The easiest way to improve your English is to read for fun!

But how do you do this? The only fun things to read are novels; and those have all sorts of difficult vocabulary and complex grammar, don't they?

Well, the people at Penguin and Cambridge University really want to help you improve your English, and they have done it with Graded Readers. You may have seen these in your English classroom. You might see them at the book store. Your teacher may even have recommended them to you. But you've never read them, have you?

Here is what your teacher might not be explaining.

These books are literally a pathway to IELTS band score 7.

Yes, you read that right. If you read these books, they will get you IELTS band score 7. In fact, that is how they are designed.


Here's how it works. There are 6 levels to the books. That means, if you are IELTS band 2, you can read these books. Once you get comfortable with that level, you can move to the next!

Once you get to level 6, and are reading comfortably at that level, you can either start reading regular English novels, or confidently prepare for the IELTS exam. It's that simple! 

If you can access these books at a library, you can basically learn for free! Isn't that great!

These books come in a variety of themes. There are biographies, movies, and thrillers. I strongly recommend the thrillers published by Cambridge. These books are designed to be addictive. And they really, really are! I have read a few of them; they're quite good.

Remember, reading is just one part. If you want to also do well in speaking and writing, you should practice these skills as you read. Remember, you'll still struggle to find the words, but you'll find them much faster. Remember, languages are learned through a meaningful interaction with the language. They aren't learned through grammar exercises (although these can help sometimes).

Not sure it will work? Sign up for the 30 day reading challenge and see how you do!