Adaptive audio books in English. The best audio fairy tales in English for children and adults: with reference texts and useful tips
Today we propose to consider the list of audikonig in English by difficulty level. Also for convenience, we include applications for downloading English audio books.
Listening to audiobooks is one of my favorite ways to learn a language. Firstly, it makes it possible to train several skills at once: to improve the perception of English speech by ear (fortunately, most speakers read quite slowly and clearly), hear intonations in English and introduce them into your speech and develop a sense of speech. Secondly, this makes it possible not only to improve English language proficiency, but also to broaden one's horizons and learn something new in general.
The great advantage of listening to books in English is that you don’t need to put extra effort into it - you turn on the next chapter and plunge into the world of heroes. Words and grammatical constructions are memorized passively by the assimilation method. And short chapters, which last about 10-30 minutes, make it impossible to get tired of listening. Usually, I listen to chapters 1-2 before bedtime, when I’m already, it seems, learning to be lazy, but you need to occupy yourself with something useful. For me, this is a peculiar method of learning a language for the lazy :).
A list of books is also available in the video:
Before we get to the books, I’ll leave a list of applications where you can download free audio books in English.
Applications with free audio books in English
For Android
The application is convenient in that there is a text for each book, so you can listen while reading a book, so you can see how an unfamiliar word is written and immediately find it in the dictionary. Perfect for beginners, those who still find it difficult to grasp the meaning of words from the context, as well as people who prefer to engage in “active” reading, checking the meaning of all unfamiliar words and writing them out for further study. Another advantage of the application is that in some cases several versions of the same book are provided, so you can choose the one that suits your level more.
They also have their own website where you can download a book in MP3 format and listen from a computer: Beelingo.
As in the previous application, it is possible to read the text in parallel. There are both free and paid books.
Here is a large collection of simple e-books and audio books, both by contemporary authors and classics. Interestingly, they also have their own website, where you can try to offer to publish their own work in English. Another useful feature of this application is that you can set a reminder when you plan to read.
For iOS:
A great application with a large collection of audio books and books in text format.
A library with 24,000 audio books available absolutely free.
In all of the above applications, books are divided by topic, so you can easily choose something to your liking. There is a section with popular books, with science fiction, with classical and modern literature, biographies, tips, detective stories, children's literature, etc. - it remains only to choose. For those who do not want to read long novels, there are sections with short stories where you can choose your preferred genre. And if you want to read a specific work for a long time, just enter its name in the search. You can download your favorite literature to your library, and listen to it when you have the mood and free time.
Since the literature here is not adapted to different levels, I recommend starting listening from the Pre-Intermediate level while reading the text.
And another tip is a little advice: if you decide to just listen to a book, it’s better to choose works that you already know. This will simplify the perception of what you hear. At least, it was a little easier for me, since in some works it is very important to understand almost every word, otherwise you can’t grasp its essence, and since you have already read this book, not knowing the words will not prevent you from understanding the plot and subtext of the book. And secondly, if you, like me, are used to reading books, rather than listening, the idea of \u200b\u200bwhat the book is about will allow you to quickly adapt to the “reading” of works in audio format. In addition, if you read a previously selected book in your native language, it will be very interesting to compare what you hear with the translation.
Audio books for learning English:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Level: Approximately Pre-Intermediate
The first work I read in English was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I read in paper format the adaptation for Pre-Intermediate. And when I decided to train listening through listening to electronic books, I decided to start with this book, because I was already familiar with it in English. I was a little afraid that the audiobook would be much more complicated than the adaptation that I read, but it turned out to be suitable for my level (then it was approximately an intermediate level between Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate). In addition, parallel reading of text was very helpful.
I think this book does not need a description, since everyone already knows what it is about and what is interesting :). However, it should be noted that the feeling that you listen to it in English and understand all the interesting statements from it, and it was also very interesting to hear and read the original pun used by Lewis Carroll in this book, is simply indescribable.
Black Beauty
Level: Pre-Intermediate
The story of the black horse, which he himself allegedly tells, will allow the reader to look into the depths of the noble horse soul. The book is written in a very simple language, and the only difficulty is the words associated with horse riding. Therefore, before you start listening, you should be a little prepared - see how in English there will be such words as a lynx, gallop, bridle, etc. It is easy both to read and just to listen. A very light, in fact, teenage (if you read in the original), touching story is perfect for the level of "below average".
Peter Pan / Peter Pan
Level: Pre-Intermediate
Another very popular tale that I listened to in English. And if “Alice” also encounters difficult moments for students of the level “below average”, then this book is quite simple both lexically and stylistically.
