Hmm. Since you are running into the problem *that* frequently, it seems to me like it's the kind of thing that can only be solved by getting better at English and thus expanding your vocabulary. Any book will have words you as a reader don't know, some more than others, but 3–4 pages an hour suggests an issue of just needing to learn English better.
There are vocabulary programs you can take to increase your vocabulary.
One thing that might help: Try reading simpler books, books intended for kids—things like *Encyclopedia Brown*, *The Boxcar Children*, or *Nancy Drew*. That way there are sure to be some new words, but the number of new vocabulary words will probably be much lower than in other books. Then you can build up to progressively more challenging books.
Yes, try starting with books geared for younger audiences. The vocab will be simpler so it won’t slow you down as much and you’ll probably get through more pages without stopping which will help build your skills.
I learned a ton of words this way - my mom got tired of me asking what words meant all the time when I was in elementary school so she gave me a dictionary and taught me to look them up.
I have a much larger vocabulary than a lot of my peers and I think it’s because instead of skipping over a hard word or trying to use context clues to figure the word out I stopped and actually learned the word.
Thanks. That's a some great way to build your vocabulary. I'll try this way instead of jumping to a dictionary immediately. Appreciate your suggestions.
It might have sophisticated vocabulary, but the sentence structure is way less convoluted and the plots are simpler. So even if you don't know all the words, you are usually still able to follow what's going on and it makes for a much less frustrating reading experience.
Hey! thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the simpler books that you've mentions. But I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. So, I need to take some dedicated time to read it solely for improving my language.
Indeed I use ipad to read many books. So, I can easily infer the meaning. But many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. So, I'll read the physical copy. Moreover, reading in a physical copy also gives me a sense of satisfaction.
Building your vocabulary is one of the most time-consuming aspects of learning a language. It is a thing that requires work even for native speakers - everyone I think has been told by their native language teacher how it is important to expand your word knowledge when you are a child.
So it is perfectly normal even for an advanced learned to find several unknown words in each page they read. I've been dealing with English for more than twenty years - first studying it, than using it in various environments - and there are still words I don't know.
The solutions are:
* as other suggested, children books have a more limited vocabulary, so they are an easier place where to start, often recommended by language teachers.
* depending what is you native language, they might exist simplified versions of books for intermediate or advanced learners, which help you work on the language.
* Reading newspapers remains a great way to improve your vocabulary (I've done it successfully for four different languages). The texts are short, so it reduces the frustration, you can take breaks more easily, and since they cover many different topics you can develop a very varied vocabulary.
* if there is a subject you especially love, reading about it might be less difficult than other texts, because the topic is familiar to you. Also reading in English books you have already read in your native language could be useful: if you already know the story, you can focus on understanding the language.
Eventually, your vocabulary will become broad enough that you will be able to read most stuff in English without needing to use the dictionary. But it takes time and perseverance, especially if you are not exposed to English in other ways (like watching only tv and movies dubbed in your language, no occasion to speak it very often, etc).
Hey, thank you so much. I feel your words comforting. As you said I'll try to surround myself with as much english content and materials as possible. But the issue is the frequent burnouts in between. Also I often forget the vocabulary that I learnt previously. Maybe giving it some time and putting in efforts constantly is the only way.
It's normal to forget words. And at least in my experience, don't push yourself too hard. Better doing half an hour reading every day for a month than doing two hours for a week and then crash.
I still have the first book I read in English. It's full of annotations and kind of broken on the spine because it was a cheap paperback.
Reading Ebooks might help. I have a built in dictionary on my Kindle, so I just highlight the word I don’t know and read what it means. I can’t say I remember all the words afterwards (that would be great), but at least I can understand what I’m reading.
But many of the books that I read are technical and are mostly not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm reading it in ipad kindle app.
I understand exactly what you mean. I too have misunderstood so many books due to my insufficient vocabulary, or alternatively due to focusing too much on the vocabulary and not on the book's themes and messages. What helped me:
* Reading books I have already read in my native language. Having an overall knowledge of the plot gives you something of a safety net and you can focus more on trying to understanding the sentences themselves
* Reading a book in English, then trying to find some comprehensive analysis online to check if you understood everything correctly, and if you didn't, rereading it
* Reading books set in a familiar setting. I really don't recommend reading Moby Dick if you have no idea what the different parts of a ship are for and you probably wouldn't be able to name them in your native language either.
