Top 6 ESL (English as a Second Language) Books for Beginners
We all know that English is a universal language around the world. That is why people (like us here in Austria) who don’t speak English as their first language always strive to learn the language. They can make the task easier by using ESL books for beginners. These books are helpful for individuals who want to learn the language, but they also come in handy for ESL teachers.
They offer the basics needed to learn English grammar, vocabulary, and fluency. They give teachers necessary insights that can facilitate teaching, be it for children or adults. They can also be used as sources of reference and as learning resources for those in non-native English-speaking countries. If you live in a country that dominantly speaks English but cannot speak the language, an ESL book can help you immensely.
Since speaking English is crucial in today’s world, if you do not speak the language, wish to learn the language, or are a teaching beginner, the following ESL books and English textbook will help.
Winner’s English – Basic Lessons For Spanish Speakers (2-in1 Book), by Matthew Preston
To win when learning English, you need a system and plan, and this is what this book is about. Having been written by an ESL specialist, you are sure to get the best out of it. The book is meant to help anyone learning English and help them excel in a fun and easy way. It is ideal for both children and adults alike. It can also come in handy for classroom settings or self-learning.
The book contains forty lessons to help any English student in the best way possible. This is a series with two books in one volume, each part having twenty lessons covering a wide variety of topics. There are several practical subjects to help learners expand their writing, reading, and speaking skills, and each of the pages contains engaging tasks. To help reinforce the learning sessions, the book also comes with review sections and fun worksheets.
Every lesson has interactive phonics and pronunciation pages. You will also learn to use and apply English sentences since there are practical sentence patterns for different topics. It includes step-by-step ways to learn advanced grammar, useful for many important tenses. To ensure that you are learning effectively, you can use the provided progress tests. This book is a great experience for Spanish speakers, as the vocabulary words have Spanish translations.
ESL Intermediate/Advanced Grammar, by Mary Ellen Munoz Page
The book is designed for non-native English speakers of different levels. It can be used by intermediate, advanced high school, and college-level learners. This ESL book for beginners is the perfect companion for learners in a classroom setting as well as those who take self-guided studies.
The book mainly focuses on helping learners with grammar skills. You will learn about articles, plurals, vocabulary, irregular verbs, and prepositions through it. It contains and gives students simple grammatical explanations alongside skill-building exercises to help them put what they have learned into practical use. The offered explanations also help learners master the shared concepts progressively with well-detailed answer keys to compare your answers.
The author understands that students will come across different tests and has thus incorporated test-taking techniques in the book. These test-taking techniques highlight the strategies students can employ for ESL tests success. With all the content the book has to offer, it is a splendid way to help Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) candidates prepare. It makes an excellent supplement to language courses and other English textbooks. English Intermediate/Advanced Grammar is indeed an ideal ESL book for beginners.
What Every ESL Student Should Know, by Kathy Ochoa Flores
Every ESL beginner, international or immigrant, wishes to know what they are bound to come across as they learn the language. But few have the best resources and the answers to help them with this issue and get into the journey blank. Most people will simply advise hanging around English speakers. This is like the one size fits all philosophy solution. But for how long can someone hang around you to help you master a language? Not long enough.
Kathy Ochoa anticipated this primary concern and put together this book. The book contains imperative statements with detailed advice for learners. There are also suggestions, experiences, and learning theories gathered over several years of teaching. It is written in a friendly, concise format and manner to help newcomers embark on learning prepared adequately. It is easy to read because it is smaller in scope. It teaches about learning the language and classroom expectations.
What the book mainly focuses on is the survival skills for ESL beginner students. It is a one-size-fits-all that has enough tips for students, but it can also be used by skeptical ESL teachers who are just beginning. You will get to see how you can prepare student behavior, expectations, participation in the class setting.
ESL Beginner, by Sherry Boguchwal
This book is top among the best ESL books for beginners that will help you maneuver English aspects easily. The book introduces you to the critical basics of English grammar and also provides you with confidence-building exercises and activities. These are the right tools that will be beneficial in helping you progress to the next level at the right pace. You are also given everyday living skills to help you better understand concepts such as nouns, sentence construction (simple and compound), verbs, and modifiers.
There are unique tables added for extra review. They will help you learn about articles, plurals, vocabulary, irregular verbs, and prepositions. The book’s sections have skill-building exercises, which are accompanied by examples for practice. There is a glossary section that contains essential components of speech together with word lists appendices.
As an ESL beginner, the most important thing is to learn at your own pace while enhancing your speaking abilities. This book helps with that through its additional class discussions and fun projects. It is also instrumental when preparing for an ESL test and can supplement language courses and other classroom textbooks.
The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide, by Larry Ferlazzo
ESL teachers are at different levels. There are those who are experienced but start with new students, and there are those who are getting into the practice for the very first time. These educators need to be aware of various issues surrounding ESL teaching, and that is what they can find in this book.
It will help you as an educator set up an ESL-friendly classroom, motivate, and interact with your students. Through the book, you will also get to discover several ways you can use to navigate the inherent challenges in ESL teaching. The lessons given in the book are put together to help you familiarize yourself with core standards and technological applications. They also include vast instructions based on research, which will ultimately be practical with learners.
The book will help you build an effective and positive learning environment which is especially important for those starting the classes. It also includes the significant curriculum elements required for beginners. There are ideas for student(s) reflection, performance assessment, assignments, and practical field trips. Furthermore, you can learn how to handle error correction, classroom management, limited technological access, multilevel classes, and more.
ESL Classroom Activities for Teens and Adults, by Shelley Ann Vernon
The author of this book understands how challenging learning and teaching English can be. She has written this book to make the process fun and enjoyable. This book brings a unique perception by advocating and giving ways to abandon the old ways and work more to revitalize the learning sessions.
Through this book, you will see that the best way to learn effectively is by having activities that you enjoy. The book contains fun-filled classroom activities that can have an energetic and attentive class. The activities are competitive, and they will indeed promote learning. These will be helpful to get the students talking, including the timid ones. It is an excellent resource to help the very nervous and overwhelmed beginners.
Because every classroom setting is different, the book has many variants that cater to all group sizes. Students are abled differently, and the book has variants for different abilities. The author has been an English teacher of all levels, and this is a particularly crucial input.
The book has age-appropriate ESL games that are easy to follow. Many students may get bored by the regular workbooks, but games are faster and more fantastic. Students can eventually quickly learn and remember aspects like grammar and vocabulary with fun ESL learning. They will also be more motivated to know more.
Conclusion
Learning English is a way to open a world of opportunity if you do not natively speak the language. That is why an English textbook can come in handy for you as a beginner, whether in a classroom setting or as a self-learner. Both ESL teachers and students need to master the skill efficiently to be effective. That is why with our recommended ESL books for beginners, whether you are learning or teaching, they will equip you accordingly for success.
If you are also interested in Asian languages check our article about Korean language.
My profession is online marketing and development (10+ years experience), check my latest mobile app called Upcoming or my Chrome extensions for ChatGPT. But my real passion is reading books both fiction and non-fiction. I have several favorite authors like James Redfield or Daniel Keyes. If I read a book I always want to find the best part of it, every book has its unique value.