The story of the boy Peter, who does not want to grow up, is friends with the fairy Tinker Bell and knows how to fly is popular all over the world. Once Peter flew into the window of the children of the Darling family - a girl named Wendy and her younger brothers - and took them with him to the fabulous country of Neverland, where children always remain children. In this magical land, children meet mermaids, brave Indians and evil pirates led by Captain Hook, with whom they have to fight. A beautiful and easy-to-read tale will improve your understanding of English by ear and temporarily plunge into childhood.
John Barleycorn or Alcoholic Memoirs / John Barley Grain: Alcoholic Memories
For those with an average level, it is probably better to listen to a book with a text in front of your eyes so as not to miss anything. Above average, it's worth trying just listening.
A very interesting autobiographical story of one of the most prominent American writers, in which the author talks about his difficult relationship with alcohol.
Jack London shares his memories of drinking, from the time he first tasted alcohol as a child, to the moment he became a famous writer. This book is about the role that booze played in the life of the writer, and his fight against alcoholism.
Tales of Andersen
Level: Intermediate
The book that I downloaded to myself was called Little Match Girl, but in fact it is a collection that includes seven Andersen's tales. I love many of his works, which differ in depth and, in fact, are far from children's. The author poses to readers very serious philosophical questions that make you think for a long time. Listening to these tales in English was a pleasure. The stories in the book were short and in two evenings I listened to the entire collection. Now I plan to find an audio version of my favorite story G.Kh. Andersen's “Shadow” in English. By the way, it was very interesting to compare Russian and English translations.
Dracula / Dracula
Level: Intermediate - Upper-Intermediate
The mystical story of the vampire Dracula has become a real classic of its genre. This work is not only a fascinating plot, but also a very beautiful style of writing. The images are spelled out so precisely that when you listen to a book, you are immersed in its mysterious, slightly frightening atmosphere. I recommend that you look into the text while listening, since the book periodically contains archaisms and literary words.
Of Mice and Men / About Mice and Men
Level: Intermediate
Touching to the core, the story of two hard workers wandering in search of work during the Great Depression, and dreaming of collecting money for their own farm. Lenny is a mentally retarded, but physically strong and hardworking guy. He just loves everything fluffy, especially small mice. The guy is very kind and does not want to harm anyone, but he does not know how to calculate his strength, because of which, in a fit of tenderness, he squeezes the mice that he manages to catch and they die. Lenny is trying to obey his friend George, who is responsible for him. Once friends get a seasonal field job at a farm near Solidad ....
This is a story about life's difficulties, dreams of a better future, sincere friendship and the complexity of choice. The book is very versatile and makes you think about a lot.
I did not find this book in applications when I was preparing the article, but I myself listened to it here:
https://youtu.be/NtPyLB9jBC0
Canterville Ghost / Canterville Ghost
A satirical short story parodying Gothic novels and ironic over bourgeois society is definitely worth listening to in English.
A family from America buys a mansion, to which goes its old inhabitant - the cast of Simon de Canterville. The American family is not at all embarrassed by this nuance, but the poor bringing with new residents has a hard time ...
Four Weird Stories / Four Strange Stories
Level: Upper-Intermediate - Advanced
Short stories for those who like to tickle nerves with mystical stories. The writer deservedly occupied his niche among the masters of the horror genre, such as Lovecraft, James Montague and others. In order to understand this book you need to be fluent in English at a fairly high level, since here every detail plays an important role and contributes to the mental recreation of the atmosphere that prevails in the narratives.
The Prince and the Pauper
Level: Advanced
The story of the famous American writer about two apparently very similar boys - the prince and the poor - who switched roles. In his novel, Mark Twain portrays the flaws and absurdities of the English state system. The book should be listened to and read, fluent in English at a high level, as the author uses a very complex vocabulary, complex grammatical constructions. The book has a lot of sentences using inversions, which sometimes have to be listened to several times in order to understand.
These are just examples of what and at what level you can listen. For audio books in English to bring you pleasure, and listening to them be useful, focus on your own taste and how well you speak English. If the book you downloaded seemed too complicated - do not torture yourself, find something interesting simpler. After all, it is very important that you learn the language in joy.
A quick study of a foreign language from scratch is not just learning the basics of grammar and words on a list, first of all, it is a practice. Beginners to learn English from scratch regularly need to not only actively expand their vocabulary, but constantly use their knowledge in practice, turning them into a skill. That is why audio books in English, their analysis and reading is for beginners the most important means of effective learning.
Basically, audio books are needed so that the user actually reads himself. And in this they are indispensable. The student listens as the announcer reads a fragment of the text, and then reads the same segment on his own. And in order not to forget what you have learned, you need to train almost every day.