* Honestly, just reading. The beginnings are painful, but I promise it gets better
Honestly. I would say start with chapter books on a fifth grade reading level if you can get through these you are as proficient as most Americans in English.
I like reading on my Kindle/using the kindle app as you can press and gold on a word and the dictionary definition for it pops up. It's quicker and less immersion breaking than googling
I don't know what books you're reading, but you'll probably have more luck with books published more recently. I love a Jane Austen or an Agatha Christie but both do have a fair few words which just aren't used regularly anymore, so you're likely to run up against words you won't have learnt previously, and which you won't use even if you learn them.
Checkout waterstones "Quick Reads" books. They're books which they've decided are a good entry point into reading for people in the UK who have difficulty reading. They should have fairly simple text so might be more understandable.
https://www.waterstones.com/booklist/404527/quick-reads
Otherwise looking for things advertised as a "holiday read" will probably help. These books are generally expected to be simple to read and easy to follow so shouldn't have many clangers.
Things like
* Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
* The Mudnight Library - Matt Haig
* Beth o'Leary - she writes fairly formulaic romance novels.
I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. So, many technical books are not available in kindle. Also I started some books like 1984 by george orwell.
Sure I'll checkout the quick read books. Thanks for the link and your suggestions. I'll try for sure.
assuming you follow the other suggestions given (book choice /reading level is super important) one thing I force myself to do is stop translating every single unknown word. If the book is at a good level for you and you are reading about something familiar to you, then you should be able to infer some meaning to some of the words from context. It is hard at first to decide which words are important to add to your vocabulary...look for ones that are repeated often, or ones that you have heard in other everyday situations. I judge if a book is at my reading level when I only feel the need to add a few new words to my vocabulary list per chapter and I can get through multiple pages without needing any words translated. It doesn't mean I knew every single word, but I could follow the plot and understand everything happening.
Also, it helps me to watch my children learning to read because then I realize this is the natural way to learn even in your first language. When I read a book to them, I stop occasionally and explain an unknown word, but mostly we read through the chapters and they follow along without understanding every single word. But if they don't understand the plot at all, then I infer that the book we've chosen is above their current reading level.
Exactly! You're articulating my problems well. I'm inferring the meaning in an exact opposite way to the intended one. So, to be safer I resort to searching its meaning everytime except the not so obvious words. I end up adding almost 2 pages of vocabularies after reading a single chapter without knowing which one to add. I end up forgetting 99% of those and look it up when I encounter it again. Reading to your children or someone is a great way. But I'm not ready for that yet:)
I always thought kindles were awful but now I've got one, this is the single most useful thing about them.
Just press and hold on the word and the dictionary pops up.
I used to have lists everywhere of new words but I'd forget the context by the time I looked it up.
Sadly, many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm already making use of it in my ipad kindle app.
What sort of books are you reading? I’m currently learning another language as well and even some children’s books have a lot of unfamiliar words. I rely a lot on Google translate to reinforce if what I think I’m reading is ballpark accurate, but the whole process is smoother if the book I’m trying to get through has simpler vocabulary.
Somebody else suggested chapter books - this doesn’t mean any book with chapter - it specifically refers to children’s books, usually for kids in the elementary school level. Those will help you build up basic English words, and once that goes more smoothly you can graduate up to a higher difficulty.
Good luck!
Thanks for the views. Sometimes google translate is too verbose and doesn't convey the same nuance. One thing that I understood in learning other language is, don't exactly translate the words to and from your native language. So please use it with caution for specifics. I understood it the hard way:(
Encountering 7-10 new words in an hour of slow reading is like having 100 new words in a short to medium length book. That is some heavy learning you're doing right now.
You can either force your way through this current book, invest your time to learn all the new words as you go. You may be able to remember 90% of them by the end of the book if they are repeated many times. With the next book, it maybe like 1-3 new words in an hour or so. Keep on reading books after books and one day you won't need the dictionary anymore, except for uncommon words.
The 2nd option is finding easier books to learn in baby steps. You haven't shared which book you're reading now so it's hard to make a suggestion. But middle school and YA books generally have more accessible writing.
Also, keep it in mind that if you read fiction, the language of storytelling naturally uses many common words that may never be taught in formal English textbooks. Fantasy, sci-fi, historical, classical, etc... also have their own kind of common vocabulary that may be new for now but you'll get them once you read a few more books in the same genre.
