The Joy of Audiobooks



I love to read.  Well actually...I don't read as much as I listen.  Have you ever listened to an audiobook?  Most fiction and nonfiction titles are available in a audio version that you can download to your computer or MP3 player or even pop into a CD player.  American libraries are great places to get audiobooks.  If you have access to a local branch library, get a library card and borrow CD audiobooks for free.  With your card, you can also sometimes download digital audiobooks from library websites.  Other places to get audiobooks include:
http://www.audiobooks.org/
http://www.audible.com/
http://librivox.org/
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Students often tell me that they want to read more and ask me for suggestions.  This is challenging for me since I can give suggestions for books that I like to read but they may not be interesting topics or styles for all people.  I really prefer to read non-fiction titles such as lifestyle and transformation books.  Some of my favorites include:
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson
10-10-10 by Suzy Welch

 

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell


These titles and many like them provide valuable information about how to understand the world we live in and how to make our own lives better.  They are also very useful tools for strengthening English language skills.  The more you read, the more language you are exposed to and the more proficient you can become. 

Check back later for techniques to using audiobooks effectively to greatly improve English language skills.  In the meantime, go find yourself a book and start reading...um...I mean listening!