Best for american english.

Advanced English Conversation Dialogues made our list of the best English books because of its focus on idioms, specifically in American English. The content follows more of a free-flowing structure, and it’s important to note that this book doesn’t teach grammar. I recommend it as a supplemental resource for intermediate and advanced English students. Each section has a dialogue that uses common American expressions and a couple exercises to help you practice using them. As an American, I can vouch that the expressions really are commonly used, too!

Some of my favorites from the book are “the elephant in the room,” “let the cat out of the bag,” and “biting the bullet.” One characteristic I particularly applaud is how direct it is. This book doesn’t waste your time. The author quickly introduces the idiom in an entertaining and engaging way, and then immediately guides you to practice using it. There’s no unnecessary fluff! To start mastering American idioms, you can find the book here .

  • You’ll begin to use common American expressions naturally
  • The style and layout of the book makes learning the idioms fun and efficient
  • The practice activities are genuinely helpful and easy to follow

100 Phrasal Verbs to Learn for Life

Best for phrasal verbs.

Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that phrasal verbs are a necessary part of learning English. How else can you naturally say “turn on” a light? If your main goal is clear communication and you’re not focused on understanding the grammatical aspect of phrasal verbs, this book is the best option for you. 100 Phrasal Verbs to Learn for Life teaches the most frequently used verbs so you don’t waste your time memorizing thousands of low-frequency words. The structure of the book also makes it an excellent and quick reference guide because each phrasal verb is easy to find.

The phrasal verbs are grouped by topic to make it easier to remember them. Each one has an average of 15 example sentences taken from authentic English material. There are also practice exercises available in the book and online to reinforce what you learn. The one aspect of this book that I don’t particularly like is the price. It’s a little on the expensive side since it only includes 100 phrasal verbs. However, I still wanted to include it on this list because phrasal verbs are a hot topic for all English learners. You can see more details about the book here .

  • Learn the most common phrasal verbs by reading natural example sentences
  • The practice quizzes help you remember different phrasal verbs correctly
  • The clear-cut layout of the book makes it easy to jump around and find the information you need quickly

Other English Learning Books We Researched

While we’ve tested the books on this list, we also reviewed many more. Here are a couple more English books that didn’t make our top picks:

  • Why Do We Say That? : This book teaches you the history of 101 different English idioms. While this could be an interesting topic, it’s not particularly helpful for people who want to improve their English skills.
  • Learn English for Adult Beginners : The content of this book is actually pretty decent and includes vocabulary, grammar, and reading practice with short stories. However, it claims to help you speak English in 30 days, and that is misleading.
  • English the American Way : Overall, this book is useful for students looking to study in the United States. While it’s a decent resource, some of the content, especially the expressions and sayings, are out of date.

Why You Should Use Books To Learn English

Books are one of the best ways to learn English because they are convenient and budget-friendly. Instead of paying for a monthly subscription, you can use a book for life. And since they don’t require technology, you can take a book and study anywhere. Books are more comprehensive than other ways to study and provide detailed explanations and examples. And now there are many options for self-study so you can learn without a teacher.

How To Use Books To Learn English

To ensure progress, one of the most effective ways to learn English is to study using a book on a regular basis. You should create a language learning plan and aim to stick to it by scheduling study sessions multiple times during the week, or better yet, every day. This will enable you to learn and retain information more easily.

It’s also a good idea to use other study methods in addition to books, such as an English language app or an online course . Books are a useful tool for learning vocabulary and grammar, but an app or course might help you improve your speaking and listening more.

Best Books To Learn English: Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a great book to learn English, there are plenty of options available. Depending on your goals and learning style, you can find books that focus on grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, or even cultural insights about the language. Before buying any book, be sure to read online reviews from other users – this will help you decide if it’s the right fit for your needs. With the right book in hand, you’ll be well on your way to mastering English faster than ever!

Best Books To Learn English: FAQ

The best way to learn English as a second language depends on how you learn most effectively and the reasons why you are learning the language. If you want a fun and engaging way, an app like Rocket English or Babbel can help you learn. But if you want to dive deeper into the language, a comprehensive textbook or online classes with an English teacher are more effective.

English for Everyone is an excellent book to help learners of any level improve their English. The book is entirely in English, but the material is presented with pictures, diagrams, and color-coded explanations so the instructions and examples are clear. The book has easy-to-follow units, along with a practice book to reinforce what you learn.

Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies is a useful choice for beginners who want to self-study the language. Each chapter of the book teaches English vocabulary and grammar to help you navigate everyday situations. There are also pronunciation tips available as well as useful phrases, and more.

You can improve your English by reading books. What book you read depends on your level. Beginners can benefit from using a guided self-study textbook that includes explanations, tips, and practice exercises. Once you reach an intermediate or advanced level, you can read stories or non-fiction from English authors to develop stronger reading and writing skills.

Realistically, in 3 months you can reach a basic conversational level of English. But it’s not enough time to become fluent. To reach an intermediate or advanced level, you need much more time to practice, both individually and conversationally.

Kelsey Wetherbee

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Table of Contents

books about english language

Which Language Do You Want to Learn?

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ARTICLES ABOUT

12 linguistics books to help you learn more about language.

A woman reading one of many linguistics books in her home

Language is one of the most complex phenomena in the universe, and yet we encounter it every single day of our lives in a way that many of us take for granted. Fortunately, you can learn to speak a language without learning all the details of how it works — and to be honest, we don’t have a full grasp of that anyway. But finding out more about how language works can teach you a lot: about human nature, about the brain, about history and more. Reading linguistics books is a great way to dive deeper into the world of the word.

Good news for you: There are countless options out there. We rounded up some of the best linguistics books we’ve read that cover a wide range of topics. Whether you’re into history, science or fantasy, there’s a compendium about communication or a book about babble out there for you.

The 12 Best Linguistics Books By Topic

For a good overview:  don’t believe a word by david shariatmadari.

Everyone uses language, and so it makes sense that everyone has some preconceived notions about how it works. But in Don’t Believe a Word , linguist David Shariatmadari looks at nine common myths and the truth hiding behind them. On the way, he covers the most up-to-date language science in an accessible way (the book came out in 2020, so it’s one of the newest there is). Shariatmadari also uses a number of real-world examples to show you how the mechanisms of language play out in our lives every time we open our mouths.

For Learning About English History:  The Stories Of English By David Crystal

English is a complicated language. From its humble origins in Proto-Germanic to its worldwide status as a lingua franca today, English can’t really be boiled down into a simple narrative. That’s why this book isn’t the story of English but  The Stories of English ; it looks at history in all its multifaceted glory (and also some parts that are not so glorious). David Crystal, the author of this book, is also hugely prolific on the topic of language, and in particular English. If you like his writing style, you can learn a lot more about language by checking out his bibliography (his Little Book of Language also makes a good introductory text).

For Learning About Other Languages’ History: Babel By Gaston Dorren

There are over 7,000 languages in the world, but the size of each varies drastically. In fact, Gaston Dorren calculated that if you wanted to be able to communicate with about half of the world’s population, you’d need to master just 20. In Babel , Dorren looks at each of these 20 languages — which come from all over the world — and the stories behind them. While there’s only so much detail he can go into in a single chapter per language, the book is jam-packed with information, and it gives you a good survey of how different languages can be.

For The Origins Of Language: The First Word By Christine Kenneally

There is a first time for everything, which means that there must have been — at some point in history — a first word. In The First Word , linguist and journalist Christine Kenneally looks at a “new” field in linguistics that studies the origins of human language. She interviews a number of linguists who have done research on this topic and discusses some of the most fascinating studies. The result of the book is that there are a number of theories as to how language first came about. But if you’re looking for an actual “first word” you are likely out of luck. It’s more about the journey than the destination, anyway.

For The Intersection Of Language And Gender:  Wordslut By Amanda Montell

As you can probably guess from the title being  Wordslut , this is not your father’s linguistics book. It’s a radical but research-intensive look at how language and gender interact. Do women actually talk more than men? Why do people get so annoyed by vocal fry? Why do so many words that refer to women also happen to be horrific insults? Montell interviews experts in gendered linguistics to write this diatribe against sexism in language.

For The Intersection Of Language And Race: Talking Back, Talking Black By John McWhorter

John McWhorter is one of the most popular linguists working today, and he’s written books on a number of topics, as well as hosting Slate’s Lexicon Valley podcast. He knows a lot about a number of topics, but one of his primary research subjects is African American Vernacular English . In Talking Back, Talking Black , McWhorter looks at the historic treatment of Black English (hint: it’s not great), and argues for its wider acceptance. Black English, like any other dialect, is a fully developed form of communication, and any arguments against it are rooted in racism and discrimination. Language and race are far more intertwined than this one issue, but McWhorter provides a great entryway to learning more about this particular intersection.

For The Intersection Of Language And Power: Words Matter By Sally McConnell-Ginet

Can changing language change society? It’s a complicated question. Sometimes social justice movements get knocked for focusing more on language than on concrete change that matters to people. But Sally McConnell-Ginet argues in Words Matter that these linguistic choices are important. McConnell-Ginet says language can be a tool of the powerful, and demonstrates her point with relevant examples (this book came out in 2020, so you’ll probably be all-too-aware of most of them).

For A Classic Linguistic Tome:  On Language By Noam Chomsky

There are very few linguists who ever reach the status of a household name. In fact, there may only be one: Noam Chomsky. He’s probably better known today for his political and philosophical views, but back in his youth he put forth the theory of universal grammar , which (put simply) is the theory that humans are born with an innate capacity for language. If you’re curious about his ideas, you can learn more in  On Language , which collects two of Chomsky’s most popular works. It’s worth mentioning that linguistics is a rapidly changing field, and we know a lot more now than when Chomsky was working, but it’s worth reading his linguistics books because his ideas have had such a huge impact on linguists.

For Language On The Internet:  Because Internet By Gretchen McCulloch

We’ve written about this book before, and we will continue to. Because Internet is one of the most fun linguistics books out there. It looks at how technology has shaped language, and how language has shaped technology, from the birth of the telephone to today. It also acts as a pretty good intro to linguistics as a whole, so even if you’re a beginner this book is readily understandable. It’s the kind of book where you’ll want to highlight facts on every page just to bring them up at the next cocktail party, and it will also make you more aware of how you’re using language on social media.

For A Look At How Dictionaries Work: Word By Word By Kory Stamper

It’s easy to forget that dictionaries are books made by people. They seem like immovable tomes, passed down by some linguistic overlord. Yet every single word and definition in a dictionary was made by a real person. In Word By Word , former Merriam-Webster lexicographer Kory Stamper takes you behind the curtains to show you how all of these word decisions are made. She also discusses the role dictionaries play in society, and what it truly means when a dictionary defines a word like “marriage.”

For The Philosophy Of Translation: Is That A Fish In Your Ear? By David Bellos

If you live in a largely monolingual society, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about translation. But the work of translation is central to making our global society function. In Is That a Fish in Your Ear? , David Bellos looks at all the various facets of translation. From the complex system of translation performed at the United Nations to the careful word choices made when translating a classic work like Madame Bovary , Bellos shows how translation is really more philosophical than it is a mechanical process of transforming one language into another.

For Fantasy Languages: The Art Of Language Invention By David J. Peterson

Who says linguistics books have to be about languages that already exist? If you, like many people, watched Game of Thrones , you probably heard the languages Dothraki and High Valyrian. Both of these constructed languages, or conlangs, were created by a single person: David J. Peterson . Should you find yourself asking how someone invents a language, you’re in luck. Peterson’s The Art of Language Invention not only gives you a behind-the-scenes look at his work on Game of Thrones and Thor , but also shows you how you can get started making your own. You might not be getting hired by any directors to work on their next sci-fi film, but making a conlang can be a fun hobby that teaches you quite a bit about how language works.

books about english language

The Best English Learning Books For ESL Readers

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Nikki DeMarco

The inimitable Nikki DeMarco is as well-traveled as she is well-read. Being an enneagram 3, Aries, high school librarian, makes her love for efficiency is unmatched. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is passionate about helping teens connect to books. Nikki has an MFA in creative writing, is a TBR bibliologist, and writes for Harlequin, Audible, Kobo, and MacMillan. Since that leaves her so much time, she’s currently working on writing a romance novel, too. Find her on all socials @iamnikkidemarco ( Instagram , Twitter , Threads )

View All posts by Nikki DeMarco

I teach high school English and am fortunate enough to collaborate with an ESL (English as a second language) teacher in a class with multilingual students specifically. This has given me some unique insight into the kind of books that can help people who are learning English. While this list of English learning books is geared more towards adult learners, seeing what has worked in the classroom, many of them will work for readers from 8 to 85.

English Learning Books: Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are an excellent place to start for English learners of all levels. Since they are written in all genres, for audiences from elementary school to adults, it’s a comprehensive place to start. These books range from memoir to fantasy, from history to contemporary. Finding a book that is interesting to the reader is just as important as finding one with accessible language. Graphic novels don’t make adult learners feel like they are reading children’s books. The illustrations give the reader context for the words, helping them intuit meaning.

books about english language

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

A powerful graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life, Almost American Girl tells the story of Robin moving to the United States as a teen with her mother from Seoul, South Korea. The author was an English language learner herself and depicts some of the struggles of being immersed in a new culture surrounded by a language you don’t understand.

books about english language

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

For the reader who loves contemporary stories, This One Summer is an award winning graphic novel. Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It’s their getaway, their refuge. Rosie’s friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens — just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy — is caught up in something bad…something life threatening.