In reading audio books, as in any other business, you need to move from simple to complex. The first audio books in English can and should be for children - fairy tales, rhymes, songs. A professional native speaker speaks the text slowly, as for children. This is what you need at the initial stage of studying a foreign language.
How to learn English with audio books?
The Ugly Duckling in English - Disney
Choose an accent: British or American
Adapted audio books are divided into British and American. You need to decide in advance which particular emphasis you want to develop for yourself. A clear beautiful pronunciation is a respect for the language and the interlocutor.Below are two audio files that will help you make a choice.
| British accent | American accent |
Choose the one that is closer to the soul. Do not be afraid to relearn from one emphasis to another - this is not long.
By the way, professional Western actors are fluent in both British and American pronunciation. If you want to conquer Hollywood, develop both. :)
Choose a level: from Beginner to Advanced
Adapted audio books in English are distinguished by level. There are six of them:
- Beginner (Beginner 1)
- Elementary (Beginner 2)
- Pre-intermediate (below average)
- Intermediate (Medium)
- Upper Intermediate
- Advanced
How to work with adapted audiobook
The audiobook includes:
- Text version of the book. Usually in PDF
- Audio version of the book. Usually in MP3 format
Most importantly, do not overtake the speaker. He is the leader, you are the slave. Read after him.
Working on this scheme, you are developing three of the four main skills:
- Speaking
- Listening Perception
- Reading
Additional recommendations: 
- Preliminarily advise reading the original book in Russian. This will help you better understand the plot. After that, working with the English version will be much easier
- Exercise daily30-40 minutes. If it seems a little - increase time, but without prejudice to pleasure
- Periodically return to audio books that you especially liked
The most powerful god Helios triumphs - he had a daughter. It’s just that the girl is growing not so domineering and confident as her father would like to see her. She could be like a mother, possessing an attractive alluring appearance. But even these features are not observed in it. It turns out she has a different power - the power of witchcraft. Both gods and mortals can be in her power, because she can transform her rivals into monsters, threatening the whole world on earth and in the heavens.
Pete Banning is trying to independently manage the economy. But he succeeds in this extremely difficult, because he owns 640 acres of land on which cotton grows. The wife is in a psychiatric hospital, the children are in college. Pete feels unbearable melancholy. One morning he wakes up with the thought that the day has come for the killing. He does all his household chores, picks up a gun and goes to Pastor Bell. He exclaims: "If we are talking about Lisa, I can explain." Pete kills a pastor
Rest in a sanatorium will help change your whole life - with such a conviction the main character Francis Velty went on vacation. The writer, whose romantic work has made her successful and one of the most sought after writers, is experiencing a decline in her creative and personal life. With a broken heart and poor health, one does not particularly think about career growth. Need a rest. Nine more people arrived here. Some are puzzled by the issue of losing weight, others want to reload life and
Laurel is preoccupied with her daughter's future. Among the three children, she especially distinguishes Ellie. The girl is the only joy in the life of a woman, she nourishes her mother with a sense of happiness and spiritual harmony. But then one day a girl suddenly disappears somewhere. A grieving woman is waiting for a meeting with her daughter, yearning and saddening for years, not knowing how to satisfy her mental pain. Relations with her husband year after year, day by day, quietly turned to dust, she did not particularly care about two older children, which she does not regret,
James Holda got old, tired, after thirty years have passed since the Earth was destroyed. He intends to retire. The captain is Bobby Draper, a former Marine. He has not yet realized the extent of the responsibility that falls on his shoulders. After all, there is no question of security. The former head of security takes control of the entire transport system of 1300 planets, becoming the most powerful person. Who will save the fragile world in which new ones live
The events of the previous book culminated in the arbitrariness of the military, who spontaneously proclaimed themselves the navy, designed to restore order in the solar system. But mankind doubts the truth of the intentions of the warriors, who, by the way, use the stolen warships, are openly impudent and impudent. After an attack on Earth and the Martian fleet, the impostors decided to attack and seize the colonized ships that were sent to the portal gates
The fifth book opens the curtain, behind which are hidden thousands of unexplored worlds, which are from the meager part of the infinite Universe. Heroes called earth fever a massive flow of earthlings to a new place of residence. This happens for the first time in the history of mankind. But there is no other way, because the native lands are smoldering under the influence of a terrible virus. Colonists massively leave the solar system, which causes resentment among law enforcement agencies and officials watching the leakage of people. Shuttlecock for