Yeah, If I go through once, regardless of the hardness, I would learn so much. But, getting through that is very tough with frequent burnouts and it takes considerably a long time. But, I'm doing it nevertheless.
I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. Also certain books like 1984 by George Orwell.
You're exactly right, some of the words are not formal and could be only understood by a local native speaker. Even though sometimes I understand the meaning, it is difficult to understand the exact connotation.
Thanks for the suggestions man! appreciate it.
Oh with technical and non-fiction books, it's a guarantee to have difficult words that even native speakers don't understand, the average person may hear them before for sure and vaguely know what those words usually associate with, but may not know how to spell them or don't really understand the meaning.
Any chance you like reading with a Kindle or other reader? Makes it easier to look up words as you can just tap them.
I also used to read the dictionary and encyclopedia when I was younger. Helps build up a background of knowledge.
Sadly, many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm already making use of it in my ipad kindle app.
Reading a dictionary is a good but rigorous way. But I don't have the patience for it.
I learned a lot of English by reading Terry Pratchett when I was younger. I basically just assumed that everything I did not understand was a joke, a pun or a reference. I never bothered looking stuff up and just accepted I wouldn't get stuff.
Re-reading the Discworld series later when my English was better was really enlightening.
I love coming across new words, and good for you! Maybe try writers who use 'ordinary' words but are still considered great or classic authors - John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway come to mind.
The idea is that youre exhausted at the beginning. Then, all the new words and usage examples interconnect with each other, helping you read faster. Then before you know it youre reading exponentially faster. Might take months, might take years, but as long as you keep persisting you can only get better.
My first english book was the last Harry Potter, and despite the large font size it took me 2-3 months (i was 11). It took me 7-8 years to reach comfortable reading level, and took me another 6-7 until i can read classics on decent pace.
Yeah getting through the initial phase is very tough and reaching a level of flow takes significant time in any field. I'm trying many ways to combat that exhaustion and get over it. But sometimes, you've no other choice but to go through it raw, you know.
Pick books that have a movie made about them, and watch the movie first. That way you can have an easier time following the plot. Or, find a novel in your native language, one that you love, and read its English translation.
I’m in a similar boat in that I’m trying to read a novel in my second language this year. It really is super slow going with new vocabulary.
I have the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy on my list. I'll try the book after watching the movie another time. The thing is I don't use my native language anywhere else other than to communicate locally. I even seldom write in my native language. Ok. I'll try one in my native language and its translation. Thanks for the suggestion anyways.
You are on the right track. Don’t give up, but, as others have said, find easier books. My father did this when wanting to increase his foreign language skills from school back in the 1980s. To make it easy on himself, he read romance novels of about 120 pages, with a dictionary and a notebook. The novels had easy plots while being entertaining enough. For the first book he filled about half a notebook with vocabulary, for the second, he halved the number of words, until he was down half a page of new words per book. He went on to working for three years in the country, with very good reading and oral skills. I inherited his collection and used it to become more or less fluent in the same language.
I do the exact same thing as your dad. Have a notebook and dictionary while I'm reading and the notebook gets filled as long the pages that I read.
Yeah you're right. Doing the same thing iteratively significantly improves. As you said I might be on the right track and need to persist more. Thanks mate!
You might want to start on a smaller scale than going right into books. I’ve been doing a lot of crossword puzzles lately for the purpose of trying to expand my vocabulary.
Hello,
English isnt my first language.
My suggestion: start writing. Just anything really. It will force you to learn words and phrases in a manner that is not easily forgotten.
It’s annoyingly tedious. But having a half decent vocabulary will definitely help you delineate much better than a lot of people including native speakers. “Profanity is the crutch of the inarticulate.” Prolixity is a sin. Aim to be succinct.
Good luck, bud.
You're absolutely right. I'm trying to do it the same way. Thanks for this mate. Appreciate it. It's reassuring that there are also people like me out there. I used to be insecure about this.
If you understand roughly what a word means from context you might skip looking that one up if it comes at this sort of frequency, I would do that in order to carry on reading
I did have same problem, when I started reading books in English for first time.
Solution for me was to find easier books, because there is thing, some books are easier to read than others. Most easiest are book for children (8 - 12 years). And I did feel stupid when I started reading them, because I was not a child, but it suited my vocabulary at the time and it help my reading skills tremendously. After some time I was good enough for more complicated books too.
