I have recently collaborated with Laura, a video and podcast coach who helps educators record engaging content to build stronger connections and grow their learning community. Before becoming a coach and establishing Communicating for Impact Laura taught English, trained teachers, and led academic teams in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Lucerne for fifteen years. Laura is also the co-founder and producer for the Tesol Pop podcast, which provides bite-sized episodes on teaching, trends, and careers for English Language teachers. When she is not coaching or podcasting, Laura can be found reading and talking to fellow readers at her Book Club events.

Creating Content to Grow Your Learning Community

I was kindly invited to Laura’s podcast to speak all things content! You can check out the podcast episode here or scroll down to watch the Youtube episode! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

🤩 Check out Laura’s website 👉🏻 **here** 👈🏻 for more short interviews on teaching, careers, and trends in English Language Teaching.

Books To Inspire Your Reading Habit

Amy: What books have you read recently and which English levels are they appropriate for? 📚

Laura: I run two book clubs; one is for fiction and the other non-fiction, so I read on average four books a month. Thanks to my book club members, I’ve been encouraged to read more widely and beyond my usual favourite genres and authors.
This year, the following books really stood out to me for their originality, and how joyful they were to read:

1. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Shehan Karunatilakan (Advanced Level)

This is a ghoulish thriller and detective story set in 1990s Sri Lanka. The first chapter starts with the main character, war photographer Maali Almeida, realising that he has died and that the people responsible for his death have gotten away with the crime. What unfolds is a cat and mouse chase between the world of the living and the world of the dead to seek justice by retrieving a box of photos that will reveal the truth

2. I am, I am, I am, Maggie O’Farrell (Upper Intermediate Level)

How many brushes with death have you had in your lifetime? Maybe one or two? How about seventeen? This is the case for the author, O’Farrell, who recounts seventeen separate instances where she almost died. The chapters are organised with reference to body parts. Far from being gruesome, this autobiography will have you holding your breath as you race through the short tales.

3. The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp (Upper Intermediate Level)

This non-fiction book shares best practices and ideas to encourage readers to think more creatively. What I love about this book is how practical and adaptable the ideas are. Whether you work in education or finance, Tharp’s creativity strategies are transferable to many contexts. My favourite idea that I have taken away from this book is the idea of collecting inspiration for a project in a box.

Amy: Do you have any other special book recommendations for English learners? 🤓

Laura: Revolting Rhymes, Roald Dahl

You’re probably familiar with fairy tales, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The popularity of the fairy tales makes this collection of short stories easy to pick up and read along. The best part is that the stories do not follow the usual pattern and instead contain humourous twists and turns that will surprise you.

Published in 1982, this collection is typical of its time and Roald Dahl’s humorous style. From a linguistic point of view, you will encounter words and phrases that had a different meaning in the 1980s compared to the present day. This adds another layer of intrigue to the collection.

An Inspector Calls, JB Priestley

Unlike the other recommendations which are short stories, novellas or memoirs, An Inspector Calls is a play script. The short three-act story takes place on one night set in the UK in 1912. A mysterious man, who calls himself Inspector Goole visits the wealthy Birling family to question them about the recent suicide of a woman they all knew.

Conversations between Inspector Goole and each member of the Birling family reveal that they all played a part in causing the young woman’s demise and eventual death. There is a twist at the end of the play that causes the Birling family (and the audience) to question what is real and what is not.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

If you haven’t read any of Maya Angelou’s memoirs or poetry, then I suggest starting with her debut memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1969, the book recounts Angelou’s childhood and the challenges she faced growing up in the United States in the 1930s. Angelou’s story is one of extraordinary resilience, as she overcomes childhood trauma with the support of her family and her love for literature.

It’s worth noting that this memoir is upsetting to read in many places as Angelou honestly recollects instances of racism, sexual assault and extreme poverty. Nevertheless, Angelou’s strong spirit tells a story of hope in the face of adversity.

Amy: Why is reading books a great tool for English learners? 🧐

Laura: As a fellow language learner, I find reading or listening to audiobooks helps me:

Develop a deeper understanding of words and phrases
Use language and phrases more creatively
Develop my cultural and historical awareness

It also enables me to engage in conversations that go beyond simple transactions, as I may recommend a book to a friend, or read a book that a friend recommended, and talk about it later.

A common misconception is that reading helps you learn a language, but this is only true if the book is appropriate for your level. If a book contains too many unknown words and phrases, then reading will turn into a translation exercise, which detracts the joy away from reading (in my opinion).

If you are new to reading books in your language of study, then consider:

Starting with short stories that you are already familiar with
Reading on a digital device so you can swiftly look up an unknown word
Reading the translated version first and then the version in English
Adopting a hybrid approach by listening to the audiobook as you read along
Choosing books and genres that genuinely interest you

There is no right or wrong way to approach reading for pleasure, so feel free to make adaptations based on your needs and interests.

Amy: I know you’re running some book clubs at the moment. Can you give our readers some info?

Laura: If you want to read along with me, then you can tune into my virtual non-fiction book club on the TESOL Pop Youtube here. If you’re not a fan of non-fiction, then why not set up a reading club in your community? You can take turns to pitch and vote on a book to read each month, and then meet up to share your thoughts over a cup of coffee.

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