Oxford University Press has released some of the novels featured in its famous Bookworm Graded Readers series as iPod, iPhone and iPad apps.
The series provides classics of English literature adapted for students learning the language to help them learn outside the classroom.
The app allows users to read and listen to a range of texts, from Alice in Wonderland to Pride and Prejudice, graded by difficulties from stage 1 to 6.
Harriet Seymour from the Oxford University Press said “It’s incredible motivating for a student to discover they can read stories such as the Sherlock Holmes stories in English.”
She also said that the app had potential to attract new readers: “by making the stories available as apps we open them up to students who prefer using mobile devices to reading a book” .
The app provides colourful illustrations to engage learners as well as interactive vocabulary tests so that they can keep an eye on their progress.
Research by the Extensive Reading Foundation shows that reading texts at or just below students’ level of compete’nce is one of the most effective ways of improving their language skills.
Native English speakers are exposed to 7 million words a year whereas in the classroom students encounter far fewer words, typically about 10,000 in a year.
Reading works in the native language can increase this exposure to around a million words in one year.
A first year language student said, “The app looks very handy-reading literature in the native language has really helped me get to grips with the language.’
Another linguist, Adam Lambert commented, “The app sounds like a brilliant idea. I would have really appreciated literature with exciting illustrations to help me in my studies this year.’