It’s a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and readers will get swept up in this enthralling coming of age story.

books about english language

March: Book One by John Lewis

History lovers are sure to enjoy March , a nonfiction graphic book about the Civil Rights movement in America. Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African American president.

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’s lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’s personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

books about english language

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

This graphic memoir tells the story of George Takei’s imprisonment as a child in American concentration camps during World War II. Takei’s firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother’s hard choices, his father’s faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future.

books about english language

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library) by Marjane Satrapi

In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages 6 to 14, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Instructional English Learning Books

Instructional books are often necessary when an English language student wants to move from conversational proficiency to becoming completely fluent. They help explain the rules of the language in greater detail, helping students of English perfect their abilities.

books about english language

Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics – An Engaging ESL Textbook for Advanced Students by Eric H. Roth

This is another instructional book to help with fluency. The book includes chapters organized by themes, over 1400 questions, 500 vocabulary words, 250 proverbs and American idioms, and 500 quotations. Designed for both adult education and intensive English language students, the conversations set up in this book deepen critical thinking skills and speaking skills essential to success.

books about english language

The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English by Christopher Hill

Written by an international English professor, The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English is an excellent handbook for intermediate to advanced learners. This book has tips on how to increase fluency and what techniques you may have been taught in school that are ultimately ineffective. This book is ideal for international business people who want to improve their English.

books about english language

The Great Book of American Idioms: A Dictionary of American Idioms, Sayings, Expressions & Phrases by Lingo Mastery

Sure, you can learn English with a language course or a textbook just fine, and climb up the ranks in terms of your grasp of the language…but are you sure you can talk like a native?

For starters, many expressions used by fluent speakers of American English can’t exactly be learned in a book, and it can be frustrating to realize that your formal learning hasn’t been enough to teach you the way people talk in  real life. English language learners living in America need help understanding out slang and this book is a great basis of that knowledge.

books about english language

English for Everyone: English Vocabulary Builder

Spilling over with thousands of entries for useful words and phrases, this is the perfect study aid for any adult learning English as a foreign language.

With 3,000 words across hundreds of pages,  English Vocabulary Builder  brings you an easy resource to search by category. From activities, family, holidays, science, and work to animals, feelings, health, sports, and weather, just about every subject in the English language is covered in eye-catching, illustrative detail. All the vocabulary is shown with both UK and U.S. spellings, and every word can be heard with its own audio recording in the accompanying app available for download. Additional interactive exercises ensure language learning is an easy, entertaining, and educational experience.

books about english language

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever: Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage for Ages 10 Through 110 by Arlene Miller

The workbook covers grammar basics, common grammar problems, punctuation, capitalization, and word usage. In addition to a Pretest and Final Test, there are more than 100 practice exercises and tests at the end of each chapter. A complete list of answers is included in one of the appendixes. Other appendixes include commonly misspelled words, commonly mispronounced words, Greek and Latin word roots, and writing tips. The book is written in a friendly and easy-to-use tone. There are helpful hints throughout and a complete index. 

books about english language

ESL Intermediate & Advanced Grammar (English as a Second Language Series) by Mary Ellen Muñoz Page

This book was written by a bilingual author who uniquely understands the needs of English language learners. Designed for intermediate and advanced high school– and college-level non-native speakers of English who need to improve their ESL grammar skills. ESL Intermediate & Advanced Grammar provides students with simple explanations of grammar, skill-building exercises, detailed answer keys, and test-taking techniques. It’s the perfect companion for classroom use or self-guided studies in ESL.

English Learning Novels

Novels are a resource that English language learners should take advantage of because they can help increase vocabulary from context clues and are high interest to keep the reader engaged when they might get frustrated otherwise and want to give up on a story. Knowing where to get started here can be a challenge, however. The following are a few places to start.

atheist characters

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Christopher John Francis Boone has to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog. This book is told in the first person point of view of a boy who has autism. The first person is helpful for English language learners because they can see what the narrator is both saying and thinking. This novel in particular is a great place to start because the narrator clearly explains everything he’s thinking and doing quite literally. Plus, the story is engaging and easy for the reader to follow while the sentences are often short and plainly explained.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Link: https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348245688l/139253.jpg

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Told in a series of vignettes — sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous — it is the story of a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. This novel is mostly simple sentences that are easy to understand, making it ideal for English learners. Again the first person point of view is easy to follow and the story of Esperanza’s desire to belong is relatable from people of all cultures.

The Girl With All the Gifts cover

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” This thriller is hard for anyone to put down. It is told in present tense, which isn’t common for many novels and makes it uniquely accessible to people studying English. It is also told from the point of view of a little girl, making the vocabulary easy to understand and many of the sentences short. The combination of thrilling plot with child narrator is perfect for someone who wants to read this novel in English.

Nonfiction for English Learning

Nonfiction books are an excellent resource for English language learners who want to study a specific category of vocabulary. From business to auto body repair, these books give an in-depth look at verbiage particular to a topic.

cover image of The Body by Bill Bryson

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body — how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and entertaining anecdotes, The Body is a great resource for learning anatomy language. Bryson’s conversational tone and simple, not overly medical explanations are perfect for people learning English who might also one day want to go to the doctor and understand what they are saying.

books about english language

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas. This book helps students of English with abstract thinking vocabulary. He has a conversational tone as well that’s much easier to understand than many other big idea books.

books about english language

My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach

My Planet is a series of articles Mary Roach published in Reader’s Digest . The short articles make each topic more approachable and easier to understand. The reader can jump around to topics that interest them. Roach discusses everything from cleanliness to the internet to fashion. Most readers will be able to find a portion of this book that interests them and also can find vocabulary specific to different situations all in one book.

I hope these books help give you a place to get started. Of course we have other resources for you if starting here isn’t really your thing. There are audiobook apps for language learning and bilingual books for English language learners . Are you an English speaker who’s trying to learn another language? Check out how to read in another language . Or maybe you’re just looking for that one word you don’t know, and should take a look at the best dictionary apps available.

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The English Language (Oxford Language Classics Series)

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The English Language (Oxford Language Classics Series) Reissue Edition

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  • ISBN-10 0198604033
  • ISBN-13 978-0198604037
  • Edition Reissue
  • Publisher Oxford University Press
  • Publication date April 3, 2003
  • Language English
  • Dimensions 7.5 x 0.6 x 5 inches
  • Print length 224 pages
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books about english language

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  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Reissue edition (April 3, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198604033
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198604037
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.6 x 5 inches

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Great Books To Inspire English Language Learners

Mayra Linares

Three great kids books for english language learners.

Part of our series, 5 Million Voices .

I grew up speaking Spanish, and I didn't start learning English until I was in preschool. When it came to books, I struggled — like many ELL students — to connect with characters that didn't look like me or speak my language.

5 Million Voices

5 Million Voices

To this day I have yet to pick up a copy of Anne of Green Gables.

It wasn't until Ms. Rueckert handed me a biography of Diego Rivera in the fourth grade that my relationship with books changed forever. I started to read for fun and not for a grade.

Research shows that reading comprehension in ELL students gets a boost when kids are exposed to culturally relevant books.

"Story is both individual and collective," says Candis Grover, director of literacy and Spanish development at ReadyRosie , an educational web site.

She says students need more than just a few scattered stories: "We need to give them a large literary room of characters to connect with."

So, in that spirit, we've reached out to experts and scoured the blogs and asked authors what books they'd put in that big room. Here are five great examples:

ELL Book List

The name jar.

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi and Yangsook Choi

Names are an important part of our identity. Unhei's classmates show their support as she decides whether to keep her Korean name or choose a completely new American one.

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Chocolate Milk, Por Favor!

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor

by Maria Dismondy and Donna Farrell

Body language helps overcome language barriers. Gabe's classmates learn how to communicate with him through sports, food, and play.

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald No Combina

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match

by Monica Brown and Sara Palacios

No one would dare stop Pippi Longstocking from being her own unique self. Marisol, like Pippi, owns her identity. She redefines what it means to be Peruvian-Scottish-American.

Jalapeno Bagels

Jalapeno Bagels

by Natasha Wing and Robert Casilla

Pablo spends quality time with his Mexican mom and Jewish father learning about their respective cultures through food. Instead of favoring one culture, Pablo chooses to celebrate both.

Maximilian & The Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

Maximilian & The Mystery of the Guardian Angel

by Xavier Garza

Whether it's read in Spanish or English, Mexican traditions and pop culture shine in this book for older students.

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Most Recommended Books

books about english language

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker

“This is about language more generally, but it has a great chapter on swearing. It’s a really good shorter summary, where he hits all the highlights about swearing and physiology in terms of how it works in the brain and the effects it has on your body.” Melissa Mohr , Linguist

books about english language

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

“It is a surprise to a lot of people that this book is so widely read on university campuses and so widely recommended by teachers of writing. Students love it. It’s bracing: there’s no nonsense. He says somewhere in the foreword or preface that it is a short book because most books are filled with bullshit and he is determined not to offer bullshit but to tell it like it is.” Andrew Cowan , Novelist

books about english language

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

“This is probably my favourite book on the theme. It might seem slightly old fashioned but it is actually very quietly clever. For example, it describes things that many writers feel and it’s not until you actually read about them that you realise these are not feelings unique to yourself…..This book will help you work out what you can do with your own book.” Sophie King , Novelist

books about english language

The F-Word by Jesse Sheidlower

“This is a great one for showcasing the variety of swearing and all the circumstances you can use this one word. It starts with “absofuckinglutely” and ends with “zipless fuck,” and in the middle has “dumbfuck,” “frig,” “unfuckable”—so many great words. He’s done this excellent research, so you can see the dates when they were all first used, with quotes.” Melissa Mohr , Linguist

books about english language

Garner's Modern English Usage (5th edition) by Bryan A. Garner

“Bryan Garner is considered a traditional prescriptivist in the so-called Usage Wars. But he is the best of the bunch. While he is unafraid of condemning a usage as ‘wrong’, every entry in his book has a 5-point scale, which allows him to be more subtle than that: ‘mostly wrong’ or ‘nearly acceptable’. Second, he uses a deep well of citations to buttress his claims. Third, the latest edition makes use of the vast data from Google Books, so he can find out whether a usage is growing or receding, common or rare. That has even, in a small few instances, changed his rulings from previous editions. (Never trust a person who won’t change their mind no matter what the evidence.) As a relatively conservative volume, this is the book you turn to for advice that will help you avoid annoying the most hardened sticklers. But Garner has no truck with fake rules like the prohibition of split infinitives.” Lane Greene , Journalist

Browse book recommendations:

  • Evolution of Language
  • New Language Books
  • Writing Books

If you're interested in books about language or languages, you can find our book recommendation interviews listed below. We have a range of interviews related to language in general, including recommendations of books on the history and philosophy of language , linguistics,  the relationship of language to the brain and many more.

Books about the English language: the basics of grammar and punctuation , or, once you've got the hang of those, how to write well .

Foreign languages:

Books for learning French ; best books for learning Spanish

Books for learning 'dead' languages, including Latin or Ancient Greek or Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The best books on Language and the Mind , recommended by Lane Greene

The best books on Language and the Mind - Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher

Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher

The best books on Language and the Mind - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

The best books on Language and the Mind - The First Word by Christine Kenneally

The First Word by Christine Kenneally

The best books on Language and the Mind - In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent

In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent

The best books on Language and the Mind - The Genius of Language by Wendy Lessen (editor)

The Genius of Language by Wendy Lessen (editor)

Does the world look different in other languages? Are there words that cannot be translated? Is it OK to say disinterested when you mean uninterested? Lane Greene , who writes the Economist's "Johnson" column on language, dispels some of the popular but misguided ideas many of us have about language.

Does the world look different in other languages? Are there words that cannot be translated? Is it OK to say disinterested when you mean uninterested? Lane Greene, who writes the Economist’s “Johnson” column on language, dispels some of the popular but misguided ideas many of us have about language.

The best books on Language and Post-Truth , recommended by Nick Enfield

The best books on Language and Post-Truth - Language, Thought, and Reality by Benjamin Lee Whorf

Language, Thought, and Reality by Benjamin Lee Whorf

The best books on Language and Post-Truth - The Myth of the Framework: In Defence of Science and Rationality by Karl Popper

The Myth of the Framework: In Defence of Science and Rationality by Karl Popper

The best books on Language and Post-Truth - The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World by David Deutsch

The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World by David Deutsch

The best books on Language and Post-Truth - Not Born Yesterday: The Science of Who We Trust and What We Believe by Hugo Mercier

Not Born Yesterday: The Science of Who We Trust and What We Believe by Hugo Mercier

The best books on Language and Post-Truth - The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't by Julia Galef

The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't by Julia Galef

The word 'post-truth' may only have entered the Oxford English Dictionary in the last decade, but the phenomenon it describes is much older and deeper, connected not so much to the latest internet trend as the fundamentals of human cognition and communication. Here, linguistic anthropologist Nick Enfield , a professor at the University of Sydney and a member of its fighting truth decay research node , introduces the best books to get thinking about the complex relationship between language and reality.

The word ‘post-truth’ may only have entered the Oxford English Dictionary in the last decade, but the phenomenon it describes is much older and deeper, connected not so much to the latest internet trend as the fundamentals of human cognition and communication. Here, linguistic anthropologist Nick Enfield, a professor at the University of Sydney and a member of its fighting truth decay research node , introduces the best books to get thinking about the complex relationship between language and reality.