Holden and his team explored the gates and realized that they serve as a portal to the transition into another outer space, in which there are a lot of habitable lands. Mankind is now threatened with extinction on the inhabited planets of the solar system, therefore, having learned about the existence of fertile lands, people are massively resettled. The United Nations is concerned about the massive influx of migrants. The management of the company, which officially secured the right to
James Holden and his team, composed of experts, scientists and the military, are preparing their ships to depart beyond the mini-solar system represented by Mars, the Moon and the asteroid belt. They fly to study an alien artifact made in a few months, which is located in the orbit of Uranus. The artifact, created by innovative space technologies unknown to the human race, is a huge gate that aliens built to move into
A year and a half has passed since the last events. The balance crumbles when super-soldiers begin to kill a team of Martian Marines. This is the order of a senior politician who directs a bloody special operation from Earth, with the goal of starting a war between the planets. At the same time, the inhabitants of Venus observe global changes on the planet. It turns out that someone launched an alien protomolecule that spreads at great speed, causing death
The inhabitants of the Earth settled throughout the Universe, colonizing Mars, the Moon and other livable places, but mankind still fails to reach the stars, they are out of reach. Icemine Commander-in-Chief Jim Holden and his team are moving along Saturn to his mountain stations and are faced with an abandoned ship. Jim is trying to find out who and why left the ship. Unknown people don’t want intruders to reveal the secret,
Ralph Anderson hurries to arrest Terry Maitland, a minor league baseball teacher and coach, accusing him of raping and killing an 11-year-old boy. And he does it in front of the crowd, provoking the generation of numerous gossip and rumors in all corners of the city. Retaliating people are reluctant to listen to Maitland's arguments about his innocence. He asks to defend his interests as a lawyer, Howie Gold, despite the presence of Detective Anderson's clear evidence pointing to the fact
Nona Gray fully mastered and included during the life of the monastery and its inhabitants. Understanding the deep truths of the universe prevents her from thinking sensibly. Time is running out, but she can’t decide what she wants the most, what she wants to become, and what kind of life to live. She could very well become the Empress, but her ambition should be pacified and a competent action plan should be drawn up. Enemies are waiting. The girl has to make a life choice before she leaves the walls of her refuge.
The monastery, where young diligent girls are brought up, only seems to be an abode of peace and tranquility. In fact, this is the place where future killers are trained. Young beauties are called to become warriors, in whose hands the lives of more than a dozen victims. Prioress Glass prepares beginners, teaches the mastery of blade ownership, hand-to-hand combat. And each pupil will need ten years to reach the target and become a fearless killing machine. Once upon a time in a monastery
The heroes of the book are young, ambitious and energetic people. She is a careerist, artist, determined to achieve success in all creative endeavors. He is a young boss, intelligent, intelligent, although he achieved success thanks to his father's support. It seemed that they were ideally suited to each other, people of high society, wealthy and confident. Celestian complements Roy, she looks like the embodiment of the ideal woman for the man of dreams. Roy sees her in her
The quiet city, which is located in the vastness of North Carolina, ceased to amuse its beauties with the eyes of local residents when they learned about the death of a local handsome man. Everyone began to discuss and speculate on the identity of the potential killer. And they soon found the extreme. Kew Clark was at the epicenter of the turbulent events associated with the death of a guy who is popular with the beautiful half. Why Kew? For many years she disappeared from the city. As it turned out, she lived in the swamps,
The day of the coronation of Luke and Coral has come. Having married, they pledged to continue the history of the great dynasty and rule as a king and queen by a great empire. With an unofficial visit, a representative of the Ambergard court Merlin arrived at the celebration. He becomes aware that the ranks of applicants for the royal throne of the Chaos Palace are rapidly thinning. Rumor has it that he himself has supporters who want to see Merlin on the throne. But he is not fascinated by this topic. He is busy looking
Merlin, not wanting to get confused about the previous events of his life, is trying to make a chain of past days and juxtapose the puzzle with the multiple situations in which Luke, Julia and Victor were involved. Jasra does not hide that she intended to destroy the hero. Moreover, she repeated the attempt every year on the same day. Merlin wants to meet with Coral, but this is impossible, because by the will of the Labyrinth the character was in an unknown location. Merlin is transferred to the wonderful
It is evident that Merlin will have to go the same difficult path as his father had long set foot. But in this book not only evil must be fought, but also the hallucinations of one’s own friend, materialized in reality. The protagonist understands that he is in a place far from reality. This is a bar somewhere in Wonderland populated by strange creatures. His friend Luke went too far with LSD, and having power over the Reflection, involuntarily threw them into this wonderful and at the same time dangerous world. Behind
