How can I make my students read books in English?

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ESL forum > Ask for help > How can I make my students read books in English?

How can I make my students read books in English?

How can I make my students read books in English?

First of all, thanks to Victor for this beautiful site!!!

I teach 12-16 year old students. They are not motivated at all to learn English and most of them hate reading. I don �t know what to do. I have tried a lot of activities with them, but they always say that they don �t understand anything. It �s true that they have a very low level of English... I don �t know what to do... I �m thinking about dressing like a clown one of these days to attract their attention because I �m a bit tired about trying to convince them about how useful the English language is.

Dear partners, can you give me some ideas?

18 Mar 2009

manonski (f)

Why don �t you let them choose the next books you will buy? If they get to chose what goes in the bookshelves, maybe they �ll be more tempted to read them.

Can you bring kids with you to the library and bring books of their choices into you classroom?

18 Mar 2009

jamiejules

Hi, I started an English Library at my school but we have no money so because there is quite a big British community in my area I went to the pub that does the monthly english quiz ( I must sound really pathetic LOL) and ask them to put a poster on the bar. I also made flyers that the quizmaster handed out to the British clients. The flyers gave the name of my school what we needed the books for, the specific type of books we wanted them to DONATE!! the month after and every quiz night for 8 months people turned with loads of books they had collected in england and brought back especially for the local school!

To say thank you (as I couldn �t buy everyone a round!!) I got the kids to write article on some of the books they had read and create quizzes as well, I laminated them and gave them to the pub landlord.

18 Mar 2009

This issue like others that confront teachers in the English language classroom have no easy solution. fortunately research has been on these type of issues, so i am providing some links where I think you may find some ideas.

Motivation to read

http://coe.fgcu.edu/faculty/ray/red/mhome.htm

http://www.geocities.com/osborne616/Assignment.html

http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/Dissemination/docs/Staffhandoutreading-07-8.pdf

http://www.etln.org.uk/resources/page20.html

http://xxyy.dgjyw.com/UploadFiles/2008928194558289.ppt

http://www.mediafire.com/?dimzzzmmln3

http://www.mediafire.com/?03oiemoizzz

http://www.mediafire.com/?mo5z0t0mwrn

http://www.mediafire.com/?q4nmatmzjzy

http://www.mediafire.com/file/jodmjjgmntm/motivation boosting teenage.rtf

http://www.mediafire.com/?z1z2zfl3htn

http://www.mediafire.com/?tdm4gg4muqy

18 Mar 2009

Doroteia (F)

The best way to make someone like reading is by reading yourself. Students love hearing stories and doing that they learn how interesting can be a book. Play with the story, chanlange them by letting them guess the ending of the story... so many activities. They learn to appreciate it.

18 Mar 2009

penbwl

I think your comment that "they don �t understand anything" is an indication of why. Have you considered that what you give them is too difficult.

I was always advised to use listening exercises that are a little above students natural ability and to use reading exercises that were below their natural ability. It took a while for me to heed this advice and I was always prone to try and share my love of literature with my students by giving them books that were too high. They barely got through the first few pages. If the text sends them to their dictionary more than once or twice a page, I thnk it �s generally too high for them to enjoy the story. They can �t build up any rhythm.

Just as an example, I recently used a Level 4 Penguin graded reader with a student who lived and studied in the States for 3 years. She really enjoyed the reading experience as opposed to feeling it was �studying �. My old inclination would have been to give her a level 6 book - we might get there, but only gradually Smile

Smile

I think that the graded readers series are really good as the language levels are appropriate and the subject matter is not too childish.

I also like Doroteia �s suggestion, so I will use that next time - THANKS Big smile

Big smile

19 Mar 2009

ESL

Maybe get a book on tape, or rent a movie of a popular english book.

Have them watch Sesame Street, a Disney movie, etc.

19 Mar 2009

Thank you very much for your advice. It �s a good idea to let them choose what they are going to read. I want to start a class library and let them choose among several graded readers. I liked the idea to give them readers that are below their natural ability as penbwl says. I �ll tell my partners and we �ll change some things for next year!!!

21 Mar 2009