The best books on Swearing , recommended by Melissa Mohr

The best books on Swearing - Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English by Geoffrey Hughes

Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English by Geoffrey Hughes

The best books on Swearing - What the F: What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves by Benjamin K Bergen

What the F: What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves by Benjamin K Bergen

The best books on Swearing - The F-Word by Jesse Sheidlower

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy

The best books on Swearing - The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker

Linguistically, swear words are unique—they can shock and offend, are processed differently in the brain, and saying them may allow you to withstand pain for longer. But where do they get their distinctive power? And how has this changed over time? Melissa Mohr gives us a badmouthed tour of the best fucking books on swearing . . .

The best books on Language and Thought , recommended by Daniel L. Everett

The best books on Language and Thought - Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Edward Sapir

Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Edward Sapir

The best books on Language and Thought - Language In Relation To A Unified Theory Of The Structure Of Human Behaviour by Kenneth Pike

Language In Relation To A Unified Theory Of The Structure Of Human Behaviour by Kenneth Pike

The best books on Language and Thought - Aspects of the Theory of Syntax by Noam Chomsky

Aspects of the Theory of Syntax by Noam Chomsky

The best books on Language and Thought - On Understanding Grammar by Talmy Givón

On Understanding Grammar by Talmy Givón

The best books on Language and Thought - Making It Explicit: Reasoning, Representing & Discursive Commitment by Robert Brandom

Making It Explicit: Reasoning, Representing & Discursive Commitment by Robert Brandom

The linguist argues that all language has a basis in culture and explains how Chomsky is like Freud: crucial, but crucially wrong. He chooses five of the best books on linguistics.

The best books on Translation , recommended by Edith Grossman

The best books on Translation - Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

The best books on Translation - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa

The best books on Translation - The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Giovanni Pontiero (translator) & José Saramago

The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Giovanni Pontiero (translator) & José Saramago

The best books on Translation - Translating Neruda by John Felstiner

Translating Neruda by John Felstiner

The best books on Translation - Paul Celan by John Felstiner

Paul Celan by John Felstiner

The award-winning literary translator Edith Grossman discusses books on and of translation that inspired her, and considers the trade-off that every translator faces, between fidelity and meaning

The best books on Language , recommended by Henry Hitchings

The best books on Language - Empires of the Word by Nicholas Ostler

Empires of the Word by Nicholas Ostler

The best books on Language - Mother Tongues by Helena Drysdale

Mother Tongues by Helena Drysdale

The best books on Language - The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker

History in English Words by Owen Barfield

The best books on Language - A Mouthful of Air by Anthony Burgess

A Mouthful of Air by Anthony Burgess

The wordsmith and cultural historian debunks common myths about English, recommends the smartest writing about words, and says apostrophes are “orthographic squiggles” not worth fighting for.

The best books on The Philosophy of Language , recommended by Scott Soames

The best books on The Philosophy of Language - The Foundations of Arithmetic by Gottlob Frege

The Foundations of Arithmetic by Gottlob Frege

Naming and necessity by saul a kripke.

The best books on The Philosophy of Language - Themes from Kaplan by Joseph Almog, John Perry and Howard Wettstein

Themes from Kaplan by Joseph Almog, John Perry and Howard Wettstein

The best books on The Philosophy of Language - Syntactic Structures by Noam Chomsky

Syntactic Structures by Noam Chomsky

The best books on The Philosophy of Language - Frege’s Puzzle by Nathan Salmon

Frege’s Puzzle by Nathan Salmon

When you study the philosophy of language, you study the languages of logic, mathematics, and science, and not just English, French, and German. Philosopher Scott Soames picks the best books on the philosophy of language.

The best books on Philology , recommended by James Turner

The best books on Philology - Ptolemaic Alexandria by P.M. Fraser

Ptolemaic Alexandria by P.M. Fraser

The best books on Philology - Joseph Scaliger: A Study in the History of Classical Scholarship by Anthony Grafton

Joseph Scaliger: A Study in the History of Classical Scholarship by Anthony Grafton

The best books on Philology - Prolegomena to Homer by Friedrich August Wolf

Prolegomena to Homer by Friedrich August Wolf

The best books on Philology - Lectures on the Religion of the Semites by William Robertson Smith

Lectures on the Religion of the Semites by William Robertson Smith

The best books on Philology - The Liberal Education of Charles Eliot Norton by James Turner

The Liberal Education of Charles Eliot Norton by James Turner

Intellectual historian James Turner describes how the once vast and unified field of philology was chopped up in the 20th century to make the different disciplines of the humanities.

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary , recommended by Peter Gilliver

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary - Caught in the Web of Words: James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary by K. M. Elisabeth Murray

Caught in the Web of Words: James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary by K. M. Elisabeth Murray

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary - The Collected Papers of Henry Bradley by Robert Bridges

The Collected Papers of Henry Bradley by Robert Bridges

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary - The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary - The Study of Language in England, 1780-1860 by Hans Aarsleff

The Study of Language in England, 1780-1860 by Hans Aarsleff

The best books on The Oxford English Dictionary - The Scholar's Daughter by Beatrice Harraden

The Scholar's Daughter by Beatrice Harraden

It's a dictionary that seeks to document any word that exists—or ever existed—in the English language and track its evolution over time. Lexicographer Peter Gilliver chooses books to help understand the enormous undertaking that is the Oxford English Dictionary.

The best books on Learning Latin , recommended by Harry Mount

The best books on Learning Latin - Kennedy's Revised Latin Primer by Benjamin Kennedy

Kennedy's Revised Latin Primer by Benjamin Kennedy

The best books on Learning Latin - So You Really Want to Learn Latin by NRR Oulton

So You Really Want to Learn Latin by NRR Oulton

The best books on Learning Latin - Asterix Gallus by Albert Uderzo & Rene Goscinny

Asterix Gallus by Albert Uderzo & Rene Goscinny

The best books on Learning Latin - Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler

Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler

The best books on Learning Latin - A Loeb Classical Library Reader

A Loeb Classical Library Reader

What books should you read if you want to learn Latin? Harry Mount (and Katie Walker) recommend the best books for learning Latin—the language of a small, central Italian tribe that managed to conquer most of Europe.

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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Inlingua Washington DC

20 Books English Language Learners Will Love

If you are someone who hates to read, you might just be reading the wrong books. When it comes to reading, especially for English language learners, you must choose the right books. Reading is an important part of understanding a language – and too often it is dismissed because it is “too hard.”

For those students lucky enough to study English in Washington DC , you will be surrounded by American culture. Why not immerse yourself in American culture by reading? As you begin to read books with English speaking characters, you will become more fluent in reading and speaking English yourself. Reading forces you to not only learn new vocabulary, but it also makes you use your brain to visualize settings and characters.

As you take an English class in DC, take time to explore other parts of the English speaking world by reading. Visit the Southern United States or travel to Great Britain from your living quarters. Read and hear how English speaking characters converse with one another – and practice speaking English by using these same phrases in real life.

For example, students at inlingua, a prestigious Washington language school, practice speaking 80% of the time. Reading will help you develop your English fluency at a more rapid pace – especially when you are also taking English courses in Washington DC.

Additionally, English language learners preparing to take the IELTS at an English test center will need to have English reading fluency, as this is a section of the test. The more you read on your own time, the more your English reading fluency will improve.

Now that we’ve established why reading is so important for English language learners, let’s look at some of the best ways to read in English, as well as books English language learners will love.

Tips for Making Reading Enjoyable and Easy for English Language Learners

  • Find the library. Public libraries are full of free reading materials you can borrow for various lengths of time. This is a great way to save money while having fun and learning.
  • Choose topics that interest you. Too often, students read what they are told to read rather than what they want to read. When it comes to learning to read in English, we suggest reading what you want to read. Look for topics and genres that interest you. For example, if you love superheroes, then start off by reading superhero comic books. The point is to read for fun. If you are enjoying what you are reading, you will be more likely to keep reading.
  • Read a book in English that you read in your native tongue. If there is a book you read before that has an English translation, read it in English.
  • Read using an e-reader when possible. E-readers are tablet reading devices or apps on tablets or smartphones that allow you to download reading material and take it wherever you go. However, the real reason we recommend e-readers to English language learners is that most come with an English dictionary installed that allows the reader to highlight words in the text to see the definition simply.
  • Listen to the audiobook as you read along. Most popular books have audiobook versions. Listening to someone narrate the book while you read along is a great way to develop your reading fluency skills. Also, some web-based apps make this easier than ever. Amazon’s Kindle has a Whispersync tool that allows readers to listen to the audio and read along.
  • Choose books that are not too difficult or too easy. You want to give yourself a healthy challenge so that you learn and strengthen your English language skills, but you also don’t want to become overwhelmed and frustrated by text that is too difficult.

Children’s Books

For those just beginning to learn English, it is a wise idea to start by reading popular children’s books. These books have fun, exciting stories with interesting characters. They also have shorter sentences and an easier vocabulary.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (or any book by this author)

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Young Adult Fiction

Young adult fiction features teen characters dealing with young adult problems. These novels are more advanced than traditional children’s books, but they still tend to be less complex and shorter than adult novels. Typically, they have fast moving plots and coming-of-age stories.

Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Graphic Novels

If you are drawn to comic books or manga, read a graphic novel in English. These are basically lengthier comic books with complex casts of characters and more detailed plots.

The Watchmen by Alan Moore

Bestsellers

Another easy way to find books that interest you that you will feel comfortable reading is to look for the bestsellers. Generally, books on the bestsellers list are easy to read. They are labeled bestsellers because they are popular – meaning masses read them. These books tend to have fast-paced plots with interesting characters that will keep you wanting to read.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

It by Stephen King

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Classic American Novels

As you develop your English reading fluency, take time to read some of the classic American novels – especially if you are studying English in the US. The following books are just a small fraction of books that are representative of classic American literature. For more ideas, see The Great American Read which showcases America’s 100 most-loved books.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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Instruction for the English Unlimited program is provided by inlingua Washington DC, which is accredited by CEA and owned by Titanium, LLC. All other instruction and services, including IELTS testing, is provided by inlingua Language Center DC, which is not accredited by CEA and is owned by Capital Languages, LLC.

10 best books to learn English with

10 best books to learn English with

Everyone may be on their smartphones all day every day nowadays, but there’s something uniquely charming about sitting down to read an actual book. There’s also something particularly effective about it for those of you keen on improving your English skills ; diving into a stack of books is great for getting to grips with grammar, vocab and spelling . Oh, and it’s not bad for your wellbeing, either!

1. Notes From a Small Island (by Bill Bryson)

“What a wondrous place this was - crazy, of course, but adorable to the tiniest degree. What other country, after all, could possibly have come up with place names like Tooting Bec and Farleigh Wallop…?”

Bill Bryson is one of the best travel writers of our time, and I will hear no argument otherwise. This witty and oh-so-lovely American explores Britain, and the resulting book neatly tours all the weird and wonderful things about the British. It’s as good as crisps in a sandwich (try it).

2. Everything I know about Love (by Dolly Alderton)

“Nearly everything I know about love, I've learnt from my long-term friendships with women.”

Recalling some of her romantic adventures, from laughable dates to the love she has for her childhood best friends, Dolly journeys through the human side of growing up and working in London. This is a very funny page-turner, in which you’ll get a firm grasp on recent British pop culture.

3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (by Mark Haddon)

“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”

The narrator of this super popular novel is a teenage boy with mild autism. It’s a brilliant window into how differently (and wonderfully) our minds can work, and the language is matter of fact. Plus, there’s a mystery to solve; who killed the dog?

4. Where the Crawdads Sing (by Delia Owens)

“I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”

The use of language in this novel is spectacular; watch as ‘marsh girl’ Kya grows from a child living in swamp country in the southern United States, speaking in simple sentences, to a keen reader and beautiful linguist in her own right, commenting on the beauty of the natural world surrounding her. All while falling in love and being accused of murder; it’s a breathtaking read.

5. Pride & Prejudice (by Jane Austen)

“I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”

Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is an absolute classic. Although the vocabulary is quite advanced (the English language has evolved somewhat since 1813), this is a perfect pick if you feel like a challenge.

6. 40 Rules of Love (by Elif Şafak)

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”

This novel could transform your English, and possibly your life. It’s beautifully written and the Penguin edition ensures that even relative beginners get a good grasp of the story and the meaning it conveys. If you’re curious about spiritual matters, this is your pick.

7. How to be a Woman (by Caitlin Moran)

“Why on earth have I, because I’m a woman, got to be nice to everyone?”

This isn’t your typical feminist manifesto. Caitlin Moran is a powerful, compelling writer and doesn’t mince her words. This book is perfect if you want to learn American slang, smash the patriarchy (as any good feminist would!) and laugh while you’re at it.

8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (by Stephen Chbosky)

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.”

This book is the story of a smart and socially awkward teen struggling with mental illness, trying to find his place in the world. If you feel like jumping back to your high school days while brushing up on your teen slang, this one’s for you.

9. Treasure Island (by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”

This book doesn’t really need an introduction – it’s a true classic, complete with pirates, sailors and adventures. It’s a great one for expanding your vocabulary, especially if you love to travel.

10. To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee)

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

This is a masterpiece of American literature that will help you understand the history of the United States. They say a culture can only be understood through language, and this is a great story for you to test that theory.

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10 Great and Easy English Books You Must Read

Reading can open your mind to brilliant new worlds and take you to a new level of English language learning. 

