FIGHT THE SUMMER SLIDE! PREPARE A SUMMER READING LIST

It's almost official, the academic year at the Official School of Languages is over, you're probably taking your final tests, over the moon because you've passed all the skills or trying to put together a working plan to pass those skills you need to retake in September.

In any case, SUMMER READING combats "summer slide", a term mainly applied to children who stop reading over the summer. "Summer slide" means that students actually lose somem of the reading skills they gained during the school year and start the new one behind where they finished the last. Active reading during the summer months prevents summer slide.

In our case, as adult language learners, we are not immune to "summer slide" and it is normally worse because not only do we fail to read, but also to do other things in English (speak, listen, write,...) and then when we come back in September we feel words fail us. So how about coming up with a plan to prevent that?

There are some websites, like this one (NYC), this one (Oprah's suggestions), this one (reading lists suggested by TEDsters) or this one (by Publisher's Weekly) which already provide you with a list of suggested books (fiction, non-fiction, adults, children,...).

If you'd rather create your own, go ahead! And of course, you're more than welcome to suggest your recommendations in this blog.

As for me, I've already started Life of Pi. I really enjoyed the movie, and Paul has been suggesting this book for book club since year one. Maybe it's time to give it a try! :) Next on the list is La Reina Descalza and then we'll see.

HAPPY SUMMER AND READ ON!