Speak English Brazil
Reading Tips / Dicas de Leitura Com Tradução em Português
Introduction / Introdução
Every book or author in my list of 10 fits the list of criteria I have for reading books in
foreign languages when I'm at an intermediate level. If you're lost in the search to find
something to read, hopefully this guideline will help you narrow your search!
Todo livro ou autor na minha lista de 10 se encaixa na lista de critérios que tenho para ler livros
em idiomas estrangeiros quando estou com um nível intermediário. Se você está perdido na
busca para encontrar algo para ler, espero que esta diretriz o ajude a restringir sua pesquisa!
My Guideline for Choosing Books / Minha Orientação para Escolher Livros
I take 3 things into consideration when I'm picking books in a foreign language.
Eu levo 3 coisas em consideração quando eu estou escolhendo livros em uma língua estrangeira.
___________
#1. Genre, reviews and recommendations / Gênero, reviews e recomendações
I choose books I've already read (for comprehension), books recommended by other
language learners OR books found on GoodReads above 4.0 stars in the 4th-6th grade level
(10-12 year olds).
Eu escolho os livros que já li (para a compreensão), livros recomendados por outros
aprendentes de línguas OU livros encontrados em GoodReads acima de 4,0 estrelas no 4º-6º ano
(10-12 anos).
Apart from novels written for 10-12 year olds, I look for non-fiction books written in the
first person (to improve the way I talk and think about myself and life), novels by authors
who write simplistically (ex. Paulo Coelho) or crime books (to improve conversation).
Além de romances escritos para crianças de 10 a 12 anos, procuro livros de não ficção escritos
em primeira pessoa (para melhorar a maneira como falo e pensar sobre mim e a vida),
romances de autores que escrevem de forma simplista (ex Paulo Coelho) ou livros de crime
(para melhorar a conversação).
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#2. Extensive Reading: Look up max. 4-5 words per page or fewer
When I'm in a bookstore and want to know if a book is a good choice, I flip to the middle of
the book, read one page and count the number of words I don't know. If I need to look up
more than the 4-5 words to understand the context, reading is not fun, it's work. Being able
to immerse oneself in a story can improve the learning experience. Flow = Fun = Learning.
Intensive reading should be left for articles.
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Quando eu estou em uma livraria e quero saber se um livro é uma boa escolha, folhei ao meio
do livro, leio uma página e conto o número de palavras que não conheço. Se eu precisar
procurar mais do que 4-5 palavras para entender o contexto, a leitura não é divertida, é
trabalho. Ser capaz de mergulhar em uma história pode melhorar a experiência de
aprendizagem. Flow = Fun = Learning. A leitura intensiva deve ser deixada para artigos.
___________
#3 Limit the Length of the Book to 250 pages / Limite o comprimento do livro
para 250 páginas:
Everytime I finish a chapter in a foreign language a great sense of accomplishment sweeps
over me. Unfortunately, if a book is very long the likelihood of finishing it decreases due to
lack of time, loss of interest, etc. As a result, I feel bad about myself. I don't risk it; I normally
choose books under 250 pages.
Toda vez que eu terminar um capítulo em uma língua estrangeira, eu me sinto um grande senso
de sucesso. Infelizmente, se um livro é muito longo, a probabilidade de terminá-lo diminui
devido à falta de tempo, perda de interesse, etc. Como resultado, eu me sinto mal comigo
mesmo. Não arrisco; Normalmente escolho livros com menos de 250 páginas.
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#1: The Alchemist / The Pilgrimage / 11 Minutes Paulo Coelho Talk about an easy author to read! I read his books in German, French, Spanish and Portuguese at an intermediate level and I felt like I was fluent:)
#2: Eat Pray Love / Big Magic / Commitment Elizabeth Gilbert She writes in the first person in a very natural way, talking about everyday life and situations. This style of writing can help you express yourself in everyday life or even start your own journal in English!
#3: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl Roald Dahl books helped my reading ability drastically when I was at an basic-intermediate level in Spanish. I read the three books above and learned very useful words for everyday life.
#4: The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, etc.) C.S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia are great although I must admit a little bit more difficult to understand than Roald Dahl due to extravagant vocabulary. Still a very good recommendation.
#5: The Giver, Number the Stars Lois Lowry Great books. The Giver was my favorite book when I was in 5th grade and Number the Stars was the favorite of many of my friends. These are great for ANY age level.
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#6: The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd I read this book in 5th grade and really liked it. Apart from great character development, it reflects on relationships between women and race in the South during the 1950s.
#7 Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point Malcom Gladwell Malcom Gladwell is a journalist who packs his books with stories and interesting perspectives on life. A few of my students have read his books and found them interesting and understandable. Other journalistic works: Tim Ferris Books, 4-hour work week, Lean Start-up etc.
#7: Ella Enchanted Gale Carson Levine I was obsessed with this book as a child. I don't know how many of you will pick it up, but if you want to expand your "fairy tale" vocabulary, this is the book to do so!
#8 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson Many kids liked this series at school. It's well written and can be read at any age level and enjoyed from my opinion. Afterwards, consider watching the movie in English to repeat vocabulary (on Netflix).
#10 Belle Prater's Boy Ruth White Hard to say why I remember this story so well, I read it when I was 11! The unique storyline and thoughts of the narrator made it an unforgettable read.
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Recommendations from my friends:
I asked my friends what their favorite books were when they read from 10-12 years old.
Here is what they recommended:
● Adventure: The Phantom Tollbooth, Harry Potter
● Modern: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Freak the Mighty, Dork Diaries, The Hunger
Games, Twilight. DC Supergirls, The Amulet Series
● Mystery: Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, The Hardy Boys
● Classics: Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Diary of Anne Frank, Around the World
in 80 Days, Anne of Green Gables, Number the Stars, Swiss Family Robinson and
The Secret Garden, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Cay, The Hatchet, Call it
Courage.
● Others: Holes, Brian’s Winter, Harris and Me, Redwall Series, The Golden
Compass Series, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, The Ramona Series,
James Patterson’s Middle School series
I hope this helps you in some way! If you have any questions, leave a note in the comments.
Espero que isso ajuda você de alguma forma! Se você tiver alguma dúvida, deixe uma nota nos
comentários.
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