We have studied why reading English is so important to advance your English speaking and how it works (see our posts about “Learning English with Books” Now, it is time to choose books for your English study.

What should you read to improve your English speaking?

You should choose books which are appropriate for your reading level. What happens if you choose books which are too easy for you? You can read them easily but your English improves inefficiently since you already will know most of the text and your brain is not challenged to learn. What about difficult books for you? You may learn a lot but you will likely consume too much time trying to understand, and you might become frustrated.

The best option is choosing books at a level from which you can learn new English expressions and structures of sentences. We recommend that you choose books considering the following conditions:

1. Vocabulary and expression: There must be less than 5 new words or expressions per page.
2. Grammar: You should be able to understand most sentences in a book by reading it less than two or three times.
3. Number of pages: You can read the complete book in 3 – 5 months or less.
4. Contents: The book should be interesting to you. For example it is helpful if the book is related to your hobbies, studies or occupation.
5. Listening: You should choose books which come with audio CDs or tapes so that you can also listen to the book.
6. Study: It is useful to read books which have descriptions in your native language to help you understand.

LiveEnglishClass.com tries to propose the best textbooks for your English speaking lessons so that you can practice English speaking with our English teachers and by yourself.