What if we told you that you can understand big ideas with just a little bit of text when it comes to learning English?
You don’t have to wait years to deal with complex concepts. You don’t have to limit your thinking just because you’re learning a language. It’s all about going beyond reality in stories. It’s no surprise that they can help you grasp big ideas with just a little English reading practice.
However, when you’re reading better stories, this works better. We will be talking about award-winning short stories told in a language that even English beginners can understand. These will not only improve your English reading skills, but will also broaden your horizons.
English Stories to Improve English Speaking
One of the most enjoyable and effective ways to improve your English language skills is to read. It can help you improve your vocabulary, language and introduce you to new sentence structures and patterns while also allowing you to enjoy some fantastic stories.
Tablets and e-readers make it even easier to learn English because you can simply click on a word to read its definition. You can even add new words you’ve learned to the Kindle’s Vocabulary Builder feature, which saves them to the device.
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Flora Annie Steel- “The Bogey Beast”
On her way home from work, a woman discovers a treasure chest on the side of the road. She decides to keep her good fortune because she is ecstatic (overjoyed). It keeps changing as she carries it home. Her enthusiasm, on the other hand, refuses to wane (faint or disappear slowly).
The old lady in this story is one of the most cheerful characters in all of English literature. Her upbeat demeanour (personality) tries to turn every bad situation into a gift, and she encourages us to consider luck as a matter of perspective rather than events.
The Hare and the Tortoise
The story of a slow tortoise and a quick hare is told in this classic moral story. A race between the hare and the tortoise is proposed. The hare teases and laughs at the idea that a tortoise could run faster than him, but the outcomes are surprising when the two race and the tortoise wins.
Have you ever heard the idiom
“slow and steady wins the race”
in English? This is the origin of that well-known phrase. This timeless (classic) short story teaches a lesson that we all know but often overlook: natural talent is no substitute for hard work, and overconfidence frequently leads to failure.
Beatrix Potter: “The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse”
Timmie Willie is a country rat who is transported to the city in a vegetable basket by accident. He finds himself at a party and makes a new friend when he wakes up. He returns to his home when he can no longer bear (tolerate or experience) city life, but invites his friend to join him in the village. Something similar happens when his friend pays him a visit.
For the majority of human history, people have lived without cities or villages. As a result, both village and city life are relatively recent inventions. And, like any other invention, we must weigh the costs and advantages.
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Ruskin Bond- “The Night Train at Deoli”
Ruskin Bond used to spend his summers in Dehradun, India with his grandmother. He had to pass through a small train station called Deoli every time he took the train. Nothing used to happen at the station because no one used to get down there. Until he sees a girl selling fruit and can’t stop thinking about her.
Ruskin Bond is a writer who can express complex emotions in a straightforward manner. This story is about our feelings for strangers and why we cherish (value or appreciate them greatly) them even if we never see them again.
Ray Bradbury- “There Will Come Soft Rains”
The Earth has been ravaged by war, and no one lives there any longer. Robots and machines continue to work and serve people who have died a long time ago.
The title is derived from a poem that describes how nature will carry on its work long after humans have passed away. Nature, on the other hand, plays a supporting role in this story, and it is the machines who have taken its place.
They keep working despite the lack of human or natural assistance. This demonstrates how technology has taken the place of nature in our lives, and how it has the ability to both destroy us and continue without humanity.
Ken Liu- “Paper Menagerie”
Jack’s mother has the ability to bring paper animals to life. Jack adores them at first and spends hours with his mother. However, as he matures, he ceases to communicate with her because she is unable to converse (speak) in English.
He kills his mother’s creations and collects them in a box when she tries to communicate with him through them. He learns about her story through a hidden message that he should have read a long time ago after a tragic loss.
The story is told in a straightforward manner while addressing complex issues. It’s about leaving your home country in search of a better future.
Donald Barthelme- “The School”
A school teacher describes all of the recent happenings that occurred on campus. They begin by mentioning a garden where all of the trees had died. Deaths of all kinds start to happen pretty quickly.