The endless upheavals between the characters of the fantasy novel in this part turn against the son of the famous Amber Prince. Merlin is at the epicenter of events, confronting the forces of evil. Jasra confronts him in every possible way. She managed to lure the hero into a room enchanted, where he is not able to interfere with the action of the dark enchantment, he cannot use his forces to get out of the trap, he is exhausted, but determined to be at any cost
The kingdom of Amber has lost its, perhaps, the wisest and most decent ruler, who had in his mind the interests of a magical state, and had no ambitions of his own. And no matter how hard Oberon tried to transfer the right to the throne to his faithful warrior and part-time son Corvin, the second one did not sit on the royal throne. Or maybe it's for the best. The Kingdom of Chaos Possession ceased to be an hostile state for Amber, the war ended. Damaged
An important conversation is taking place in the Amber kingdom. Tête-à-tête chat Dara and Benedict, fencing off unauthorized persons with a temporary barrier. But the courtiers see a spirit wandering in the dungeons, which for unknown reasons is among the interlocutors. The ghost wounds Benedict and hides. The military operation to confront the Courts of Chaos begins. The acting king deliberately goes to death so that his son becomes the head of the kingdom, but Corwin does not want to sit on the throne and,
Random managed to hide from his relatives the fact of his paternity. His son Martin is already an adult. In the past, Brand wounded the kid from the formation of the Black Road and a malfunction in the Labyrinth. Corwin, in an attempt to repair the Labyrinth, went to Earth. In search of a magic stone, he meets Brand, who took a miracle stone. A man finds himself at the Court of Chaos, where the Black Road also formed. On the way he meets a man who pays attention to the sword of Corvin. It turns out later
Corvin is at home. And not of his own free will, he returned home. But the events preceding his return to Amber grieve the hero. Someone made an appointment for him in a forest grove, but instead of a mysterious interlocutor, Corwin found a dead Kane and a hiding murderer who killed an unfortunate Kane. Corwin kills him and hurries to Random. Previously, someone chained Brenda in chains in a mysterious castle. Random found out about this from visions, and hastened to help. But as a result of the injury forced
Earlier we talked about how you can develop the listening skill: by listening to English-language radio, visiting conversation clubs, or watching films and TV shows in English. They help to improve the perception of English by ear and audio books, and we’ll talk about them today.
Audio books in English have several advantages that even the most ardent fans of print media cannot ignore.
Firstly, an audiobook develops the ability to perceive English-language information by ear, while reading a regular book, you remember only the spelling of words.
Secondly, You can listen to an audiobook in a situation where you are not comfortable reading: in transport, doing housework, walking, etc.
Thirdly, Audiobook allows you to relieve tension from the organs of vision. If you are often sitting at a computer, it’s better to save your eyesight and listen to some books, rather than read.
Fourth, good audio books are recorded by professional actors, which means you can be absolutely sure of the quality of pronunciation and clarity of speech.
Disadvantages of audio books in English
Audio books form only one skill: listening to English-language information. That is why they cannot completely replace print media. Regular books let you memorize the spelling of words. When listening to an audiobook, you have to adapt to its pace. When reading a regular book, you scroll through some points or skim through them, and re-read several paragraphs several times. When listening to an audio book, you will not have such an opportunity. Of course, you can listen to a certain passage again, but the choice of the pace of reading remains with the creators of the book. In addition, some people at a subconscious level do not perceive audio books:“I don’t like audio books: my inner voice is furious when he doesn’t read books to me”
How to choose the right audiobook?
Before downloading an audiobook in English, determine which one you need. The choice will depend not only on your literary preferences, but also on the level of English, and also on the goals that you want to achieve when listening to the work.
You can download audio books in English for beginners. If your level of English is no higher than Pre-Intermediate, it is best to start listening to short stories and stories. In addition, you can download audio books in English with a translation into Russian. This method will allow you to replenish the vocabulary with new words. If you like fairy tales, we can recommend you download children's books in English.
If you are not confident in your abilities to easily perceive English speech by ear, do not start listening to books in English with classical works: you can download adapted audio books in English. Another interesting option for learning English using audiobooks: download audiobooks in English with text. Thanks to the simultaneous reading and listening to an audio book, you intuitively connect the letter spelling of words with its pronunciation, remember new words, train reading, listening, writing skills.
You can also select a book by category:
- fiction or non-fiction
- narrator: woman or man
- american or British English
- adapted or non-adapted literature
Where can I download audio books in English?
We offer TOP-6 of the best sites, thanks to which you can download audio books in English absolutely free. If you are interested in questions about where to download audio books in English to mp3, where to find audio books in English for Android, how to download audio books in English for iPhone, you can find answers on the proposed portals.
We wish you success in learning the language!