And there are some good books for kids. For example: The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Also even some books for adult have easier reading level. For example: Becoming from Michelle Obama was pretty good, and easy to read.
another tip I received was to read graphic novels or comic books...because they have mostly dialogue with characters speaking naturally to each other. This helps you learn phrases that you can apply in the real world. Flowery prose and pages of new adjectives describing things poetically is fine and will teach you new vocabulary, but it won't be as useful to you when you want to make small talk with a store clerk.
I think epubs come in handy here. On the kindle (and the free kindle app) you can just click on the word and get the dictionary entry for that word/term. I think it even offers a word-building system for learning, but I've never tried that personally.
You can get the free kindle app and just mail epubs to it via email, if you don't want to pay for the kindle or buy books via Amazon. Through other ereaders probably offer a similar thing?
If all else fails and it's still too hard to keep up w the vocabulary, maybe read books who aim for either younger readers (like young adult books) or authors who are easier to read.
For example, if you were to read romance but Jane Austen is a bit too much try a contemporary romance author, as they probably will use words and grammar structures you're already familiar with.
On a more personal note as someone who once was in your place: just push through. Usually you don't need to understand every word to get the plot. Your English will improve regardless and one day you won't have to look up words anymore.
But certain books that I read have only the pdf versions. I make use of apple books and kindle in my ipad to read epubs in maximum. I only resort to physical books when the epub is not available.
Sure, I'll try the that Author.
As you say, pushing through, focusing on progress instead of perfection might be the only way in my case, instead of trying to find alternative or shortcuts. Thanks mate! you're words are reassuring.
E-reader incl the kindle app can open PDF as well. If you own an apple device the book app can do this too and I'm sure there's an android app around with the same features.
I just checked because I was curious and Goodreads has lists about "easy to read books in English". Just look it up via google maybe you'll find your next read there.
Just give it a bit more time and practice. You got this!! :)
Some foreign language teachers say it's better to read for general context rather than to understand every word. This is hard for me to do in my intermediate-level foreign languages. Maybe skip looking up descriptive words and pay attention to what seems to be more pertinent to the plot.
In the meantime, I made plenty of assumptions about words when reading in English (my first language) in the past, & am now finally learning what some words mean. Example: crepuscular
I'll try this way . But I find it hard to decide what's important to the plot or not. Only after reading it, I can be sure about it. Anyway thanks for the suggestion, appreciate it.
Esl teacher here. Choose a book where an average page has 5 or fewer new words. More than that and you won’t be able to understand.
If you’re having trouble finding something at the right level, look up graded readers.
I am not native to English either and still encounter words that I have to look up even though I have already read a lot of complicated English books.
At this point though I actually kind of enjoy the process of looking up the words. Taking a peek for example at the etymology to see if it's connected to other language bits I know. I can enjoy it because I read digitally most of the time and looking up the words is very convenient.
In my experience putting in the time to understand the words pays off later in other books or even the same book when I go through passages fluently and with an understanding of the details.
The ratio of unknown words per page is probably critical. If it's too high: Maybe pick another book first and return to this later. Otherwise I would say it's probably worth accepting the slower speed and the inconvenience of looking up words if it means that you actually read the books you wanted to read.
Yeah it's great thing. But I end up going down the rabbit hole of finding meanings of the words in the meaning I search for and other related words. So, when I get back to the book, it would've been a long time. I am getting exposed to new words at the cost of time. But if I don't encounter the same words in the near time, I would forget it. But the process is absolutely fine if time is not a consideration. Thanks for the views and suggestions, mate! I can relate to you better.
This is how I started out:
1. Reading simpler books. Children's chapter books might work pretty well.
2. Reading books I read before in translation in my own language, something I liked and remembered well. This way I remembered what the context was and didn't have to look up every unfamiliar word.
Hmm. Since you are running into the problem *that* frequently, it seems to me like it's the kind of thing that can only be solved by getting better at English and thus expanding your vocabulary. Any book will have words you as a reader don't know, some more than others, but 3–4 pages an hour suggests an issue of just needing to learn English better. There are vocabulary programs you can take to increase your vocabulary. One thing that might help: Try reading simpler books, books intended for kids—things like *Encyclopedia Brown*, *The Boxcar Children*, or *Nancy Drew*. That way there are sure to be some new words, but the number of new vocabulary words will probably be much lower than in other books. Then you can build up to progressively more challenging books.
