How to choose an English textbook: a review of the best books for learning English for adults

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04 December 2024

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

If you are going to learn English, you need a good textbook. The textbook should cover all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. There are a variety of English textbooks on the market today, but are they all effective enough? Let's find out how to choose a textbook to help you achieve your goals.

Self-study: how to choose an English textbook?

What are the criteria that a good textbook for independent work should fulfil? This is important to know, because it will determine how much quality knowledge you will get.

Firstly, it should be appropriate for your level of English. You should not buy an advanced level book if you are just starting to learn English.

Secondly, the textbook should cover all four categories of skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. This way, you can progress faster and you won't have to look for additional books to tighten one of them.

Thirdly, a good textbook should be relevant to the goal. For example, if the goal is to get an IELTS certificate, the textbook should focus on preparing for this exam.

Which English textbook to choose? Top English-language textbooks for improving grammar

For both independent work and studying with a teacher, we recommend using the following literature to improve your grammar:

Practice Grammar Third Edition. This series of English grammar books is specially designed for those who plan to take international exams such as TOEFL or SAE. It consists of several books for different levels. The books contain not only the theoretical part and grammar rules, but also practical tasks. They are divided into sections, which are grouped by topics. Also at the end of each section you can find the correct answers to the tasks.
Active grammar. This textbook is suitable for those preparing for Cambridge ESOL. It contains a large number of exercises and texts on a variety of topics.
English Grammar in Use. This is a popular English grammar learning book by Raymond Murphy. The textbook has levels, in each of which the author emphasises certain grammatical constructions. For example, in the textbook for levels B1-B2 there is a study of modal verbs, Past & Present. Each book has a theoretical part and practical tasks and exercises, as well as an answer section.

Apart from the above mentioned English grammar books, you can always choose other such literature to develop your language skills.

The best English language textbooks for perfect vocabulary

Vocabulary or vocabulary is an important part of learning a language. The more vocabulary you have, the easier it is to explain your point of view. We recommend using popular literature to develop vocabulary.

English for Everyone English Vocabulary Builder

This English exam preparation book contains more than 3,000 words to memorise, as well as a variety of exercises and examples. It can not only help you learn the language, but also become a reference book for its practical use. The book helps you build up your vocabulary with common English words and phrases and progress from beginner to higher levels.

Focus on Vocabulary Level 1

This textbook is designed for intermediate and upper intermediate level students. It provides practical preparation for vocabulary used in films, TV series, newspapers, novels, and social and business settings. The textbook contains words to memorise, categorised into 504 groups, a wealth of material in the form of extracts from print and books, and well-designed exercises on the meanings of words and phrases.

A selection of the best English textbooks for comprehensive language learning

The best English textbooks for classroom learning or working with a tutor contain a full range of knowledge. They help you develop English as a whole, rather than a single skill.

Expert IELTS

This series of textbooks is recommended for those preparing for the IELTS exam. With its help, you can quickly improve your English language skills and pass the international exam with the appropriate score. The series includes three books - Expert IELTS 5, Expert IELTS 6 and Expert IELTS 7.5. The textbooks will suit not only learners of English of different ages, but it can also become an excellent methodological aid for teachers. The books contain a large number of tasks and exercises for practice.

English File 4th edition

These are updated textbooks that are used all over the world to learn English productively. Each book is designed for a specific level. It contains sections and lessons. The textbooks have texts, videos and practical tasks. It also helps to practice speaking.

Solutions 3rd Edition

The textbook series is designed for teenagers. Each book has a clear structure, contains a large number of thematic materials, including texts, topical vocabulary, audio books, tasks and exercises, as well as step-by-step instructions, thanks to which the acquired knowledge can be easily used in real communication.

SpeakOut 2nd edition

The books in the series contain tasks for the development of all skills. There are sections with different themes. The series is published in partnership with the BBC, so it is colourfully designed with high-quality images and additional video content.

Expert 3rd edition

The series includes books for pupils preparing for Cambridge English exams. The books are designed for high level B2, C1, C2. They contain original texts, audiobooks and other quality materials of high complexity for exam preparation, familiarise students with the features of Cambridge exams and provide a large number of practical exercises to develop their knowledge of English.

The choice of English textbook will ultimately determine the quality of the knowledge gained. But you should not forget that it is only through regular study and striving for your goal that you can achieve success.