Recreational Reading for ESLA

So, your teacher has just suggested that you try reading “for fun” to improve your English. Is she/he serious? Well, yes. Believe it or not, recreational reading can help you understand conversational English better, collect more academic/technical words, and learn more complex structures. True or imagined, stories in books offer you a world filled with opportunities for learning.

For instance, are you studying a science or math-related topic? If so, try “Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick. Sure you could watch the movie, but reading the book allows you to look at the language that creates the story rather than just the filmmaker’s interpretation.

Or maybe you’re studying law and business. If so, try a John Grisham book like “The Runaway Jury”, a book about lawsuits and lawyers in the tobacco industry.

Or a social science like psychology or sociology. If so, try “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a book about social order and disorder or “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon, a book from the perspective of a boy with autism.

Or maybe try some Canadian literature with “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa, “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery, or “Green Grass Running Water” by Thomas King.

But I’m not the person who should be giving you advice about books. There are plenty of people and places in Ottawa where you can get better advice on books that might help you enjoy recreational reading.

• MacOdrum Library: Carleton’s library has a great collection of recent and classic novels for you to choose from.
• Ottawa Public Library: check here for a branch near you. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the librarians for help finding a book you might like.
• Book Bazaar: 2^nd hand book store on Bank Street.
• Value Village: 2^nd hand stores with many books at low prices.
• Vincent de Paul: another 2^nd hand store with a big book selection.

References

Image Credit: “Reading” by Paul Bence.  Retrieved 19 August, 2016 from Flickr.  CC BY-NC 2.0