Adopting English books as learning tools can help you reach English fluency faster than ever before. Take a trip to your local library and see what a difference a few good books can make !

To help you with this, check out these 10 well-known novels. If you’ve got a basic level of understanding and comprehension, these novels aren’t going to be a problem. They’re perfect for those who are learning English for beginners !

Set yourself a reading challenge. How many of these books can you read?

  • 1. Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
  • 2. Mieko and the Fifth Treasure – Eleanor Coerr
  • 3. The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton

4. The House On Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros

  • 5. Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher
  • 6. Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie
  • 7. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemmingway
  • 8. The Giver – Lois Lowry
  • 9. Number the Stars – Lois Lowry
  • 10. A Wrinkle In Time – Madeline L’engle

The Benefits of Reading English Books

Reading is rewarding., reading is an exercise in language learning., reading opens the mind., reading is fun, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1.  Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White

Charlotte's Web

This is a lovely novel that all age groups can understand. Aimed at native English speaking children, there are many adults who still say this famous book is their favorite.

You can almost guarantee that the majority of native English speakers have read this book at least once.

Plot Summary

A baby pig is almost killed because of his status – he is the smallest pig that was born and he is considered to be useless and of no value. The pig is saved by a little girl called Fern Arable. She adopts the pig and takes care of it. She gives him the name Wilbur.

Fern grows sad when Wilbur grows up and has to be sent away to a farm owned by her uncle. She has a strong relationship with Wilbur. When Wilbur goes to the farm, all the other farm animals ignore him and he’s left crying for his human friend. One day he hears a voice, but he can’t see anything. This voice promises to become friends with him.

The voice belongs to a small spider called Charlotte. Charlotte the spider knows that the farmers are planning to kill Wilbur. She promises to make a plan to save his life. The farmers are surprised the next day when they see the words “some pig” written in the web (the sticky traps that spiders make). Charlotte has made. Charlotte asked for the other animals’ help over the day to write messages everywhere.

Wilbur is sad when Charlotte disappears. But in the end, her baby spiders turn out to be great company for the pig. They continue to protect each other and the story ends well.

2.  Mieko and the Fifth Treasure – Eleanor Coerr

Mieko and the Fifth Treasure

This book is not as famous, but it is on the recommended book list. What’s great about “Mieko and the Fifth Treasure” is that it’s short. At only 77 pages long, this will be an easy read.

Again this book is aimed at young native English speakers, so if you’re learning English, the level won’t be so difficult. This book will keep you interested as you’ll learn many interesting things about Japan and its culture.

Plot Summary 

This is an emotional story about Mieko. Mieko is a talented artist and calligrapher (handwriting artist). Her hand is badly hurt during the bombings of the war. The scared little girl is sent to live with her grandparents in the countryside where it is safer.

Mieko is worried and afraid that she’s lost her 5 th treasure—the “beauty in her heart.” This treasure is the key to her happiness and her beautiful art.

Mieko starts a new school. Her new classmates are mean. They constantly laugh at her and tease her which just makes her angrier. Her grandparents eventually manage to lift her darkness through their patience and wisdom. She also finds a good friend in Yoshi. Yoshi is one classmate who is really kind.

Mieko also grows close to Yoshi’s aunt. Her friend’s aunt is strict, but kind and encourages Mieko to pick up her paintbrushes again.

3.  The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders

This short novel is perfect for EFL learners. It has modern themes and typical teenage issues that people around the world have experienced. There are very few cultural notes in this, which means you don’t need much background information.

The sentences are short and easy to understand. The vocabulary is also very easy. The story is about two gangs though so prepare for some challenging topics, such as violence.

Plot  Summary

Ponyboy Curtis is one of the main characters. He is a part of a gang of teenagers called the Greasers. After he leaves the movie theater one day, he’s attacked by a rival (enemy) gang. Ponyboy’s friends chase the group away and he is saved.

The next evening, Ponyboy and his friends go to watch a movie again. They sit behind a few pretty girls from the other gang. They end up sitting together with the girls. Ponyboy and Cherry learn that they have a lot of things in common even though they are from different gangs. The boys begin to walk the girls’ home, but on the way they meet the girls’ boyfriends. The girls have to leave so a fight does not begin.

Because Ponyboy arrives late at home his brother becomes angry. This causes them to fight. As a result Ponyboy tries to run away from home. They meet up with the rival gang again and yet another fight begins. This time one of the enemies is killed.

Ponyboy is really scared. They hide in a church and try to hide their appearance by dyeing (coloring) their hair. A number of different fights break out between the two gangs. Eventually Ponyboy wakes up in the hospital.

A trial is set in the courtroom and the judge has to decide Ponyboy’s fate (future). Is he guilty or not guilty?

The House on Mango Street

The great thing about “The House On Mango Street” is that it’s an interesting read. It’s written from the point of view of the writer. You can really feel what the protagonist (the main character) feels. The sentences are really short so it’s also easy to understand.

There are a few challenging words and a little bit of descriptive language, but you can usually understand them with the context. This book also has some difficult topics, such as sexual assault, so make sure you’re up for that. 

This book follows the life of Esperanza, a Mexican girl. The novel takes place over the period of one year. Esperanza moves into a new home on Mango Street. The house is much better than her old one. It is the first house her parents have ever owned—all their other houses have been rented.

Esperanza is not very happy because she had been dreaming of a different home, a bigger one. Their new house is old and small. The house is located in a busy Latino area of Chicago. In the new home, Esperanza feels like she has no time to be alone. She promises herself that one day she will leave and have her own home.

Throughout the novel the young girl grows up a lot. The story follows her life as she makes friends, her body changes and she begins to have feelings for a boy. With her new friends, she has many adventures. When she goes back to school after the vacation Esperanza is embarrassed about her family being poor. She writes poetry secretly to make her feel better.

There is a lot of focus on other women in the community and Esperanza hopes never to be like them. At one point, she also gets sexually assaulted by some boys in her neighborhood. Through watching the older women, how they are stuck and the abuse they face, she knows that she wants to leave.

5.  Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why

This story takes place in the present, which means the writer writes using simple grammar. All sentences are short and the vocabulary is relatively easy. The interesting grammar and short paragraphs make this a quick and easy book for ESL learners.

This is an award-winning book and on the NY Times best books list, so it’s worth a read. This book deals with some heavy issues, such as suicide and depression. If you’re looking for something light and happy to read over the summer vacation, you should not read this book.

Plot Summary

The main character is Clay Jensen, a quiet high school student. He comes home from school to find a parcel at his front door. He does not know who sent it. He opens it and discovers 7 cassette tapes. These tapes are from Hannah Baker, his previous classmate. She had emotional problems and has committed suicide (killed herself).

The tapes came with instructions. The paper stated that they should pass the tapes from one student to another student. There are 12 people in total. In the paper, she explains to these people that they helped her die – she gives them 13 reasons. Hannah also sends another set of tapes to a different person. She gives them a strong warning that if they don’t pass the first set of tapes onto the next person, the whole school will know how they were a part of her death.

We hear about her pain. She talks about her first kiss, people who lied to her and stole from her. Everything started with gossip. The gossip then grew and became out of control. The book follows each person’s story and the reason why she felt hurt, including her English teacher who didn’t take her seriously.

6.  Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan

Almost everyone knows the story of “Peter Pan” which is why this is an easy read. Being familiar with a story already helps the reader to understand the text better. This book is aimed at children, but it continues to be enjoyed by adults around the world too.

Every night Peter visits the Darling family house and listens to Mrs. Darling tell bedtime stories. He sits on the window listening.

One evening, they see Peter trying to escape. As he tries to run away, he loses his shadow. He goes back to get his shadow. He wakes up the daughter of the house, Wendy Darling. Wendy helps him attach his shadow to his body again. Wendy tells him she knows a lot of bedtime stories too.

Peter invites Wendy to return to Neverland with him. He wants her to be the mother of the Lost Boys. Wendy agrees to the mission and asks for her brothers Michael and John to join them.

They have a magical flight as they travel to Neverland and have many adventures along the way. Wendy is nearly killed and the boys build her a house in the trees to recover. After Wendy is okay, she takes the role of the mother.

After all their adventures and fun, Wendy decides that her place is at home with their own mother. Wendy helps all the Lost Boys return to London. But Peter doesn’t want her to go. Instead he tries to trick her. He tells her that their mother doesn’t want them anymore. However, he understands how sad their mother must be. In the end, he decides to let them go home.

7.  The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemmingway

The Old Man and the Sea

This is a famous classic. Almost all native English speakers will have read this book at some point in school. So, if you ever find yourself in a conversation about literature and books, this is a good one to talk about.

At some points it has a little bit of difficult vocabulary. However, it is short and you won’t have too much trouble being able to finish it.

This is a story of a long fight between an old, experienced fisherman named Santiago and the best fish he ever caught. Santiago has returned to the village without any fish for 84 days. The young boy who helps Santiago is told by his parents to join another boat. But the young boy continues to help the fisherman at night.

On the eighty-fifth day, his luck changes and so does his life.  Santiago sails his boat further away. He drops his fishing lines. At 12 pm, a huge fish (a marlin) takes the bait (the food used to attract fish). The man tries to pull the fish up, but the fish is too big and strong. Instead, the fish begins to pull the boat. The old man continues to fight and hold on to the line. The fish pulls the boat around the sea for two days.

On the third day, the fish gets tired. Santiago is able to pull the fish closer and kill it. It’s the biggest fish he has seen in his life. He begins to sail back to the village, but the blood of the fish attracts sharks. The boat is attacked by a Mako shark, but Santiago is able to kill it. He kills most of the sharks, but there is a problem. They have eaten the meat of the fish and now only the skeleton (bones) is left. He returns back to his home and falls asleep.

All the people of the village are amazed at the size of the fish skeleton. The young boy agrees to be the fishing partner of Santiago once more.

8.  The Giver – Lois Lowry

The Giver (1) (Giver Quartet)

“The Giver” begins in a very interesting way and catches the attention of the readers from the beginning. It has easy-to-understand grammar. Most of the grammar is just past simple and past perfect.

All of the sentences are short and there is no confusion in the story. This is a longer book, but it’s quite easy, so you’ll finish it quickly. The book’s genre is science fiction, meaning it’s about a world that doesn’t exist in real life. 

Jonas is a young boy. He lives a very safe life with a lot of order and rules. There are many rules and everyone follows them. The citizens’ lives are planned for them and they don’t often make a decision by themselves.

They try not to say anything different. One rule is that you must never say anything that will make another person uncomfortable. Every husband and wife is matched by a special committee. Each family has two children, one boy and one girl.

When Jonas and the rest of his group become the “Twelves” in December, they get special jobs. Because Jonas is smart and respected, he is given an extra special job. His new job is to become the Receiver of Memories.

The Receiver of Memories is the only person in the group who can see all of the memories in the past. He must keep these memories secret until he trains another person to take his place. This job is really difficult. This person knows things that others do not, and they also have to deal with all of the sadness from the past.

At first Jonas is really excited. But he soon learns some truths about the people in the community. He comes to understand that this kind of life is unfair. He wants to allow people to make their own choices. Jonas comes up with an interesting plan to change the community. He decides he needs to move the community to another place. In his plan, they will get their memories back and be able to live a good and fair life.

9.  Number the Stars – Lois Lowry

Number the Stars

This is a novel by the same author as the last book. It’s based on history. Unlike other historical literature, it’s easy to understand. If you already know a lot of information about World War II, this might be an interesting book for you.

It’s not recommended if you don’t know too much about the World Wars. In this case, you will be focusing on trying to understand the facts too much so you will not enjoy the book as much.

This is a story of hope and courage. The year is 1943 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The area has been taken over by Hitler’s army. There are soldiers everywhere. The life of 10-year-old Annemarie has changed a lot. There is little food and everyone is very scared. There is talk about moving all of the Jewish people to another place. This is difficult for Annemarie because her best friend, Ellen, is Jewish.

This is a different book about the war. It shows it was not only the Jewish people who suffered during the war. Annemarie’s family lost their eldest daughter, Lise, a few weeks before her wedding.

Annemarie will later do what her sister, Lise, did. She will join the resistance party to fight against the Nazis. She ends up being a heroine (a female hero) for a few reasons (which I will not tell you because I don’t want to ruin the story).

10.  A Wrinkle In Time – Madeline L’engle

A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet)

This book has a mix of shorter and longer sentences. The genre is a mix fantasy and science fiction, so it’s also about an imaginary world where amazing things happen.

There is a lot of vocabulary to learn. It is a good book if you’ve already got experience reading novels in English. Make sure you have your vocabulary notebook with you, just in case there are any cool words that you’d like to learn. This book has MANY!

Meg is 14-years-old. Everyone sees her as a troublemaker (a person who makes/causes trouble). They think she’s a bad student. Everyone in her family seems to be perfect. Her mom is a very beautiful scientist. Her twin brothers are very athletic. And her little 5-year-old brother, Charles Wallace Murry, is a child genius and can often read the mind of Meg.

One night Meg can’t sleep. She goes downstairs to find her young brother sitting at the kitchen table drinking milk. Later their mom joins them. A strange neighbor called Mrs. Whatsit joins them. Mrs. Whatsit is talking a lot and says that the “tesseract” is real. We (the readers) don’t know what this means, but Mrs. Murry knows what it is. She looks like she is going to faint (fall down from sickness or fear).

