We hope that this year will be a successful, enjoyable and rewarding one for you and your students. If you’ve been trying to think of ways your students can practise their English in a way they will love, Vicens Vives can help with some Book Club ideas!
What better way of practising English is there than reading with a good book? Why not take a look at the catalogues we offer, choose for example 6 titles for your students and start a Book Club. As well as enjoying the pleasure or reading students will also have the opportunity to practice all the core skills in English!
Book Club ideas
- From the titles you have selected ask your students to choose a book.
- Give the students a deadline to read the books (with audio if they prefer).
- When they have finished ask them to think about the «Book Club questions»:
- Did you like the story?
- What is your favourite part of the book?
- Which character do you like the most? Which character do you like the least? Why?
- Imagine you are making a film of the book. Which actors would play which roles?
- Did anything in the book…….
- a) surprise you?
- b) make you sad?
- c) make you angry?
- d) make you laugh?
- If you could meet any character in the story, who would it be and what would you ask them?
- Do you know anyone similar to any of the characters in the story? Who? Why are they similar?
- In class do an information exchange activity where the students explain their story in groups (all different titles).
- After listening to all the plots, students discuss which story (not their own) they would read next.
- Finally, students who have read the same book discuss (in groups or pairs) the book club questions.
- As a follow up, students could write the answers to the questions, a review, a character study or an article about an aspect of the story that interested them.
Book Club ideas for younger ones
- After reading students draw a picture or series of pictures which represent the story or an aspect of it.
- In class ask the students to explain a jigsaw activity explaining their different stories to each other.
- Then, put all the pictures together and guess which pictures match the stories they have just heard about.
- You could stick the pictures on the walls and the students go round like in an art gallery looking at them. They then write the title of the story they think it corresponds to below.
The best books for your Book Club!
To help you choose some titles to use with the Book Club ideas take a look at The Black Cat catalogue of graded readers
- Choice: A wide selection of beautifully illustrated original and traditional stories with audio.
- Levels: Young children (Early Reads), older children (Green Apple A1-A2), teenagers (Reading and Training A2-C1).
- Extras: Wide range of activities which include grammar practice, the four skills and exercises in the style of the Cambridge and Trinity exams. Apart from reading a great story, your students can keep up with other aspects of their English, all in one book!
- Digital: Selected titles in e-book format with additional web activities with more opportunities to practise English.
Enjoy reading and sharing your reflections with your Book Club.
