You know that t to learn and improve your English you must read books. Reading helps you to learn vocabulary and better, not only single words but words in the context of sentences.
Moreover, when you read, you learn grammar without even noticing it.
But I guess that sometimes you have a problem…
Why Are Not You Finishing The Books You Start Reading?
Why do you think reading in English may be boring, or difficult?
This situation is common among the English learners like us. The problem is that you do not pick up the right book.
Here, I share with you a basic strategy that will help you.
How To Choose The Right Book For You And Finish It?
Before choosing a new book to read, you have to answer 3 questions and make 1 commitment:
WHAT BOOK LEVEL?
WHAT BOOK LENGTH?
WHAT BOOK TOPIC?
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WRITE DOWN YOUR PERSONAL COMMITMENT
Let’s see all this in detail:
1) What book level?
You have to be aware of your current reading level. The level of the book you choose has to be a little above your current English level.
A difficult book means discouraging, not fun, and going right to failure.
An easy book means that you will not improve as much as possible. You are not challenging yourself in the right way.
2) What book length?
Ask yourself: How much time do I have to read?
For example, if you have a long vacation before you, you can pick up a long book that will last for the whole holidays as you may have many free hours per day to read.
On the other hand, if because of your work, studies or family obligations you don’t have much time to read, I recommend Short Stories
Before choosing a new book, you must visualize when you will finish it. If the answer to the question “When am I going to finish the book” is “I don’t know” then it is not the right book for you, at least for now.
3) What book topic?
Choose a topic you like or that has something to do with your job, hobbies…
If you have a basic level then avoid specialized books that require a more advanced level.
4) Your personal commitment
Here, you have to write down:
How many pages are you going to read per day? (Approximately)
When are you going to finish the book? (An exact date)
Then, you must commit to the number of pages and the date you write down.
If you follow these tips, you are going to motivate yourself. You can also check if you are fulfilling your commitment. Then, you can be reassured that you are following the right path to improve your English faster.
I Share With You How I Choose A Book
Next, I show you a real example from one of the books that I read some time ago:
I asked myself the three basic questions…
| What Level? | I have a good reading level. |
| What length? | I have a long vacation ahead of me and a lot of free time to read. |
| What topic? | I like very much historical fiction novels. |
I decided to pick up the book The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 1.075 pages long
Level: For fluent readers
And I made a commitment…
| My personal commitment | I must finish my book before the end of my vacation. The book is 1.075 pages long, and I have 31 days to read it. If we do the math, I have to read 35 pages every day! |
In the end, the consequences of my effort…
| The result | In the end, I did not finish the book during my holiday. I only read the book until page 984. I finished the 91 pages left in the following weeks when I went back to work!!! I almost fulfilled my commitment, which I think is positive. |
What About You?
What do you think about it?
What’s your strategy when choosing a book?
Do you usually finish the books you start reading?
What book are you currently reading, or did you read in the past?
All your comments are very welcome!!!