Books Conversation Lesson

A stack of books

Introduction

Watch the following YouTube video about a woman who found comfort and inspiration in life when her first dream didn’t work out:

Intro Discussion Questions

Do you agree with the speakers’s idea that “Coming true is not the only purpose of a dream; it’s most important purpose is to put us in touch with where dreams come from, where passion comes from, where happiness comes from.”

How did books help this woman in her life journey?

New Words and Phrases

In Context:

“I’ve read all of the Harry Potter books. The protagonist is a boy wizard named Harry Potter, and the antagonist is an evil wizard named Voldemort who wants to kill him. The primary setting is a school for young wizards called Hogwarts. I used to only read nonfiction—books about history or science, or memiors by famous people, for example—but I think the Harry Potter series is a masterpiece. I love the description of Hogwarts. The one thing I don’t get is Voldemort’s motivation. What makes him so evil? The books are definitely page-turners—I couldn’t put them down. I almost finished the first one in one sitting. I’ve read them all cover-to-cover.”

Protagonist (n) – the main character of a story, the hero or heroine

Antagonist (n) – the main villain of a story, the person the hero or heroine has to overcome

Setting (n) – the location in which events take place

Nonfiction (n) – books based on true-life events

Memoir (n) – writing in which a person writes about a specific time in her own life

Masterpiece (n) – A work of outstanding artistic skill and creativity

Description (n) – a spoken or written explanation of how something appears to the senses

Motivation (n) – the force that drives a person to do something

A page-turner (n, idiom) – a book that is very interesting and makes you want to keep reading

From cover-to-cover (adv, idiom) – from start to finish (about a book)

In one sitting (adv, idiom) – without interruption, all at once

 

Discussion Questions

  • What first springs to mind when you hear the word “reading?”
  • Do you read for fun?
  • Who is your favorite author?
  • Do you read books in English?
  • Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction?
  • What are your favorite genres of books?
  • What is the longest book you’ve ever read?
  • Does reading have any advantages over watching movies? Any disadvantages?
  • What is an example of traditional literature in your country? Do most people read it at some point in their lives?
  • Do you like your country’s traditional literature?
  • Did your parents read to you when you were young?
  • What were some of your favorite children’s stories?
  • Do you use public libraries?
  • How do you think the Internet is changing how people read?
  • Are there any books that you’ve read more than once?
  • What is the funniest book you’ve ever read? The scariest? The saddest?
  • How do you learn about about books you want to read?
  • Do you prefer paper books, or e-readers?
  • Have you ever met an author of a book you like?
  • Are there any books you thought you should have liked, but you actually found them boring?
  • What do you think of the idea of “banning books?”