The wonder of books to improve your English

English teacher Simone Smook explains how using stories and books to improve your English is a winning strategy for learners of English.

Abigail Fulbrook: Okay, welcome back to the Elevate blog. I’m here with Simone Smook. Welcome Simone.
Simone Smook: Thank you, Abbie. I’d love I’m happy to be here.
Abigail Fulbrook: Where are you in the world?
Simone Smook: I am in South Africa, sunny South Africa. Although it is winter now, so it’s it’s a bit chilly, but wonderful South Africa.
Abigail Fulbrook: Right. I see. And you’re an English teacher.
Simone Smook: I’m an English teacher. I’ve been teaching for over six years now. It’s a funny story. I studied a few things. I did a few things, but you know how life is and you always just end up where you’re supposed to be. And yes, um, I’ve been teaching children and teens. I’ve been teaching literature, also just high level English, usually to second language speakers. However, a lot of my students are very advanced in the English.
So, I’ve got experience across the board and mainly I just love teaching literature because I love stories. I’ve always loved stories. I’ve always loved language. And then combining these two things together is unbelievably amazing.
Abigail Fulbrook: That’s great. So, what kind of thing are are your lessons focused on? When you say literature, what does that encompass?
Simone Smook: Okay. I call it literature enrichment because it’s not something that everybody has to do, but it’s something that really helps build your language skills, especially if you already love stories or you love reading or you know, if you’re a parent and you want your child to improve in reading, then it’s a great place to start. We all have our favorite ways of acquiring language and becoming experts, but I strongly believe in the power of story and storytelling. I for myself, I found it the easiest and just most incredible way to get better at language. I offer that. Basically it’s a few months of reading a few books and meeting together and discussing the literature. Looking at themes and metaphors and symbols and characters and just you know what you would would usually find in a literature course. However, we combine that with creative writing and it’s just such a great place especially for children and teens to learn about different cultures, to to learn empathy, to build critical thinking skills. These things are all transferable outside of language class, aren’t they? So yeah, that’s about it.
Abigail Fulbrook: It’s a lot. It’s a lot from just a book. It’s not just reading a book, is it?
Simone Smook: Exactly. Exactly. I found that sometimes when students start, especially younger children, you know, they they don’t really know what to expect, but we just end up having such a great time and by the third or fourth or fifth book, there’s a complete transformation. The kids are just they know what they’re talking about. they can start then comparing books with previous books and uh comparing characters and it’s just amazing. It’s amazing to see that transformation as well.
Abigail Fulbrook: Nice. That sounds that’s great. Um, yeah, I think a lot of I’m in Japan and although we have English lessons, we don’t have these kind of literature, you know, digging into the stories in a foreign language. Yes. Is it tricky? Is it tricky for the students who it’s if English is their second language?
Simone Smook: It can be. It can be. It depends on the individual. In my experience teaching literature is with you know I don’t want to say gifted but students who are already um you know at a higher level in their English. I wouldn’t say a level A student would would particularly enjoy this. I think they would find it very difficult. However, at some point you do have to start interacting with that because I think that’s the best way to master a language. But you know what? Everybody’s welcome and that’s why I’m there. I’m I’m the middle, right? I’m the guide. You can of course read a book on your own, but that moment when you start discussing it with others and expressing your ideas, that’s really where the magic happens, and I’m there to facilitate that, to to guide students and to help them when they’re not sure and to also culturally guide them. Because they might not understand the subtleties of English and where it comes from, you know,
Abigail Fulbrook: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I have to ask, what’s your favorite story?
Simone Smook: that’s not a fair question! I love translated stories like The Little Prince. I love classic books like Jane Austin books. Well, why not talk about that? I love newer modern novels like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner. The other day we did To Kill a Mockingbird, which is classic American literature. Um, but also Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, you know, fun stuff with with lessons. Um, so there’s just so much I I wouldn’t be able to name one book.
Abigail Fulbrook: Okay. I know feeling actually I love reading too and yeah there’s not one favorite book there.
Simone Smook: No. Impossible. It’s endless.
Abigail Fulbrook: How about your students? Do you have any memorable moments from your students when they’ve had a a breakthrough or something has just clicked for..?
Simone Smook: Oh, that happens all the time really, but it’s just like you said, it’s it’s those little moments, those little aha moments when when something just changes, and as the teacher, I can see that happen. you know, the student might not realize it. Um, I love things like that. The other day one of my youngest students, she, you know, after a few weeks of trying to get her to read aloud a bit and and and express some ideas, you know, she was very shy. And it it took a few weeks, I would say even a month or so. And then finally she, you know, just got comfortable in the classroom and started reading aloud. And she even wrote her own little story which she read aloud and and I think that’s huge. That’s huge, you know. Otherwise just all those little moments or and because this is so intimate really those little moments where they share anything from their lives, they’re comfortable enough to share their own stories really. Um they we all have something to say. We all have little stories throughout our lives. Um, so just those little moments really are amazing, memorable.
Abigail Fulbrook: Yeah. Yes. Yes. Certainly. Okay. So, I think I have a good idea. But tell me, why do you like being a teacher? Why do you continue teaching?
Simone Smook: That is such a good question, Abbie. Um, like I said, I’ve done a few things in my life, but teaching is just so wonderful. There’s never a dull moment. You have students from all over the place with their own personalities and their own needs and their own wonderful quirks.
And it’s just always interesting. And as a teacher, you’re always challenged to then find a way to um facilitate something for them. Um and and so it’s always creative. It’s always challenging at some or other level. Um, and it’s helping, isn’t it? It’s it’s helping people. And I think that’s just where the the true joy lies for me.
Abigail Fulbrook: Definitely I completely agree actually you know the feelings like ah that’s awesome. Actually I wanted to go back a bit and say, why literature? Why do you teach not just language but yeah literature.
Simone Smook: Yes, it just happened by chance. I personally, like I said earlier, I’ve always loved story stories, reading stories, watching films, telling stories, acting things out, being silly, and then I also, found my passion for teaching. It started with just English as a foreign language. I actually spent some time in China where I did that. We had summer schools, winter schools where we did short stories and then I saw something that I didn’t know about, but then after that I’ve been teaching online and it just happened. So my love for teaching, my love for story, it just combined. It just happened and I’ve just found this this perfect way of of of doing that. And I don’t think it’s everybody’s cup of tea. I really don’t think it’s everybody’s cup of tea, but for those brave souls and those who love magic and wonder, it’s perfect.
Abigail Fulbrook: Yeah, definitely. I think everyone should try. Yeah, you never know until you try what you can find.
Simone Smook: never know. You never know. It opens a lot of doors.
Abigail Fulbrook: Yeah, definitely. I think understanding English is one thing, but understanding literature and the the stories that we have in in English- speaking cultures and then comparing it with your own culture as well.
Simone Smook: Exactly. Exactly.
Abigail Fulbrook: Interesting. Yeah. And yeah, it’s not all different. It’s there’s so many similarities is the point
Simone Smook: And the that’s the wonder. I think you find those similarities between cultures within stories. whichever way it it happens. It happens every day.
Abigail Fulbrook: Yeah, definitely. This was really interesting to speak to you, Simone.
Simone Smook: Thank you, Abbie.
Abigail Fulbrook: No problem. Thank you very much.