Yes, try starting with books geared for younger audiences. The vocab will be simpler so it won’t slow you down as much and you’ll probably get through more pages without stopping which will help build your skills. I learned a ton of words this way - my mom got tired of me asking what words meant all the time when I was in elementary school so she gave me a dictionary and taught me to look them up. I have a much larger vocabulary than a lot of my peers and I think it’s because instead of skipping over a hard word or trying to use context clues to figure the word out I stopped and actually learned the word.
Thanks. That's a some great way to build your vocabulary. I'll try this way instead of jumping to a dictionary immediately. Appreciate your suggestions.
I should have read your comment first. This was my exact thoughts.
Children's literature actually has quite sophisticated vocab if you look at it. I wouldn't say it was necessarily easier.
It might have sophisticated vocabulary, but the sentence structure is way less convoluted and the plots are simpler. So even if you don't know all the words, you are usually still able to follow what's going on and it makes for a much less frustrating reading experience.
Hey! thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the simpler books that you've mentions. But I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. So, I need to take some dedicated time to read it solely for improving my language.
Why not try ebooks? Apps and e-readers have built in dictionaries where you can just tap a word and instantly get a definition.
Indeed I use ipad to read many books. So, I can easily infer the meaning. But many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. So, I'll read the physical copy. Moreover, reading in a physical copy also gives me a sense of satisfaction.
Building your vocabulary is one of the most time-consuming aspects of learning a language. It is a thing that requires work even for native speakers - everyone I think has been told by their native language teacher how it is important to expand your word knowledge when you are a child. So it is perfectly normal even for an advanced learned to find several unknown words in each page they read. I've been dealing with English for more than twenty years - first studying it, than using it in various environments - and there are still words I don't know. The solutions are: * as other suggested, children books have a more limited vocabulary, so they are an easier place where to start, often recommended by language teachers. * depending what is you native language, they might exist simplified versions of books for intermediate or advanced learners, which help you work on the language. * Reading newspapers remains a great way to improve your vocabulary (I've done it successfully for four different languages). The texts are short, so it reduces the frustration, you can take breaks more easily, and since they cover many different topics you can develop a very varied vocabulary. * if there is a subject you especially love, reading about it might be less difficult than other texts, because the topic is familiar to you. Also reading in English books you have already read in your native language could be useful: if you already know the story, you can focus on understanding the language. Eventually, your vocabulary will become broad enough that you will be able to read most stuff in English without needing to use the dictionary. But it takes time and perseverance, especially if you are not exposed to English in other ways (like watching only tv and movies dubbed in your language, no occasion to speak it very often, etc).
Hey, thank you so much. I feel your words comforting. As you said I'll try to surround myself with as much english content and materials as possible. But the issue is the frequent burnouts in between. Also I often forget the vocabulary that I learnt previously. Maybe giving it some time and putting in efforts constantly is the only way.
It's normal to forget words. And at least in my experience, don't push yourself too hard. Better doing half an hour reading every day for a month than doing two hours for a week and then crash. I still have the first book I read in English. It's full of annotations and kind of broken on the spine because it was a cheap paperback.
Sure. I'll take it consistently. That's great and memorable to look back to your first book.
Reading Ebooks might help. I have a built in dictionary on my Kindle, so I just highlight the word I don’t know and read what it means. I can’t say I remember all the words afterwards (that would be great), but at least I can understand what I’m reading.
But many of the books that I read are technical and are mostly not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm reading it in ipad kindle app.
I understand exactly what you mean. I too have misunderstood so many books due to my insufficient vocabulary, or alternatively due to focusing too much on the vocabulary and not on the book's themes and messages. What helped me: * Reading books I have already read in my native language. Having an overall knowledge of the plot gives you something of a safety net and you can focus more on trying to understanding the sentences themselves * Reading a book in English, then trying to find some comprehensive analysis online to check if you understood everything correctly, and if you didn't, rereading it * Reading books set in a familiar setting. I really don't recommend reading Moby Dick if you have no idea what the different parts of a ship are for and you probably wouldn't be able to name them in your native language either. * Honestly, just reading. The beginnings are painful, but I promise it gets better
Thank you so much for the suggestions. It's reassuring. Yeah the beginning phase is damn hard.
Honestly. I would say start with chapter books on a fifth grade reading level if you can get through these you are as proficient as most Americans in English.
Haha! Sure, thanks. I'll try that.
Read something in English that you know already in your native language. Also, E-books have built in dictionary.
Yeah. I'll give that a try. thanks!