Meg and her brother meet a friend the next day. Calvin O’Keefe is a high school junior student. Together, the three of them go to visit an old haunted house which belongs to Mrs. Whatsit. While going there they meet Mrs. Whatsit’s friend, Mrs. Who. Mrs. Who is also very strange. Meg and Calvin begin to like each other. Charles suddenly announces that they should focus on finding their father who is lost somewhere in the universe.

Strange things happen and the older women turn into supernatural (not from Earth) beings. They transport the kids to the universe by the “tesseract.” They stop and visit different planets on the way. The women tell the children that the universe is being attacked by the “Black thing” (the devil).

They find out where Meg’s father is being kept. Charles tries to use his psychic (in his mind) powers to see where their dad is. Eventually they find their dad, but not without drama. Along the way, Meg learns to love. She uses this new love to help them escape.

“The more that you read, the more that you’ll know. The more that you know, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss.

As any English-speaking child can tell you, there is no denying Dr. Seuss . If you love to read, but you’re a little afraid of reading a full-on novel in English, don’t worry. We’re going to help you get there, step by step.

With every book you read, the more you’ll improve your English reading skills. As you can see in our list, there are some excellent novels written in English that are not too difficult to understand . 

Let’s have a look at some more of the benefits of reading English books. 

Being able to read a novel in another language and understand it is a huge achievement. You’ll feel accomplished the moment you read that final page, close the book, and reflect on the experience. You might find yourself at the last page faster than you thought—once you begin reading these books, you won’t be able to put them down.

Reading English novels will help improve your vocabulary, general understanding and in some cases it may even give you more knowledge into different countries and their cultures. You also get to move at your own pace.

While listening to podcasts  and radio , you have to keep up with whoever is speaking. But while reading a book, you can read as slowly or as quickly as you desire. If you didn’t understand something, simply look at the paragraph again!

Reading educates. It opens you up to new experiences and perspectives. What better way is there to understand someone’s way of thinking? You may learn new information about language, culture, society, and history that you never knew before.

It is, overall, an enjoyable and relaxing way to learn English without any stress whatsoever. People get frustrated when they choose books that go above their reading levels. By choosing your first English books wisely, you should have a very positive experience.

There are so many cool and fun books to read!

You’re not limited to books for reading practice, of course. You can also use blogs, social media and even videos with subtitles or transcripts to improve your reading skills.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

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best books for english learners

The 11 Best Books For English Learners

Olly Richards Headshot

One of the best and most effective ways to learn and improve your English is to read books. 

Well, reading books exposes you to a lot of language in context so you can reinforce your grammar, sentence structure and even spelling.

You might learn new words and review those that you already know because you see them “at work” in a text.

Reading improves your writing too. Stephen King said this too. In “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” he wrote, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

But how can you know if a book is good for your current level of English? And with so many books in English to choose from, how can you pick the best ones for yourself?  

No need to panic, I've created this list of the 11 best books for English learners for you.

Best Books For English Learners: How To Choose Books For Your Level

Reading books at your level is one of the most crucial rules of StoryLearning .

A way to discover if a book is too easy or too difficult for you is to follow the 5-finger rule. 

Have you ever heard of this? It’s very simple. Have a look:

books about english language

Easy, right? Choose a book, open it and see how many new words there are. Then decide what to do with the book.

Another way to choose a book to do a simple test: every time you’re not sure if the book is good for you, you can ask yourself if you would read it in your first language or not. 

If you think you would, then it means that you’re interested in it. If not, then you’re probably not interested in the topic so you might want to put it down and find another one.

Here’s a suggested selection of 11 best books for English learners. These books are graded readers, so they're designed for learners of English.

Let’s see if you’re interested in any of these. 

1. “1984” by George Orwell (Pearson English Graded Readers)

books about english language

Genre: science fiction

Level: intermediate 

This book is a classic. The story takes place in a world where people cannot do or say what they want.

They have to listen to Big Brother, the leader of the government, and follow his rules. 

The government says everything is great, but one man named Winston doesn't believe it. 

This is a book that warns us about the danger of a government that has too much power and control over people's lives.

It’s a level 4 on the Pearson English Graded Readers scale and you can check it out here .

2. “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley (Oxford Bookworms Library)

books about english language

The Oxford Bookworms Library is a graded reading series for English language learners and of their titles is “Frankenstein”, another great classic. 

In case you don’t know the story, Victor Frankenstein is a Swiss student of natural science who believes he knows how to create life.

He takes pieces of dead people and constructs a new being, but the creature he makes is huge and terrifying, and everyone is afraid of him – even Frankenstein! 

The monster is like a giant baby that wants love and affection, but no one loves him. So he begins to feel angry and, since he is very strong, he learns to hurt and kill others.

You can get the book here .

3. “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens (Oxford Bookworms Library)

books about english language

Genre: historical novel

Level: intermediate+

This is another graded reader from the Oxford Bookworms Library. 

“A Tale of Two Cities” is a story that takes place in two cities – Paris and London – during the French Revolution.

There are two men in love with the same woman, and their lives are connected in ways they don't expect. 

The book talks about love and friendship, but also about war and violence. It's an exciting story that teaches you about history and the importance of making choices that can impact our lives and the lives of others.

This book has an audio component too and you can get it here.

4. “Space” by Tim Vicary (Oxford Bookworms Library Factfiles)

books about english language

Genre: nonfiction

Level: intermediate

The Oxford Bookworms Library has a collection, called “Factfiles”, that includes non-fiction graded readers.

Nonfiction books from this series can teach you about countries, cultures, science, nature and history.

This is one about space.

It’s a book that takes you on an exciting journey into the universe, where spacecrafts travel at high speeds, temperatures reach millions of degrees, and planets come in all shapes and sizes. 

It’s available here .

5. “101 Conversations in Intermediate English” by Olly Richards

101 conversations intermediate english

Genre: fiction / short stories

“101 Conversations in Intermediate English” transports you into a real-world story that unfolds between six English characters.

The story is set in England and includes expressions that are typical in British English .

However, since the conversations use mostly “neutral” English, you’ll have plenty to learn, no matter which English-speaking countries you plan to visit or whose varieties of English you want to master.

You’ll find dialogues from typical daily situations that will help you immerse yourself in a gripping English drama while learning natural, common phrases in English in the process.

Get 101 Conversations in Intermediate English here.

6. “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo (Penguin Readers)

books about english language

Genre: fiction / crime 

Level: upper-intermediate

You might have seen the movie “The Godfather”, so how about reading the book? 

You’ll read about the story of the Corleone family, an organised crime family originating from the Sicilian town of Corleone. 

Vito Corleone is the Godfather and the most powerful man in New York's criminal underworld.

He has a lot of enemies, but he also has loyal friends who will do anything for him. His youngest son Michael doesn't want to be part of the family business, but he ends up taking over when his father is shot.

The Godfather is a story of family, power, and loyalty in the dangerous world of organised crime.

The book is from Penguin Readers , a series of contemporary fiction, essential non-fiction and popular classics written for learners of English.

Check out the book here.

7. “Freddie Mercury” (Penguin Readers)

books about english language

Freddie Mercury needs no introduction. He’s simply one of the greatest rock stars of all time.

In this book you’ll learn about his life, from when he was a shy boy in Zanzibar to how he later became the lead singer of Queen.

The book includes real images and photos of Freddie and his band and it’s available here .

8. “Digital Minimalism” (Penguin Readers)

books about english language

Are you worried about the amount of time you’re spending online? Then this is a book for you.

It shows you how to use less technology in your life and it’s written by Cal Newport, a professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University in the USA. 

Cal explains how technology can take over our lives and make us unhappy.

He suggests that we take a break from screens and social media, and only use technology when it really helps us.

Reading this book can not only help you improve your English, but you can also learn how to use your phone and computer in a more meaningful way.

Check it out here.

9. “Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners” by Olly Richards

short stories in english intermediate

This is an unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners.

You’ll read eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller – making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary.

The book includes:

  • A glossary for bolded words in each text
  • A bilingual word list
  • Full plot summary
  • Comprehension questions after each chapter
  • Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way

Buy the book here.

10.”The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie (Collins Graded Readers)

books about english language

Genre: fiction/crime

Level: intermediate +

Are you a fan of mystery and detective stories? Then you’ll be happy to hear that Collins Graded Readers has a series of graded readers by Agatha Christie , an English writer known for her 66 detective novels.  

One of these is “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”.

The story is set in the small town of King's Abbot, where Roger Ackroyd is murdered and everyone is a suspect. Poirot, a famous detective, is called in to solve the crime. 

Agatha Christie's classic novel will keep you guessing until the very end. 

11. “Australia” by Jennifer Gascoigne (Macmillan Readers)

books about english language

Macmillan Readers are a collection of graded readers that includes popular classics, contemporary titles, original fiction, plays, autobiographies and non-fiction. 

“Australia” by Jennifer Gascoigne is a title from the Macmillan Cultural Readers, factual books that focus on countries of the world.

They include chapters on history, traditions, daily life, cities, nature and sport. 

You can read a sample of “Australia” here or buy it here.

Best Books For English Learners

So, did any of these books for English learners spark your interest?

I hope that this list of best books for English learners has given you some ideas about how you can start reading in English. 

Reading is a fun and effective way to improve your English skills. And with a wide variety of genres and books available, there is something for everyone.

In fact, reading stories is the core of the StoryLearning method where you get fluent thanks to stories, not rules.

So pick a book that interests you, set aside some time each day to read. Over time, you will notice a significant improvement in your vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

Happy reading!

books about english language

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  • 7 Books You Should Read To Improve Your English

7 books you should read to improve your English | Oxford House Barcelona

  • Posted on 11/03/2020
  • Categories: Blog
  • Tags: Reading , Resources to learn English

Reading is one of the best ways to practice English. It’s fun, relaxing and helps you improve your comprehension skills and vocabulary.

To help you pick out books, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite novels. The stories are full of adventures and exciting characters – and better yet, they are easy to read for language learners.

So here are our top 7 books to help you practise English at home.

1. One Day, by David Nicholls

One Day tells the story of Dexter and Emma who spend a night together after their university graduation. Each chapter revisits the lives of the protagonists on the same date for twenty years. Their relationship evolves over the years: sometimes they’re together, sometimes they’re chasing their individual dreams. It’s a funny, endearing and bittersweet tale of friendship and the unfairness of life.

If you love this easy-to-read novel, watch the 2011 film adaptation that stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This mystery novel – with a mysterious title – takes the reader on a journey into the mind of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who sees the world and the people around him in a different way.

Christopher finds himself in the middle of an adventure after he discovers the dead body of the neighbour’s dog, speared by a garden fork. As the story unfolds, Christopher finds out the truth about his mother. He also travels to London alone and takes an A-level maths exam, all in a frenzy of excitement and fear.

We love this book – and the English level is perfect for intermediate learners .

Bookcase - 7 books you should read to improve your English | Oxford House Barcelona

3. Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

Northern Lights – known as The Golden Compass in the US – is the first book in Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. It was published in 1995 and has since become a classic in the young-adult fantasy genre .

The novel tells the story of twelve-year-old Lyra Belacqua. She’s a brave and curious girl who lives in a world of mythical creatures and parallel universes. Like all humans in this world, she has a “daemon”, a talking spirit animal that constantly accompanies her. Together, they embark on a journey that is filled with danger and excitement.

If you’re looking for a thrilling but easy book to read in English, Northern Lights is a great place to start. You won’t be able to put it down!

4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Published in 1961, The Phantom Tollbooth is still one of the best books for young adults and language learners.

The novel follows Milo, a young boy who goes on a fantasy adventure after receiving a mysterious package that contains a miniature tollbooth . He drives through the tollbooth in his toy car and finds himself in magical places where he meets all kinds of strange characters.

The text is littered with puns and wordplay, which make the book even more fun – and a great opportunity for language learners to practise their skills.

5. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder tells the story of August “Auggie” Pullman, a home-schooled fifth-grader living in Manhattan. He has a medical condition that has left his face disfigured . At the start of the novel, his parents decide to enrol him into a private middle school for the first time ever.

Throughout the school year, Auggie faces many challenges because of his appearance. He’s often bullied and beaten by other kids. Against all odds , the kind and courageous little boy manages to make friends.

Wonder made the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a hit movie starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as Auggie’s parents and Jacob Tremblay as Auggie.

Reading - 7 books you should read to improve your English | Oxford House Barcelona

6. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. It uses a combination of drawings and text to tell the story of her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

The novel begins in 1980 and focuses on the impact of war and extremist religious ideology on Iranian people, especially women. Marji witnesses unspeakable atrocities that change her life forever.

Persepolis was originally published in French and later translated into many languages, reaching worldwide audiences. It’s an easy read in terms of language, but difficult in terms of the subject matter.

The graphic novel was made into a beautiful and critically acclaimed adult animated film in 2007. The good news? You can watch it in Barcelona on the 12th of March in the Palacio Nacional de Montjuïc. Click here for more details!

7. Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

A book that has had an impact on more than one generation of young adults, Roald Dahl’s Danny was first published in 1975. It centres on a young boy living in an old caravan with his father.

When Danny discovers that his father is a skilled poacher , he decides to accompany him on a mission, his most ambitious one yet: capturing 120 pheasants by feeding them sleeping pills. Their mischievous plan leads to all kinds of complications involving a wealthy businessman, Mr Hazell. Will Danny and his father come out triumphant?

Everyone should read this refreshingly sincere and entertaining book once in their lifetime. What better way to practice your English skills?

Can’t get enough of reading books in English? Check out our list of 7 graded readers for all levels .

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Round up (pv): to bring together.