Even though they want to teach children about death, most adults have no idea how to deal with it. It makes us realise how inadequate our educational systems are because they are incapable of assisting us in dealing with life’s most fundamental issues.
The students eventually lose faith in everything, and the adults are forced to put on a show of love in order to feel less afraid. It demonstrates how adults are unable to explain and comprehend death, so they simply act as if they do.
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Why Short Stories are Best for English Learning?
For any English learner, short stories are invaluable resources. Because: You have more time to concentrate on individual words. When a text is short, you can devote more time to understanding how each word is used and what role it plays in the piece.
A complete story can be read in one sitting. Attention spans are crucial for learning, and being able to finish a story allows you to spend more time understanding it. Short stories are intended to provide you with the most information with the least amount of effort. It is the most reliable method. It’s far easier to read one short story every day than it is to try to finish a large novel.
Some More Points
They’re simple to share in a group. Short stories are ideal for learning and book clubs circles because they can be read in one sitting. The majority of the time, these groups fail because members do not have time to read. Short stories are an excellent choice.
You’ll be able to concentrate more on ideas and concepts. Language is more about the meaning behind the words than it is about the words themselves. You will never be able to speak a language fluently if you spend all of your time learning vocabulary and grammar because you will have little to talk about. These short stories will help you understand big concepts in context.
Improve English Speaking Skills Quickly
Practice with a Partner
There is no substitute for practising with real conversations if you want to improve your English speaking skills. When speaking with someone, you must recall English vocabulary, use grammar concepts, and read the other person’s body language, among other things. All of this takes time and effort to master.
If you don’t have an English-speaking friend who is willing to practise with you, consider hiring an English tutor or finding a language exchange partner online.
Listening to Audio
This is a great way to improve not only your speaking skills, but also your vocabulary, listening, and grammar.
This is how it works:
Listen – begin by listening to an English sentence.
Pause the audio and repeat a phrase or a sentence.
Record yourself while repeating the words or sentences.
The final step in this method is to compare. Listen to the original audio first, then compare it to your recording. You’ll be able to see where you need to improve, as well as what you can say and understand correctly and what changes you need to make.
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Record Your Audio
We understand that most people dislike having their voices recorded, but it’s actually a fantastic way to improve your speaking skills! Hearing yourself on tape can reveal things you didn’t realise (for example, if you’re nervous, you might speak quickly, swallow your “s’s,” or mumble).
On the other hand, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that your speaking abilities are far superior to your expectations! Take your recording to your teacher or a native speaker friend for feedback, and you’ll get bonus points.
Make it Fun
Let’s be honest. When you’re having fun, it’s much easier to learn something new. Make your speaking practice more fun by talking to yourself when you’re alone, singing along to popular English songs, doing tongue twisters, or giving one-minute “impromptu speeches” on topics of your choosing.
English Speaking Course
People learn how to control their anxieties, how to use their voice and body language to their advantage, how to write speeches and persuade others, and more by taking a Fluent English-speaking course. Public speaking practice can help you communicate more effectively in interviews, at work, and in other situations.
English Learning App
Are you looking for the best English speaking app? On our list, the Fluent Life App is at the top. An app that teaches you how to communicate effectively so that you can always put your best foot forward and be your best self.
Chat with your own digital friend-circle, who will be with you forever, enriching your day with grammar, contextualising vocabulary, and enhancing your linguistic competence with the most juicy morsels and facts, and you will be spared the fear of failure.
Conclusion
In today’s globalised world, learning English is essential because it can help with communication both within and outside India. Despite the fact that India has the world’s second-largest English-speaking population, research shows that a large percentage of young children are unable to communicate in the language.
This is why many of these children, even as adults, are concerned about how to learn English properly in order to avoid the problems that arise when they are not proficient enough. Any language is challenging to learn and mastering it can take months, if not years. You will, however, discover the most effective methods for learning English if you practise and persevere regularly.
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