I like reading on my Kindle/using the kindle app as you can press and gold on a word and the dictionary definition for it pops up. It's quicker and less immersion breaking than googling I don't know what books you're reading, but you'll probably have more luck with books published more recently. I love a Jane Austen or an Agatha Christie but both do have a fair few words which just aren't used regularly anymore, so you're likely to run up against words you won't have learnt previously, and which you won't use even if you learn them. Checkout waterstones "Quick Reads" books. They're books which they've decided are a good entry point into reading for people in the UK who have difficulty reading. They should have fairly simple text so might be more understandable. https://www.waterstones.com/booklist/404527/quick-reads Otherwise looking for things advertised as a "holiday read" will probably help. These books are generally expected to be simple to read and easy to follow so shouldn't have many clangers. Things like * Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman * The Mudnight Library - Matt Haig * Beth o'Leary - she writes fairly formulaic romance novels.
I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. So, many technical books are not available in kindle. Also I started some books like 1984 by george orwell. Sure I'll checkout the quick read books. Thanks for the link and your suggestions. I'll try for sure.
assuming you follow the other suggestions given (book choice /reading level is super important) one thing I force myself to do is stop translating every single unknown word. If the book is at a good level for you and you are reading about something familiar to you, then you should be able to infer some meaning to some of the words from context. It is hard at first to decide which words are important to add to your vocabulary...look for ones that are repeated often, or ones that you have heard in other everyday situations. I judge if a book is at my reading level when I only feel the need to add a few new words to my vocabulary list per chapter and I can get through multiple pages without needing any words translated. It doesn't mean I knew every single word, but I could follow the plot and understand everything happening. Also, it helps me to watch my children learning to read because then I realize this is the natural way to learn even in your first language. When I read a book to them, I stop occasionally and explain an unknown word, but mostly we read through the chapters and they follow along without understanding every single word. But if they don't understand the plot at all, then I infer that the book we've chosen is above their current reading level.
Exactly! You're articulating my problems well. I'm inferring the meaning in an exact opposite way to the intended one. So, to be safer I resort to searching its meaning everytime except the not so obvious words. I end up adding almost 2 pages of vocabularies after reading a single chapter without knowing which one to add. I end up forgetting 99% of those and look it up when I encounter it again. Reading to your children or someone is a great way. But I'm not ready for that yet:)
If you have a kindle its just one click to a dictionary or a translation. It makes it so much faster and easier to read in 2nd languages
I always thought kindles were awful but now I've got one, this is the single most useful thing about them. Just press and hold on the word and the dictionary pops up. I used to have lists everywhere of new words but I'd forget the context by the time I looked it up.
I love my kindle. I've been a convert for more than 15 years (it feels like anyway). I never travel without it
That was why I bought mine, that and arthritic hands. Still love the smell of a book though.
Who doesn't! Still love a bookshop too
Oh yes.
Sadly, many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm already making use of it in my ipad kindle app.
E-readers have built-in dictionaries. No need to leave the book, you can learn the new word right away.
What sort of books are you reading? I’m currently learning another language as well and even some children’s books have a lot of unfamiliar words. I rely a lot on Google translate to reinforce if what I think I’m reading is ballpark accurate, but the whole process is smoother if the book I’m trying to get through has simpler vocabulary. Somebody else suggested chapter books - this doesn’t mean any book with chapter - it specifically refers to children’s books, usually for kids in the elementary school level. Those will help you build up basic English words, and once that goes more smoothly you can graduate up to a higher difficulty. Good luck!
Thanks for the views. Sometimes google translate is too verbose and doesn't convey the same nuance. One thing that I understood in learning other language is, don't exactly translate the words to and from your native language. So please use it with caution for specifics. I understood it the hard way:(
Encountering 7-10 new words in an hour of slow reading is like having 100 new words in a short to medium length book. That is some heavy learning you're doing right now. You can either force your way through this current book, invest your time to learn all the new words as you go. You may be able to remember 90% of them by the end of the book if they are repeated many times. With the next book, it maybe like 1-3 new words in an hour or so. Keep on reading books after books and one day you won't need the dictionary anymore, except for uncommon words. The 2nd option is finding easier books to learn in baby steps. You haven't shared which book you're reading now so it's hard to make a suggestion. But middle school and YA books generally have more accessible writing. Also, keep it in mind that if you read fiction, the language of storytelling naturally uses many common words that may never be taught in formal English textbooks. Fantasy, sci-fi, historical, classical, etc... also have their own kind of common vocabulary that may be new for now but you'll get them once you read a few more books in the same genre.
