Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to encourage teens to be regular readers, listeners, and library users. Celebrate Teen Read Week October 9-15, 2016.
This year YALSA announced a multilingual “Read for the Fun of It” theme, encouraging librarians “to highlight all of the resources and services available to the 22% of the nation’s youth who speak a language other than English at home.” Read on for fun listening suggestions, learn why audiobooks are a great resource for English Language Learners, and find more language learning tools for your library.
“Audiobooks provide age-appropriate book content to kids who understand spoken English better than they can read it. Audiobooks also offer good listening and speaking experiences for kids who read print well but have difficulties with pronunciation. Audiobooks allow ELL/ESL learners to become cognizant of correct pronunciation and informative vocal expression.”
—Francisca Goldsmith, Librarian & Consultant
Build literacy by developing key skills with audiobooks:
- Motivate, keep listeners’ interest, and win over reluctant readers with gripping stories on audio (find fun listening suggestions below!)
- Develop understanding of correct pronunciation
- Provide a level playing field for a wide range of learners and abilities
- Encourage an appreciation of fluent oral reading by providing a reading role model
- Create a personal connection to the story and a sense of intimacy
- Promote higher level critical thinking, interpretation, and imagination
Learn more about how audiobooks build literacy skills these two articles:
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THE DA VINCI CODE(THE YOUNG ADULT ADAPTATION)
by Dan Brown
Read by Paul Michael
Dan Brown’s mega-bestseller is now available for a new generation of listeners. This young adult adaptation is the perfect way to get ready for Inferno, the highly-anticipated fall blockbuster, in theaters October 28, 2016.
LISTEN TO A CLIP:
A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING(KINGDOM ON FIRE, BOOK ONE)
by Jessica Cluess
Read by Fiona Hardingham
The first audiobook in an epic fantasy trilogy, starring a powerful female lead—Henrietta Howel is Hermione Granger meets Katniss Everdeen.
THE FEVER CODEby James Dashner
Read by Mark Deakins
This is the story that listeners all over the world have been waiting for—the story of how Thomas and WICKED built the Maze. All will be revealed in the fifth audio in Dashner’s #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series. Fans won’t want to miss it!
GEMINAby Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Read by A Full Cast
Hear the out-of-this-world sequel to the 2016 Audie Award winner for Multi-Voice Performance, ILLUMINAE.
Plus, Living Language offers a number of resources that can help you and your multilingual patrons:
Public libraries are among the first institutions that new Americans turn to for their English language learning, according to the American Dream foundation. You can connect with your ESL, immigrant and refugee patron communities by providing English classes, ESL discussion groups, and by offering English language programs that patrons can take home.
Learn more about using Living Language courses here:
