“Hooked on phonics” – It is advertised for children but works just as well for adults. It will help you understand how the language works. The stories are simple and easy. It includes tapes or cd’s that will show you how to pronounce each section. Then go to a bookstore or library and begin picking up anything that interests you. Go several times a week. In no time at all you will find that your proficiency has picked up greatly and you are enjoying books.

You’ve got to practice, my friend- that includes reading, writing, speaking and listening- you can achieve a lot by actually making friends with native English speakers, but a little study in your own time can’t hurt you. Find a suitable text book, or if you’re confident enough, read short stories or newspapers. Another good tool is TV- if you watch English television, you can pick up a lot of vocabulary. If you can, why not look for an English person who wants to learn your own language? You can do tandem learning sessions once a week, and give each other tips on each others language… it can help a lot, plus you get the positive feeling of learning together…

There are ESL books at the library, as long as you have a good library (one that’s in at least a city). You can then look to children’s books since the novels will have all text but probably words that are harder than “See Jack run” when you move up the grades/reading levels.

The librarian has probably met people that would like to improve his or her ESL skills, so it would be to approach him or her. Or if the library is big enough, there will be a librarian that is better or the best to help you out. I’m not sure if you’re look for fiction or non-fiction but probably the best way is to pick an area you like and then look for books in it.

Well, how old are you? Your reading proficiency may depend on both your native language and age. It’s helpful to know how old you are to determine what level you *should* be reading at. If you tell me, I’ll recommend some books.

the harry potter books by J.K. Rowling