Protagonist (n): the main character in a book or a film.

Endearing (adj): inspiring love or affection.

Spear (v): drive a spear or other pointed object into something.

Frenzy (n): a state of craziness.

Genre (n): a category of literature or music.

Embark on (v): begin.

Tollbooth (n): a kiosk by the side of the road where drivers pay a fee to use the road.

Disfigured (adj): ruined or spoilt, for example by a scar.

Against all odds (exp): despite something that seems unlikely or improbable.

Atrocity (n): an extremely cruel act.

Poacher (n): someone who hunts illegally.

Pheasant (n): a large, long-tailed bird.

Mischievous (adj): naughty.

pv = phrasal verb

adj = adjective

exp = expression

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Your Guide To Moving To The USA

  • By: oxfordadmin
  • Posted on 04/03/2020

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  • Posted on 13/03/2020

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6 Different Uses Of The Word �

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Continue Studying Online At Ox

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Important Information –

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Everything You Need To Know Ab

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How SMART Goals Can Help You I

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10 English Expressions To Fall

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6 Tools To Take Your Writing T

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EF Report: Do Spanish Schools

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Our 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

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Time For A Career Change? Here

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Eaquals Accreditation: A Big S

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A Guide To The Cambridge Engli

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The Haunted History And Terrib

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10 Crazy Things You Probably D

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Which English Course Is Right

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10 Essential Aussie Expression

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Here’s Why You Should Move T

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How to Improve Your English Ov

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World Cup Vocabulary: Let’s

Football, football, football: the whole world is going crazy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar! The beautiful game i... Read More

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The 10 Characteristics Of A �

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10 Reasons to Study English at

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Shadowing: A New Way to Improv

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The Best Websites to Help Your

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The 100 best novels written in English: the full list

After two years of careful consideration, Robert McCrum has reached a verdict on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at his list

  • Robert McCrum reflects on his choices
  • One in five doesn’t represent over 300 years of women in literature: a response
  • What is missing: readers’ alternative list
  • The world’s 100 greatest novels of all time (2003)

1. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (1678)

A story of a man in search of truth told with the simple clarity and beauty of Bunyan’s prose make this the ultimate English classic.

2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

By the end of the 19th century, no book in English literary history had enjoyed more editions, spin-offs and translations. Crusoe’s world-famous novel is a complex literary confection, and it’s irresistible.

3. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)

A satirical masterpiece that’s never been out of print, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels comes third in our list of the best novels written in English

4. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1748)

Clarissa is a tragic heroine, pressured by her unscrupulous nouveau-riche family to marry a wealthy man she detests, in the book that Samuel Johnson described as “the first book in the world for the knowledge it displays of the human heart.”

5. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1749)

Tom Jones is a classic English novel that captures the spirit of its age and whose famous characters have come to represent Augustan society in all its loquacious, turbulent, comic variety.

6. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne (1759)

Laurence Sterne’s vivid novel caused delight and consternation when it first appeared and has lost little of its original bite.

7. Emma by Jane Austen (1816)

Jane Austen’s Emma is her masterpiece, mixing the sparkle of her early books with a deep sensibility.

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Mary Shelley’s first novel has been hailed as a masterpiece of horror and the macabre.

9. Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock (1818)

The great pleasure of Nightmare Abbey, which was inspired by Thomas Love Peacock ’s friendship with Shelley , lies in the delight the author takes in poking fun at the romantic movement.

10. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (1838)

Edgar Allan Poe’s only novel – a classic adventure story with supernatural elements – has fascinated and influenced generations of writers.

11. Sybil by Benjamin Disraeli (1845)

The future prime minister displayed flashes of brilliance that equalled the greatest Victorian novelists.

A whirlwind success … Jane Eyre

12. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

Charlotte Brontë’s erotic, gothic masterpiece became the sensation of Victorian England. Its great breakthrough was its intimate dialogue with the reader.

13. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

Emily Brontë’s windswept masterpiece is notable not just for its wild beauty but for its daring reinvention of the novel form itself.

14. Vanity Fair by William Thackeray (1848)

William Thackeray’s masterpiece, set in Regency England, is a bravura performance by a writer at the top of his game.

15. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)

David Copperfield marked the point at which Dickens became the great entertainer and also laid the foundations for his later, darker masterpieces.

16. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s astounding book is full of intense symbolism and as haunting as anything by Edgar Allan Poe.

17. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

Wise, funny and gripping, Melville’s epic work continues to cast a long shadow over American literature.

18. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

Lewis Carroll’s brilliant nonsense tale is one of the most influential and best loved in the English canon.

19. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868)

Wilkie Collins’s masterpiece, hailed by many as the greatest English detective novel, is a brilliant marriage of the sensational and the realistic.

20. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868-9)

Louisa May Alcott’s highly original tale aimed at a young female market has iconic status in America and never been out of print.

21. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871-2)

This cathedral of words stands today as perhaps the greatest of the great Victorian fictions.

22. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (1875)

Inspired by the author’s fury at the corrupt state of England, and dismissed by critics at the time, The Way We Live Now is recognised as Trollope’s masterpiece.

23. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884/5)

Mark Twain’s tale of a rebel boy and a runaway slave seeking liberation upon the waters of the Mississippi remains a defining classic of American literature.

24. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)

A thrilling adventure story, gripping history and fascinating study of the Scottish character, Kidnapped has lost none of its power.

25. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome (1889)

Jerome K Jerome’s accidental classic about messing about on the Thames remains a comic gem.

26. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (1890)

Sherlock Holmes’s second outing sees Conan Doyle’s brilliant sleuth – and his bluff sidekick Watson – come into their own.

Helmut Berger and Richard Todd in the 1970 adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

27. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)

Wilde’s brilliantly allusive moral tale of youth, beauty and corruption was greeted with howls of protest on publication.

28. New Grub Street by George Gissing (1891)

George Gissing’s portrayal of the hard facts of a literary life remains as relevant today as it was in the late 19th century.

29. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895)

Hardy exposed his deepest feelings in this bleak, angry novel and, stung by the hostile response, he never wrote another.

30. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (1895)

Stephen Crane’s account of a young man’s passage to manhood through soldiery is a blueprint for the great American war novel.

31. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

Bram Stoker’s classic vampire story was very much of its time but still resonates more than a century later.

32. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899)

Joseph Conrad’s masterpiece about a life-changing journey in search of Mr Kurtz has the simplicity of great myth.

33. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (1900)

Theodore Dreiser was no stylist, but there’s a terrific momentum to his unflinching novel about a country girl’s American dream.

34. Kim by Rudyard Kipling (1901)

In Kipling’s classic boy’s own spy story, an orphan in British India must make a choice between east and west.

35. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

Jack London’s vivid adventures of a pet dog that goes back to nature reveal an extraordinary style and consummate storytelling.

36. The Golden Bowl by Henry James (1904)

American literature contains nothing else quite like Henry James’s amazing, labyrinthine and claustrophobic novel.

37. Hadrian the Seventh by Frederick Rolfe (1904)

This entertaining if contrived story of a hack writer and priest who becomes pope sheds vivid light on its eccentric author – described by DH Lawrence as a “man-demon”.

38. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

The evergreen tale from the riverbank and a powerful contribution to the mythology of Edwardian England.

39. The History of Mr Polly by HG Wells (1910)

The choice is great, but Wells’s ironic portrait of a man very like himself is the novel that stands out.

40. Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm (1911)

The passage of time has conferred a dark power upon Beerbohm’s ostensibly light and witty Edwardian satire.

41. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (1915)

Ford’s masterpiece is a searing study of moral dissolution behind the facade of an English gentleman – and its stylistic influence lingers to this day.

42. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915)

John Buchan’s espionage thriller, with its sparse, contemporary prose, is hard to put down.

43. The Rainbow by DH Lawrence (1915)

The Rainbow is perhaps DH Lawrence’s finest work, showing him for the radical, protean, thoroughly modern writer he was.

44. Of Human Bondage by W Somerset Maugham (1915)

Somerset Maugham’s semi-autobiographical novel shows the author’s savage honesty and gift for storytelling at their best.

45. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

The story of a blighted New York marriage stands as a fierce indictment of a society estranged from culture.

46. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

This portrait of a day in the lives of three Dubliners remains a towering work, in its word play surpassing even Shakespeare.

47. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis (1922)

What it lacks in structure and guile, this enthralling take on 20s America makes up for in vivid satire and characterisation.

48. A Passage to India by EM Forster (1924)

EM Forster’s most successful work is eerily prescient on the subject of empire.

49. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos (1925)

A guilty pleasure it may be, but it is impossible to overlook the enduring influence of a tale that helped to define the jazz age.

50. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

Woolf’s great novel makes a day of party preparations the canvas for themes of lost love, life choices and mental illness.

Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby

51. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

Fitzgerald’s jazz age masterpiece has become a tantalising metaphor for the eternal mystery of art.

52. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner (1926)

A young woman escapes convention by becoming a witch in this original satire about England after the first world war.

53. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926)

Hemingway’s first and best novel makes an escape to 1920s Spain to explore courage, cowardice and manly authenticity.

54. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1929)

Dashiell Hammett’s crime thriller and its hard-boiled hero Sam Spade influenced everyone from Chandler to Le Carré.

55. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (1930)

The influence of William Faulkner’s immersive tale of raw Mississippi rural life can be felt to this day.

56. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

Aldous Huxley’s vision of a future human race controlled by global capitalism is every bit as prescient as Orwell’s more famous dystopia.

57. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (1932)

The book for which Gibbons is best remembered was a satire of late-Victorian pastoral fiction but went on to influence many subsequent generations.

58. Nineteen Nineteen by John Dos Passos (1932)

The middle volume of John Dos Passos’s USA trilogy is revolutionary in its intent, techniques and lasting impact.

59. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)

The US novelist’s debut revelled in a Paris underworld of seedy sex and changed the course of the novel – though not without a fight with the censors.

60. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

Evelyn Waugh’s Fleet Street satire remains sharp, pertinent and memorable.

61. Murphy by Samuel Beckett (1938)

Samuel Beckett’s first published novel is an absurdist masterpiece, a showcase for his uniquely comic voice.

Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep.

62. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)

Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled debut brings to life the seedy LA underworld – and Philip Marlowe, the archetypal fictional detective.

63. Party Going by Henry Green (1939)

Set on the eve of war, this neglected modernist masterpiece centres on a group of bright young revellers delayed by fog.

64. At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien (1939)

Labyrinthine and multilayered, Flann O’Brien’s humorous debut is both a reflection on, and an exemplar of, the Irish novel.

65. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)

One of the greatest of great American novels, this study of a family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression shocked US society.

66. Joy in the Morning by PG Wodehouse (1946)

PG Wodehouse’s elegiac Jeeves novel, written during his disastrous years in wartime Germany, remains his masterpiece.

67. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren (1946)

A compelling story of personal and political corruption, set in the 1930s in the American south.

68. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry (1947)

Malcolm Lowry’s masterpiece about the last hours of an alcoholic ex-diplomat in Mexico is set to the drumbeat of coming conflict.

69. The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen (1948)

Elizabeth Bowen’s 1948 novel perfectly captures the atmosphere of London during the blitz while providing brilliant insights into the human heart.

Richard Burton and John Hurt in Nineteen Eighty-four

70. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)

George Orwell’s dystopian classic cost its author dear but is arguably the best-known novel in English of the 20th century.

71. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (1951)

Graham Greene’s moving tale of adultery and its aftermath ties together several vital strands in his work.

72. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (1951)

JD Salinger’s study of teenage rebellion remains one of the most controversial and best-loved American novels of the 20th century.

73. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (1953)

In the long-running hunt to identify the great American novel, Saul Bellow’s picaresque third book frequently hits the mark.

74. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

Dismissed at first as “rubbish & dull”, Golding’s brilliantly observed dystopian desert island tale has since become a classic.

75. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

Nabokov’s tragicomic tour de force crosses the boundaries of good taste with glee.

76. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1957)

The creative history of Kerouac’s beat-generation classic, fuelled by pea soup and benzedrine, has become as famous as the novel itself.

77. Voss by Patrick White (1957)

A love story set against the disappearance of an explorer in the outback, Voss paved the way for a generation of Australian writers to shrug off the colonial past.

78. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Her second novel finally arrived this summer , but Harper Lee’s first did enough alone to secure her lasting fame, and remains a truly popular classic.

79. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (1960)

Short and bittersweet, Muriel Spark’s tale of the downfall of a Scottish schoolmistress is a masterpiece of narrative fiction.

80. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

This acerbic anti-war novel was slow to fire the public imagination, but is rightly regarded as a groundbreaking critique of military madness.

81. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (1962)

Hailed as one of the key texts of the women’s movement of the 1960s, this study of a divorced single mother’s search for personal and political identity remains a defiant, ambitious tour de force.

Malcolm Macdowell in A Clockwork Orange

82. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)

Anthony Burgess’s dystopian classic still continues to startle and provoke, refusing to be outshone by Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant film adaptation.

83. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (1964)

Christopher Isherwood’s story of a gay Englishman struggling with bereavement in LA is a work of compressed brilliance.

84. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1966)

Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, a true story of bloody murder in rural Kansas, opens a window on the dark underbelly of postwar America.

85. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1966)

Sylvia Plath’s painfully graphic roman à clef, in which a woman struggles with her identity in the face of social pressure, is a key text of Anglo-American feminism.

86. Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth (1969)

This wickedly funny novel about a young Jewish American’s obsession with masturbation caused outrage on publication, but remains his most dazzling work.

87. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (1971)

Elizabeth Taylor’s exquisitely drawn character study of eccentricity in old age is a sharp and witty portrait of genteel postwar English life facing the changes taking shape in the 60s.

88. Rabbit Redux by John Updike (1971)

Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, Updike’s lovably mediocre alter ego, is one of America’s great literary protoganists, up there with Huck Finn and Jay Gatsby.

89. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977)

The novel with which the Nobel prize-winning author established her name is a kaleidoscopic evocation of the African-American experience in the 20th century.

90. A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul (1979)

VS Naipaul’s hellish vision of an African nation’s path to independence saw him accused of racism, but remains his masterpiece.

91. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

The personal and the historical merge in Salman Rushdie’s dazzling, game-changing Indian English novel of a young man born at the very moment of Indian independence.

92. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (1981)

Marilynne Robinson’s tale of orphaned sisters and their oddball aunt in a remote Idaho town is admired by everyone from Barack Obama to Bret Easton Ellis.

Nick Frost as John Self Martin Amis's Money.

93. Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis (1984)

Martin Amis’s era-defining ode to excess unleashed one of literature’s greatest modern monsters in self-destructive antihero John Self.

94. An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (1986)

Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel about a retired artist in postwar Japan, reflecting on his career during the country’s dark years, is a tour de force of unreliable narration.

95. The Beginning of Spring by Penelope Fitzgerald (1988)

Fitzgerald’s story, set in Russia just before the Bolshevik revolution, is her masterpiece: a brilliant miniature whose peculiar magic almost defies analysis.

96. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (1988)

Anne Tyler’s portrayal of a middle-aged, mid-American marriage displays her narrative clarity, comic timing and ear for American speech to perfection.

97. Amongst Women by John McGahern (1990)

This modern Irish masterpiece is both a study of the faultlines of Irish patriarchy and an elegy for a lost world.

98. Underworld by Don DeLillo (1997)

A writer of “frightening perception”, Don DeLillo guides the reader in an epic journey through America’s history and popular culture.

99. Disgrace by JM Coetzee (1999)

In his Booker-winning masterpiece, Coetzee’s intensely human vision infuses a fictional world that both invites and confounds political interpretation.

100. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (2000)

Peter Carey rounds off our list of literary milestones with a Booker prize-winning tour-de-force examining the life and times of Australia’s infamous antihero, Ned Kelly.

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  • 12 Essential English Novels Everyone Should Read

books about english language

The classic novels on this list are my (non-exhaustive) selection of ‘must-read’ books for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of English literature. What counts as English literature spans over a thousand years, but you’ll find most of the great classics that well-educated people are often expected to have read – what’s known as the ‘canon’ – were primarily written in the 19th century or a little after, so this list focuses on that time period. Whether you’re a native English speaker or just learning, add these books to your reading list and make it your mission to read them all before the year is out.

1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë

This tumultuous tale of life in a bleak farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors is a popular set text for GCSE and A-level English study, but away from the demands of the classroom it’s easier to enjoy its drama and intensity. Populated largely by characters whose inability to control their own emotions leads to violence and revenge, it’s a tale that spans two generations and two families. At the heart of the story is the mysterious ‘gypsy’, Heathcliff, adopted as a ragamuffin child into the Earnshaw family to live at Wuthering Heights. As he grows up, he becomes close to his adopted sister Cathy, falling in love with her only to be met with crushing disappointment when she marries Edgar Linton, a kind and gentle man from neighbouring Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff disappears and returns a rich, educated man bent on revenge.

2. Middlemarch, by George Eliot

Middlemarch, subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life”, is the story of the inhabitants of a Midlands village in the 1830s. Masterfully weaving together several plotlines, the novel charts the fortunes of an interesting cast of characters, exploring their motivations, delusions and preoccupations. The remarkable thing about Middlemarch is the detail and realism with which George Eliot describes emotions. Feelings you thought were unique to you are described here in a way that could be describing your own thoughts. It’s one of the reasons why Middlemarch has been described the likes of Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as one of the greatest English novels ever written; read it and you’ll soon find yourself agreeing with them.

3. Nineteen Eighty-Four , by George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four makes depressing but essential reading. Published in 1949, it’s the author’s vision of a dystopian future dominated by totalitarian state surveillance, mind control and perpetual war. At the centre of the novel is Winston, whose job is to rewrite old news stories so that they toe the party line, whom we follow in his quest for rebellion against the government he works for. Its memorable opening line sets the unsettling tone for the rest of this uncomfortable novel: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” You probably already use phrases from this influential book without necessarily knowing it; “Big Brother” and “Room 101” are both references taken from this novel. As you read Nineteen Eighty-Four, ask yourself: how close do you think Orwell’s vision is to how society is today?

4. The Lord of the Rings , by J.R.R. Tolkien

If you haven’t read the book, you’ll almost certainly have seen Peter Jackson’s epic three-part movie adaptation of it. Incredible though the films are, there’s inevitably a lot missing from them and it’s well worth persevering with the book’s slowish start to follow the journey of Frodo and friends more closely. If you’re not familiar with the story, The Lord of the Rings tells the story of a hobbit, Frodo, who must undertake a dangerous mission to the dark land of Mordor to destroy a powerful ring – a weapon that absolutely corrupts those who come under its power. As you’ll soon find out, that’s a highly simplified plot summary! Reading the book, you’ll be hard-pressed not to gain a deep admiration for the detail and thought Tolkien put into creating his imaginary world; languages, detailed family trees, maps, rich histories and backstories – all add to the sense of realism one feels when absorbed in Tolkien’s work. You’ll also spot some of Tolkien’s influences, such as Nordic mythology and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf (read this poem alongside Tolkien and you’ll notice where his inspiration for the Golden Hall came from). If you’re new to Tolkien, you might like to read The Hobbit beforehand; it’s a lighter read than The Lord of the Rings and it sets the backdrop for the events of the tome that follows it.

5. Diary of a Nobody , by George and Weedon Grossmith

If you’ve ever in need of a little gentle comic relief, you can’t do much better than the delightful Diary of a Nobody. It’s the (made-up) diary of a self-important Victorian lower-middle class gentleman, Charles Pooter, in which he details the day-to-day household quandaries and social embarrassments we can all relate to. It was serialised in Punch magazine in Victorian times, and it’s a charming insight into what the Victorians found funny – but in many places, it’s still laugh-out-loud funny to the modern reader.

6. His Dark Materials , trilogy by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is comprised of three novels: Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The story is set in a fantasy world that contains numerous parallel universes, some of which bear some resemblance to real-life Oxford. Lyra, the protagonist, inhabits the fictional Jordan College, Oxford, in a world in which human beings are accompanied by animal embodiments of their souls, called daemons. The initial similarities and intriguing differences between Lyra’s world and real life will draw you in right from the start, and you’re sure to be gripped as you accompany Lyra on a journey that sees her coming of age and discovering that space and time are not what she expected. If you want to do some background reading, try Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, of which Pullman’s trilogy is a partial reinvention.

7. Jane Eyre , by Charlotte Brontë

This novel by Emily Brontë’s elder sister Charlotte has inspired numerous film adaptations, and tells the tale of a young governess, Jane Eyre, who goes to live and work in a foreboding country house with an eccentric master, Edward Rochester, who hides a dark secret in a remote wing of his sprawling home. The story focuses on Jane’s transition to adulthood, told from her perspective in the first person. Throughout the novel we observe her sense of morality, which is tested by the situations she finds herself in – first during her abusive childhood and then in her response to the passionate feelings she experiences towards Mr. Rochester.

8. Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens

Here is another coming-of-age story, and arguably one of the greatest ever told. If you think Charles Dickens is boring, or you’ve been put off him by studying him at school, please give him another chance. Like all his novels, Great Expectations is full of humour and populated by an entertaining cast of brilliantly-named characters. It tells the tale of Pip, an orphan from a poor background who learns a valuable lesson in life after his acquisition of personal wealth proves an unsatisfying experience that changes him for the worse, driving him away from the only people who’ve ever loved him. Along the way he meets the enigmatic Miss Havisham, an old lady jilted at the altar decades ago, who has frozen everything in her house at the moment at which her life was so tragically altered. The image of her wedding cake, still on the table but covered in cobwebs and mould, is one of many enduring and vivid scenes in this brilliant novel, which explores a number of moral themes including what it means to be a gentleman.

9. Rebecca , by Daphne du Maurier

Even if you’re not normally into the Gothic, Rebecca is sure to have you gripped. Its nameless narrator tells the chilling tale of her experiences at Manderley, the house at the centre of the story, after marrying Maxim de Winter, its owner. Manderley proves to be haunted by memories of Maxim’s previous wife, Rebecca, who drowned the previous year; and the creepy Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, is determined to show Maxim’s new wife that she is no replacement for her beloved Rebecca. We follow the second Mrs. de Winter as she struggles to fit in at Manderley and uncovers the truth behind who Rebecca really was and what really happened to her. Its opening lines will haunt you as they’ve haunted the millions of readers who’ve enjoyed Rebecca since its publication in 1938: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”.

10. Any Jane Austen novel

It was impossible to choose just one Jane Austen novel for this list, as they’re all absolutely brilliant and packed full of interesting and sometimes amusing characters – and heroines you can’t fail to love. As well as being entertaining stories in themselves, Jane Austen’s novels are recognised for their historical importance thanks to their social commentary on the Georgian aristocracy. Austen herself was on the outskirts of the aristocracy, well-placed to write about the people and situations she undoubtedly met with in real life. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey; take your pick, but if forced to choose, my personal favourite is Emma, the tale of a well-meaning but headstrong young woman who makes it her mission to act as matchmaker to local villagers – with disastrous consequences both to them and to her own chances of romance.

11. Far from the Madding Crowd , by Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy’s evocative novel Far from the Madding Crowd is set in ‘Wessex’, an early region of south-west England that no longer exists but is used to conjure up a sense of a place neither real nor made-up – an agricultural England that, during Hardy’s lifetime, was under threat from industrialisation. Rural life is a central theme in a story that follows the shepherd Gabriel Oak and his love for Bathsheba Everdene, a beautiful and independent newcomer to the local farm she’s just inherited. Unfortunately, Oak isn’t the only one with his eye on the wilful Bathsheba, and two rivals appear on the scene in the shape of another farmer, Mr. Boldwood, and a dashing but rakish soldier, Sergeant Troy. Love and its sometimes dangerous and destructive power are explored among a number of other themes, including luck and tragedy.

12. Brideshead Revisited , by Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh’s portrayal of the trials and tribulations of an aristocratic family and their friend, the narrator Charles Ryder, has been an inspiration to plenty of Oxford applicants, who hope to recreate the evocative Oxfordian scenes described in the early parts of the book – complete with Sebastian’s famous teddy bear, Aloysius. But there’s a lot more to Brideshead Revisited than idyllic Oxford life and decadent scenes involving Champagne and quail eggs. At its heart is the tale of a young man’s struggle with Roman Catholicism and with his own family, but there are many other themes running through it, including the decline of the English stately home after the two World Wars and a longing for the bygone era of the English nobility. Brideshead Revisited was adapted into a landmark television series with Jeremy Irons in the role of Charles Ryder; once you’ve read the book this makes wonderful viewing, sticking closely to the book. With Irons’ velvet tones vividly bringing to life Waugh’s words, this is one television adaptation that, in my opinion, will actually help you gain a deeper appreciation of the book.

These remarkable novels have all left their mark on popular culture and embedded themselves into the English psyche. Once you’ve read them all, you’ll have more of an idea of where your own literary tastes lie and you can make up your own list by taking from this one and adding your own.

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English courses are very expensive, they can be about fifty dollars a month or more, but what would you say if we told you what you can learn or practice for free? That would be great, wouldn’t it? On our website we have the best books for learning English in PDF format.

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One of the ways to demonstrate your command of English is through fluent conversation and proper pronunciation of every word. 

Developing the ability to speak English correctly is one of the biggest challenges in the process of learning this language. You have to take the necessary time to listen, catch the sound and reproduce it correctly. 

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In any language, the elements used to construct meaningful and logical sentences are indispensable. Therefore, as part of the process of learning English, one must know the corresponding adjectives and adverbs. 

These components are basic, varied and must be fully mastered fully in order to maintain a fluent conversation, as well as to be able to express oneself in writing. 

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Adjectives and Adverbs

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Missouri Baptist University

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One of the main components of languages in general are verbs. They determine or indicate the action performed by a subject, and can be conjugated in different tenses and depending on who is performing the action. 

Without verbs it would be almost impossible to form a sentence, which is why they are considered of great importance when learning English. As in Spanish and other languages, verbs are diverse.   

To learn the most common ones, how they are conjugated, how they are spelled and how they are pronounced, you can turn to English verbs books . They are a rich source of information for your learning.

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Harlan Coben Netflix Shows (And The Books That Inspired Them)

H arlan Coben is a literary inspiration. With over 75 million of his books sold worldwide, he is the best-selling author of a whopping 35 page-turning thrillers. So it should be no surprise that back in 2018, Netflix signed a lucrative deal with the author to adapt 14 of his English-language books into original movies or TV series.

Today, you can currently find seven of these projects on Netflix in the US, though just three of them are English-language series.

The films and shows based on Coben’s books include limited series  The Stranger  and  The Woods  and the newest addition, Fool Me Once , which premiered on January 1, 2024.

