How to Read a Book Which Isn't Written in Your Native Language
Start with something short and fun., Find a friend to read with., Consider reading aloud., Pick out as much as you can from context., Use a fast access dictionary., Pause and summarize., Take notes if necessary., Set yourself goals., Switch books to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start with something short and fun.
Unless a specific book was assigned to you, always pick a book you enjoy.
Children's picture books are great beginner choices, moving on to children's chapter books and comic books.
Intermediate readers can try a young adult novel, pulp fiction, or interesting blogs and articles.
Classic literature tends to use old-fashioned language and difficult grammar.
It's best to save that for a later attempt.
Avoid books aimed at foreigners learning the language.
These tend to be very boring.
It can help if you're already familiar with the subject matter.
Classic fairy tales are a good choice for this reason, as are books you've already read in your own language.
If children's books bore you, find a book with side-by-side printings in two languages.
Try only to refer to your native language text when you're truly lost. -
Step 2: Find a friend to read with.
If you can, do at least part of your reading together with a conversation partner, teacher, or native speaker.
Even someone at a similar level of language ability can help you unpack difficult sentences and stay motivated to continue. , Speaking and listening are important for learning a language as well.
Practice these skills by reading some passages aloud.
If you're reading with a conversation partner, take turns reading aloud. , Don't rush to the dictionary every time you don't know a word.
Read the rest of the paragraph and see if you can figure out the general meaning from context.
Only look up a word if you can't make sense of the passage without it, or if you see the word appear many times in the story.
While difficult at first, this active effort increases your understanding of the vocabulary and language. , A pocket dictionary or electronic dictionary lets you look up words much faster than a comprehensive printed source.
Just don't give in to the temptation to look up every word. , Periodically stop and summarize what just happened.
If you're not sure or it doesn't make sense, you may want to go back and try again. , If you're serious about learning the language, keep a small notebook around as you read.
Jot down vocabulary and idioms you'd like to remember, or unusual grammar you'd like to ask someone about.
This helps you expand your knowledge without much interruption of your reading.
If you don't understand an idiom or informal phrase, an online search can be more helpful than a dictionary. , Even a fun book can be difficult to read.
Setting a daily goal is a great way to keep yourself on track.
One or two pages per day is a very reasonable goal for a beginner.
Increase this as your skills improve. , If a book is losing your interest, find something different.
This may mean the book is too easy or too difficult to hold your attention, or just that you're not enjoying it.
Move on to a different author or genre if you're not excited by the subject matter or plot. , If you want a broad understanding of the language, read at least two types of language: formal writing and colloquial conversation.
News articles are a good middle ground that can teach you contemporary speech with fairly formal grammar. , Everyone who learns a foreign language begins by translating every sentence back to their native tongue.
As your language skills improve, you'll start to bypass this and understand it without translation.
Keep this in mind as you become an experienced reader, and resist the urge to think in your native language. -
Step 3: Consider reading aloud.
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Step 4: Pick out as much as you can from context.
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Step 5: Use a fast access dictionary.
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Step 6: Pause and summarize.
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Step 7: Take notes if necessary.
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Step 8: Set yourself goals.
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Step 9: Switch books to match your interest.
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Step 10: Expose yourself to new types of writing.
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Step 11: Move away from translation.
Detailed Guide
Unless a specific book was assigned to you, always pick a book you enjoy.
Children's picture books are great beginner choices, moving on to children's chapter books and comic books.
Intermediate readers can try a young adult novel, pulp fiction, or interesting blogs and articles.
Classic literature tends to use old-fashioned language and difficult grammar.
It's best to save that for a later attempt.
Avoid books aimed at foreigners learning the language.
These tend to be very boring.
It can help if you're already familiar with the subject matter.
Classic fairy tales are a good choice for this reason, as are books you've already read in your own language.
If children's books bore you, find a book with side-by-side printings in two languages.
Try only to refer to your native language text when you're truly lost.
If you can, do at least part of your reading together with a conversation partner, teacher, or native speaker.
Even someone at a similar level of language ability can help you unpack difficult sentences and stay motivated to continue. , Speaking and listening are important for learning a language as well.
Practice these skills by reading some passages aloud.
If you're reading with a conversation partner, take turns reading aloud. , Don't rush to the dictionary every time you don't know a word.
Read the rest of the paragraph and see if you can figure out the general meaning from context.
Only look up a word if you can't make sense of the passage without it, or if you see the word appear many times in the story.
While difficult at first, this active effort increases your understanding of the vocabulary and language. , A pocket dictionary or electronic dictionary lets you look up words much faster than a comprehensive printed source.
Just don't give in to the temptation to look up every word. , Periodically stop and summarize what just happened.
If you're not sure or it doesn't make sense, you may want to go back and try again. , If you're serious about learning the language, keep a small notebook around as you read.
Jot down vocabulary and idioms you'd like to remember, or unusual grammar you'd like to ask someone about.
This helps you expand your knowledge without much interruption of your reading.
If you don't understand an idiom or informal phrase, an online search can be more helpful than a dictionary. , Even a fun book can be difficult to read.
Setting a daily goal is a great way to keep yourself on track.
One or two pages per day is a very reasonable goal for a beginner.
Increase this as your skills improve. , If a book is losing your interest, find something different.
This may mean the book is too easy or too difficult to hold your attention, or just that you're not enjoying it.
Move on to a different author or genre if you're not excited by the subject matter or plot. , If you want a broad understanding of the language, read at least two types of language: formal writing and colloquial conversation.
News articles are a good middle ground that can teach you contemporary speech with fairly formal grammar. , Everyone who learns a foreign language begins by translating every sentence back to their native tongue.
As your language skills improve, you'll start to bypass this and understand it without translation.
Keep this in mind as you become an experienced reader, and resist the urge to think in your native language.
About the Author
Betty Hughes
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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