I'm almost 30 and I still read baby books! ...in Japanese
That's right, I'm 29 years old, and every night I read myself to sleep with "Chameleon Swims" by Laura Hambleton
. I'm not going to tell you that the story is riveting, or extremely engaging, at least not for grown ups.. But I do learn something new every time I read it. I'll move on to another bilingual book shortly and learn everything I can about the vocab and grammar from that one.
The best way to pick up vocabulary is to immerse yourself in a culture and speak with others using the language. If you don't live in a foreign country, however, it can be hard to maintain a steady practice. My technique is to use children's books for immersion. Bilingual kids books are such a great tool for picking up basic vocabulary because you there's a good chance that the context of the word and the surrounding story will be memorable.
There are so many levels of children's books in every language that it is so easy to find a book that is just right for your level of learning. Whether it is litterally a baby book with big images and one word per page or a grade 3 reader or a full-fledged highschool level novel, there is always something for you. The best part about reading a different language is that the stories divert your attention so it doesn't feel like studying, it's a challenge to get through the story and you have a great feeling of satisfaction when you're finished.
Of course you can read to your children too and they will have a great time with bilingual children's books, and chances are that they will pick up the words and grammar a lot faster than you do!!
I'm almost 30 and I still read baby books! ...in Japanese