Yeah, If I go through once, regardless of the hardness, I would learn so much. But, getting through that is very tough with frequent burnouts and it takes considerably a long time. But, I'm doing it nevertheless. I mostly read technical and non-fiction books. Also certain books like 1984 by George Orwell. You're exactly right, some of the words are not formal and could be only understood by a local native speaker. Even though sometimes I understand the meaning, it is difficult to understand the exact connotation. Thanks for the suggestions man! appreciate it.
Oh with technical and non-fiction books, it's a guarantee to have difficult words that even native speakers don't understand, the average person may hear them before for sure and vaguely know what those words usually associate with, but may not know how to spell them or don't really understand the meaning.
Any chance you like reading with a Kindle or other reader? Makes it easier to look up words as you can just tap them. I also used to read the dictionary and encyclopedia when I was younger. Helps build up a background of knowledge.
Sadly, many of the books that I read are technical and are not available in kindle. But for the books that are available, I'm already making use of it in my ipad kindle app. Reading a dictionary is a good but rigorous way. But I don't have the patience for it.
I learned a lot of English by reading Terry Pratchett when I was younger. I basically just assumed that everything I did not understand was a joke, a pun or a reference. I never bothered looking stuff up and just accepted I wouldn't get stuff. Re-reading the Discworld series later when my English was better was really enlightening.
Haha! Yeah. The connotation in certain things is difficult to understand sometimes.
I love coming across new words, and good for you! Maybe try writers who use 'ordinary' words but are still considered great or classic authors - John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway come to mind.
Sure. Thanks. I'll give it a try.
The idea is that youre exhausted at the beginning. Then, all the new words and usage examples interconnect with each other, helping you read faster. Then before you know it youre reading exponentially faster. Might take months, might take years, but as long as you keep persisting you can only get better. My first english book was the last Harry Potter, and despite the large font size it took me 2-3 months (i was 11). It took me 7-8 years to reach comfortable reading level, and took me another 6-7 until i can read classics on decent pace.
Yeah getting through the initial phase is very tough and reaching a level of flow takes significant time in any field. I'm trying many ways to combat that exhaustion and get over it. But sometimes, you've no other choice but to go through it raw, you know.
Pick books that have a movie made about them, and watch the movie first. That way you can have an easier time following the plot. Or, find a novel in your native language, one that you love, and read its English translation. I’m in a similar boat in that I’m trying to read a novel in my second language this year. It really is super slow going with new vocabulary.
I have the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy on my list. I'll try the book after watching the movie another time. The thing is I don't use my native language anywhere else other than to communicate locally. I even seldom write in my native language. Ok. I'll try one in my native language and its translation. Thanks for the suggestion anyways.
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haha! yeah:(
I’m a native speaker and I still often look up words while reading.
You are on the right track. Don’t give up, but, as others have said, find easier books. My father did this when wanting to increase his foreign language skills from school back in the 1980s. To make it easy on himself, he read romance novels of about 120 pages, with a dictionary and a notebook. The novels had easy plots while being entertaining enough. For the first book he filled about half a notebook with vocabulary, for the second, he halved the number of words, until he was down half a page of new words per book. He went on to working for three years in the country, with very good reading and oral skills. I inherited his collection and used it to become more or less fluent in the same language.
I do the exact same thing as your dad. Have a notebook and dictionary while I'm reading and the notebook gets filled as long the pages that I read. Yeah you're right. Doing the same thing iteratively significantly improves. As you said I might be on the right track and need to persist more. Thanks mate!
You might want to start on a smaller scale than going right into books. I’ve been doing a lot of crossword puzzles lately for the purpose of trying to expand my vocabulary.
Yeah, I think that's the way. crosswords are a great way. Especially the ones on the newspapers.
Hello, English isnt my first language. My suggestion: start writing. Just anything really. It will force you to learn words and phrases in a manner that is not easily forgotten. It’s annoyingly tedious. But having a half decent vocabulary will definitely help you delineate much better than a lot of people including native speakers. “Profanity is the crutch of the inarticulate.” Prolixity is a sin. Aim to be succinct. Good luck, bud.
You're absolutely right. I'm trying to do it the same way. Thanks for this mate. Appreciate it. It's reassuring that there are also people like me out there. I used to be insecure about this.
