The more civilized society becomes, the higher the demand for learning English grows, and anyone who is reading this post must have concerns about how to master it. Among various methods to improve your English, books are often chosen to be the most trustworthy resources because they are allowed to be printed only when they are up to standard. In other words, their content is good enough to be works of reference. Before we go on to learn about the best books for each level from beginner to advanced, let’s get to know what factors should be taken into account when considering a book.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A BOOK
- The publisher of the book
Don’t decide to buy a book just because of its attractive cover or hypes you see on television because you may risk being deceived. The very first information you should look for is its author in order to know whether it can be trusted. Some of the most famous publishing houses of English books are Macmillan, Oxford, Cambridge, and Collins, where the materials introduced in this post come from.
- Who the book aims at
A vast majority of English books are suitable for one group of learners only: beginner, intermediate or advanced. So remember to check out that information to see if it is relevant to your level or not.
- What skills the book focuses on
A great number of English books comprise four skills, but some concentrate on speaking or writing only, and this post recommends both kinds of books so that you can choose between in-depth study and uniform improvements.
BEST BOOKS FOR LEARNING ENGLISH
1.Beginner/Elementary level
- New English File Beginner-Oxford
Looking at the publishing company, you immediately have a high opinion of it, don’t you? There are seven units in total, but every unit has three main parts, so there is a lot for you to learn, such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, simple and past tenses, the use of prepositions, etc. Noteworthy structures and grammar are in the student book, along with examples, while exercises for further practice are in the workbook. With the aid of these books, you can learn a large number of new words and communicate with foreigners about trivial issues, as well as can comprehend basic paragraphs.
- Cambridge Global English
You should own this book at all costs if you are a beginner in English, as the book receives positive feedback from its global users. It provides you with the chance to practice four skills, and you can try your hand at writing poems, non-fiction stories, which are difficult to be found in books of the same level. With beautifully designed pictures and such activities integrated into the lessons, students will be able to absorb knowledge easily without feeling stressed and bored.
2. Intermediate Level
- Solutions
There should be no doubts about how Oxford’s “solutions” to students’ problems work. The book includes ten units, each of which consists of eight lessons for you to learn. The topics are of greater importance compared to the beginner level, for example, relationships or public health. In the last lesson of every unit, there are reviews to test how much you have learned as regards the core skills and use of language. At the end of the book, Grammar Builder and Vocabulary Builder are set up to help learners strengthen them.
- English Unlimited
This is another ideal book series published by Cambridge, so it is undoubtedly of high quality. You are able to communicate better by practicing talking about international issues and lessons inferred from real-life situations. In particular, the coursebook generously offers additional materials for reference, strategies for self-study, and ideas for developing your speaking skills. One special feature of this series is that you can record your progress with an e-portfolio DVD, which is a great way to look back on how far you have gone.
- Cutting edge-Pearson, Longman
The student coursebook and its accompanying DVD are divided into 12 units. Speaking activities are carefully guided with the help of videos and audio exercises. These activities focus on issues of the global scale as well as useful lessons about different cultures worldwide. MyEnglishLab is an online portal and one of the components of this coursebook, which features additional videos and audio content in addition to activities with voice recordings. These will, needless to say, come in handy for those seeking to upgrade their communication skills.
3. Advanced level
- Insight
Published by Oxford, this book worth being written on your to-buy books list. Just like its name, the book guides you through carefully selected contexts so that you can have a deeper understanding of cultures and literature of English speaking countries. The topics are quite interesting, covering everything from economics, science, and arts, as well as related words. The book is divided into ten sections, and a massive vocabulary bank is provided at the end of the book.
- High-Level Everyday English
High-Level Everyday English is another helpful coursebook for aspiring fluent English users. It is written by Steven Collins and aimed at advanced students who still have difficulties with advanced vocabulary, idioms, and expressions.
The coursebook is written specifically for those wanting to study on their own. People working in business, translation or teaching, or pursuing higher education can still use this book as a useful tool if they want to perfect their English for communication, promotion in their career, etc.
The book cites a lot of real-life conversations and stories, through which students can learn new words. There is also a wide range of exercises for students to test themselves along the way.
Above are the best books that may make a huge contribution to your English betterment, and the majority of them emphasize overall progress. You can also search for other books from the same publishers, as not only the aforementioned materials are of high quality. Remember to go over important factors before buying a book, and if the book is written by a strange name, consult other people so that you can reach the smartest decision.
