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How to Read a Book Which Isn't Written in Your Native Language

If you can follow a conversation or write short texts without using a dictionary, you're ready to read a book in another language. This will be difficult at first, but don't let that bury the sheer pleasure of reading. It's more important to enjoy the book and the language than to understand every detail of the plot or grammar.

EditSteps

EditGetting Started

  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.
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    • 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.
  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.
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  3. Consider reading aloud. 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.
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  4. Pick out as much as you can from context. 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.
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  5. Use a fast access dictionary. 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.
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  6. Pause and summarize. 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.
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  7. Take notes if necessary. 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.
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    • If you don't understand an idiom or informal phrase, an online search can be more helpful than a dictionary.

EditImproving Your Reading Skills

  1. Set yourself goals. Even a fun book can be difficult to read. Setting a daily goal is a great way to keep yourself on track.
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    • One or two pages per day is a very reasonable goal for a beginner. Increase this as your skills improve.
  2. Switch books to match your interest. 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.
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  3. Expose yourself to new types of writing. 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.
    Read a Book Which Isn't Written in Your Native Language Step 10.jpg
  4. Move away from translation. 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.
    Read a Book Which Isn't Written in Your Native Language Step 11.jpg

EditTips

  • If you can't yet read quickly enough to keep your interest, start by watching foreign films instead. Turn on the subtitles in the same language as the audio, so you can practice both reading and listening.
  • Books written in that language expose you to another culture and literary tradition. If you only read works in translation, you're missing out on part of the experience.




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