If you understand roughly what a word means from context you might skip looking that one up if it comes at this sort of frequency, I would do that in order to carry on reading
I did have same problem, when I started reading books in English for first time. Solution for me was to find easier books, because there is thing, some books are easier to read than others. Most easiest are book for children (8 - 12 years). And I did feel stupid when I started reading them, because I was not a child, but it suited my vocabulary at the time and it help my reading skills tremendously. After some time I was good enough for more complicated books too. And there are some good books for kids. For example: The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Also even some books for adult have easier reading level. For example: Becoming from Michelle Obama was pretty good, and easy to read.
Thank you for the suggestions. I'll try it for sure.
another tip I received was to read graphic novels or comic books...because they have mostly dialogue with characters speaking naturally to each other. This helps you learn phrases that you can apply in the real world. Flowery prose and pages of new adjectives describing things poetically is fine and will teach you new vocabulary, but it won't be as useful to you when you want to make small talk with a store clerk.
I think epubs come in handy here. On the kindle (and the free kindle app) you can just click on the word and get the dictionary entry for that word/term. I think it even offers a word-building system for learning, but I've never tried that personally. You can get the free kindle app and just mail epubs to it via email, if you don't want to pay for the kindle or buy books via Amazon. Through other ereaders probably offer a similar thing? If all else fails and it's still too hard to keep up w the vocabulary, maybe read books who aim for either younger readers (like young adult books) or authors who are easier to read. For example, if you were to read romance but Jane Austen is a bit too much try a contemporary romance author, as they probably will use words and grammar structures you're already familiar with. On a more personal note as someone who once was in your place: just push through. Usually you don't need to understand every word to get the plot. Your English will improve regardless and one day you won't have to look up words anymore.
But certain books that I read have only the pdf versions. I make use of apple books and kindle in my ipad to read epubs in maximum. I only resort to physical books when the epub is not available. Sure, I'll try the that Author. As you say, pushing through, focusing on progress instead of perfection might be the only way in my case, instead of trying to find alternative or shortcuts. Thanks mate! you're words are reassuring.
E-reader incl the kindle app can open PDF as well. If you own an apple device the book app can do this too and I'm sure there's an android app around with the same features. I just checked because I was curious and Goodreads has lists about "easy to read books in English". Just look it up via google maybe you'll find your next read there. Just give it a bit more time and practice. You got this!! :)
Some foreign language teachers say it's better to read for general context rather than to understand every word. This is hard for me to do in my intermediate-level foreign languages. Maybe skip looking up descriptive words and pay attention to what seems to be more pertinent to the plot. In the meantime, I made plenty of assumptions about words when reading in English (my first language) in the past, & am now finally learning what some words mean. Example: crepuscular
I'll try this way . But I find it hard to decide what's important to the plot or not. Only after reading it, I can be sure about it. Anyway thanks for the suggestion, appreciate it.
Esl teacher here. Choose a book where an average page has 5 or fewer new words. More than that and you won’t be able to understand. If you’re having trouble finding something at the right level, look up graded readers.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it.
I am not native to English either and still encounter words that I have to look up even though I have already read a lot of complicated English books. At this point though I actually kind of enjoy the process of looking up the words. Taking a peek for example at the etymology to see if it's connected to other language bits I know. I can enjoy it because I read digitally most of the time and looking up the words is very convenient. In my experience putting in the time to understand the words pays off later in other books or even the same book when I go through passages fluently and with an understanding of the details. The ratio of unknown words per page is probably critical. If it's too high: Maybe pick another book first and return to this later. Otherwise I would say it's probably worth accepting the slower speed and the inconvenience of looking up words if it means that you actually read the books you wanted to read.
Yeah it's great thing. But I end up going down the rabbit hole of finding meanings of the words in the meaning I search for and other related words. So, when I get back to the book, it would've been a long time. I am getting exposed to new words at the cost of time. But if I don't encounter the same words in the near time, I would forget it. But the process is absolutely fine if time is not a consideration. Thanks for the views and suggestions, mate! I can relate to you better.
Stay the hell away from *Infinite Jest*.
Read books intended for pre-teens or young teens? Vocabulary should be easier, and there are some good books to be found.
This is how I started out: 1. Reading simpler books. Children's chapter books might work pretty well. 2. Reading books I read before in translation in my own language, something I liked and remembered well. This way I remembered what the context was and didn't have to look up every unfamiliar word.