In addition, the 2018 thriller  Safe   is also available to stream on Netflix, though this limited series was created by Coben but not based on one of his books. Come for Michael C. Hall with an English accent, stay for the twisty turns in the upscale suburban community.

In 2023, Coben also expanded the cinematic universes inspired by his books to Prime Video, where Harlan Coben’s Shelter aired.

Want to get a more prominent glimpse into the books that inspired these mystery crime thrillers on Netflix and Prime Video? Here’s everything you need to know about the books which spurred a literary streaming powerhouse.

This creepy drama follows Adam Price, a happily married family man as his life is uprooted by a mysterious stranger who spills some unwanted secrets about his wife. The Netflix show takes place in the UK though the book is rooted in the US.

The novel takes place in New Jersey, unlike the Poland-based series on Netflix. Both follow an attorney who lost his sister in the woods 20 years ago and is given hope when a homicide victim is linked to her disappearance.

The Spanish language thriller is based on this book which asks a simple question, “Who is innocent?” After fatefully trying to stop a fight nearly a decade ago, but killing someone instead, Matt Hunter is now an ex-con trying to live a straight life. That is, until he gets a video call from his wife’s phone that changes everything.

Another New Jersey murder mystery adapted to take place in France for the French-language Netflix series , this heartbreaking story follows Will Klein as he delves into the clues to search for his missing brother—after he was accused of killing the woman Will loved. This book has everything, murder, love, betrayal, and a search for the truth.

barnes and noble

This 2013 thriller turned 2021 Netflix series is about a trio of characters — a detective, a photographer, and a suburban soccer mom — whose present lives become threatened when secrets from each of their respective pasts emerge.

The Polish-language adaptation of Hold Tight is set in Warsaw instead of the novel’s New Jersey setting, and follows the unraveling of a tight-knit community when a young man goes missing after the death of his friend.

The newest Netflix series based on a Harlan Coben novel premiered on January 1, 2024, and asks the question: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? Maya believes she’s seeing her husband, who had recently been brutally murdered, back in their home as an intruder. At the same time, Maya’s niece and nephew are trying to find the truth about their mother’s murder.

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The only one of Coben’s books to get the Prime Video treatment, rather than a series on Netflix, Shelter is one of the author’s young adult books. It follows a teen, Mickey, who is investigating both the disappearance of his girlfriend and a mysterious woman’s claims that his father, who Mickey saw die, is still alive.

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Harlan Coben Netflix Shows (And The Books That Inspired Them)

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TOEFL Practice Online (TPO) tests simulate the real TOEFL iBT testing experience.

  • Review and answer authentic test questions.
  • Receive scores and performance feedback within 24 hours.
  • Choose from volumes that include complete tests, half tests or speaking tests.

Section Tests

Practice a section in test mode and receive a score, performance feedback and additional insights.

  • Receive estimated section score and CEFR level
  • Get personalized feedback on Speaking and Writing responses
  • Review correct and incorrect answers in the Reading and Listening sections

Section Practice

Practice a complete section at your own pace and receive immediate scores, feedback and insights to help you improve.

  • Reading and Listening: learn why your response was correct/ incorrect as well as why other response options were correct/incorrect.
  • Speaking: receive feedback on speech rate, rhythm, pronunciation, grammar, and more, plus transcripts of your responses and exemplars for comparison.
  • Writing: get specific feedback on grammar, usage, mechanics and more. Includes exemplars for comparison.

Focused Practice

Boost your skills and confidence by focusing on sets of specific question types with immediate scores, feedback and insights.

Guides & Books

Best-selling guides and books to help you prepare for the TOEFL iBT test.

The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT ® Test

This guide is a comprehensive, all-in-one reference to help you prepare for the test and get your best score. It is available in eBook and paperback formats and includes:

  • Four full-length practice tests
  • Interactive versions of all four tests, in addition to the book versions
  • valuable tips
  • scoring criteria
  • hundreds of sample questions for all four test sections

Official TOEFL iBT ® Tests, Volumes 1 & 2

Get 10 authentic, full-length TOEFL iBT tests with previous test questions. Available in paperback or eBook formats, each volume offers five practice tests and includes:

  • Interactive online versions of all five tests
  • Sample Speaking and Writing responses
  • Audio files and written transcripts for all listening passages

Learn about TOEFL iBT courses to help you prepare for your test.

Official TOEFL iBT ® Prep Course

Build the skills you need to communicate in English in an academic environment with this self-paced course. With the 6-month subscription, you’ll be able to:

  • Do in-depth lessons and activities across the 4 skills — Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing
  • Take pre- and post-tests to help you evaluate your performance
  • Receive score ranges for the Speaking and Writing post-tests, using the same automated scoring as in the actual TOEFL iBT test

You can choose one of two options:

  • The Prep Course — standard course
  • The Prep Course PLUS — everything in the standard course, plus additional scoring and feedback, including score ranges for Speaking and Writing activities and tests, and written feedback on your Speaking responses

TOEFL ® Test Preparation: The Insider's Guide

With this free self-paced course, you can learn and practice whenever it’s most convenient for you. It includes:

  • An introduction to the test and each section
  • Short quizzes
  • Collaborative discussion boards
  • Tips from expert instructors
  • Scaled-score range for Speaking and Writing practice questions
  • Information and sample questions for the new Writing for an Academic Discussion task

Value Packs

Save money when you purchase multiple prep offerings bundled together into an expertly curated package. Find discounts on test registrations, practice tests, guides, books, additional score reports and more.

Performance Insights, Feedback and Guidance

As you engage with TOEFL TestReady prep offerings, robust AI algorithms serve up valuable information to help you maximize your score potential.

Feel confident on test day! The overwhelming majority of learners we surveyed reported that the new test prep offerings and features within TOEFL TestReady boosted their confidence, improved their skills and increased their readiness for the TOEFL iBT test 2 .

Curated Prep Recommendations

Close skill gaps and focus your time more effectively and efficiently with curated prep recommendations. Receive evolving guidance on where to focus your efforts and which prep offerings to try next based on insights drawn from your past performance.

Continuous Progress Tracking

Monitor your progress in real time with tracking of overall performance, section performance and question type performance. Your personal Insights page showcases your skill trends, as well as an estimated TOEFL iBT score and CEFR level to help you gauge your readiness.

1 Source: Statistics gathered from 765 users who also took the TOEFL iBT test (China, India, and the U.S.)

2 Source: Survey of 765 users across China, India and the U.S.

IMAGES

  1. The Oxford Companion To The English Language Oxford 1992

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  2. We Learn English Book 3

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  3. Macmillan English Language Book 5

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  4. Best English Learning Books For Kids

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  5. Beginner s English (Learn BRITISH English as a Foreign Language): A

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  6. 13 Books About The English Language That Will Change What You Know

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VIDEO

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  5. The Significance of Reading Books

  6. "Dr. Seuss's ABC" Read Aloud

COMMENTS

  1. 13 Books About The English Language That Will Change What You ...

    Swears, curses, cusses, and slurs have always been a part of the English language. In this clever micro-history, Melissa Mohr takes us from the obscenities of Ancient Rome to the foul-mouthed...

  2. The 18 best books to learn English

    Amanda N October 3, 2023 Reading books is a great way to learn English. Whether you want to expand your vocabulary, enjoy a short story, or study English grammar or pronunciation, books will help improve many facets of your English language skills. Here we will take you through 18 of the best books to learn English through self-study.

  3. The Best "Best Sellers": 22 Popular Books to Learn English From

    1. "Leaving Time" by Jodi Picoult 2. "1st to Die" by James Patterson 3. "Three" by Ted Dekker 4. "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King 5. "Silent Scream" by Angela Marsons Romance 6. "Until the End of Time" by Danielle Steel 7. "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich 8. "I've Got Your Number" by Sophie Kinsella 9. "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James 10.

  4. Eight of the Best Books about the English Language

    Also worth checking out is Forsyth's follow-up book, The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language, which salvages forgotten useful everyday words from obscurity. (Our personal favourite: 'uhtceare', an Old English word meaning 'to lie awake at dawn, worrying'.) Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks and ...

  5. David Crystal's top 10 books on the English language

    The Quirk Grammar, as it is often called, is still the book to which I most often refer when exploring a point of English grammatical usage. 7. The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English by ...

  6. The 9 Best Books to Learn English Effectively

    English for Everyone is the best overall book to learn English because it's a comprehensive reference for English learners and uses a lot of visual teaching methods. The book is entirely in English, and the material is presented with pictures, diagrams, and color-coded explanations so the instructions and examples are clear.

  7. 12 Linguistics Books To Help You Learn More About Language

    For Language On The Internet: Because Internet By Gretchen McCulloch. We've written about this book before, and we will continue to. Because Internet is one of the most fun linguistics books out there. It looks at how technology has shaped language, and how language has shaped technology, from the birth of the telephone to today.

  8. The Best English Learning Books For ESL Readers

    Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library) by Marjane Satrapi In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages 6 to 14, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq.

  9. English Language Learning

    Welcome to Cambridge English Language Learning Where your world grows We believe that English can unlock a lifetime of experiences and, together with teachers and our partners, we help people to learn and confidently prove their skills to the world.

  10. The English Language (Oxford Language Classics Series)

    He expertly stresses the flexibility of the English language, tracing its ever-changing face from the 5th century AD to the present day. Burchfield describes the resilience of the language--from the days of runes to the origins of printing, through social, religious, political and industrial change in the eighteenth century, through the rise of ...

  11. Great Books To Inspire English Language Learners

    Mayra Linares/NPR Part of our series, 5 Million Voices. I grew up speaking Spanish, and I didn't start learning English until I was in preschool. When it came to books, I struggled — like...

  12. Best Books on Language

    The best books on Samuel Johnson, recommended by Peter Lilley. Samuel Johnson, author of the 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language, was not a hard-hearted Tory caricature, but a champion of the poor and enslaved, according to Margaret Thatcher's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Peter Lilley. The best books on language, languages ...

  13. The 25 Best ESL Books for Teaching Students at Any Age or ...

    The 25 Best ESL Books for Teaching Students at Any Age or Skill Level Great ESL books can be a wonderful asset to maximize class time. They can help you brainstorm effective activities, set up games, create targeted lesson plans and give specialized assistance to different types of students.

  14. The Best English Books For English Language Learners

    20 Books English Language Learners Will Love. November 23, 2021 August 21, 2018 by Kevin Williams. If you are someone who hates to read, you might just be reading the wrong books. When it comes to reading, especially for English language learners, you must choose the right books.

  15. The 18 Best Books for English Language Learner (ELL) Students ...

    The curriculum covers essential language skills while also emphasizing cultural awareness and global themes.. With its student-centered approach, the book encourages active participation, critical thinking and collaborative learning, making it an ideal tool for English teachers to create lively and immersive language lessons.. It's also available in British English.

  16. 10 best books to learn English with ‹ GO Blog

    Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is an absolute classic. Although the vocabulary is quite advanced (the English language has evolved somewhat since 1813), this is a perfect pick if you feel like a challenge. 6. 40 Rules of Love (by Elif Şafak) "Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation.

  17. 5 Books That Explain the Evolution of the English Language

    Grammarly Updated on May 19, 2022 Grammar English is spoken by over one billion people as a first or second language. It began as a Germanic dialect and went on to adopt many words from other languages (nearly half the vocabulary in English is said to come from French and Latin).

  18. 10 Great and Easy English Books You Must Read

    1. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White 2. Mieko and the Fifth Treasure - Eleanor Coerr 3. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton 4. The House On Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros 5. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher 6. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie 7. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemmingway 8. The Giver - Lois Lowry 9. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry 10.

  19. 11 Best Books For English Learners

    by Olly Richards One of the best and most effective ways to learn and improve your English is to read books. Why? Well, reading books exposes you to a lot of language in context so you can reinforce your grammar, sentence structure and even spelling.

  20. 7 Books You Should Read To Improve Your English

    If you're looking for a thrilling but easy book to read in English, Northern Lights is a great place to start. You won't be able to put it down! 4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Published in 1961, The Phantom Tollbooth is still one of the best books for young adults and language learners.

  21. The 100 best novels written in English: the full list

    1. The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678) A story of a man in search of truth told with the simple clarity and beauty of Bunyan's prose make this the ultimate English classic. 2. Robinson...

  22. 12 Essential English Novels Everyone Should Read

    1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë This tumultuous tale of life in a bleak farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors is a popular set text for GCSE and A-level English study, but away from the demands of the classroom it's easier to enjoy its drama and intensity.

  23. 25+ English Learning Books for Free! [PDF]

    25+ English Learning Books for Free! [PDF] by InfoBooks * If you have doubts about how to download free books from InfoBooks, visit our guide to downloading books. English courses are very expensive, they can be about fifty dollars a month or more, but what would you say if we told you what you can learn or practice for free?

  24. 15 Books We Read This Week

    15 Books We Read This Week Ancient influences on America's founders, making the corporation moral, the art world's secret language and more.

  25. Harlan Coben Netflix Shows (And The Books That Inspired Them)

    Today, you can currently find seven of these projects on Netflix in the US, though just three of them are English-language series. The films and shows based on Coben's books include limited ...

  26. TOEFL TestReady

    No other English language test provider has a prep offering like this — designed for you, with you. TOEFL ® TestReady ™ combines the best TOEFL iBT prep offerings with exclusive features and deeper insights to enhance your English communication skills. All feedback, recommendations, personalized insights and tips are developed by the same teams that write and produce the TOEFL iBT test.