Questions tagged [reading]
For questions about the ability to interpret written texts
49
questions
3
votes
1answer
36 views
Difference between reading text written directly in language X, and reading text written in language Y and translated into language X?
I'm currently reading the Chinese version of Matilda to improve my Chinese reading skills (and partly because I simply enjoy the book).
However, as a native-English speaker, I'm concerned that there ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Has anyone successfully learned to read a dead language while skipping the formal grammar study?
I have attended a few traditional masses in Latin. My proposal is to learn the language by reading the bilingual prayers and Bible readings. Since I can already read Spanish and French, I have been ...
3
votes
0answers
28 views
Spanish reading passages with a focus on specific grammar
Is there such a thing as reading passages where the passage has been specifically created with a focus on a specific part of grammar? If so, what are they called, and where can I find them?
I'm ...
3
votes
2answers
72 views
Can Speak Chinese; Need Learning Resources to Bring Reading Skill to Same Level (HSK4)
Good Day!
I have an interesting conundrum - I can speak Chinese just fine (in fact I just took an HSK placement exam at the local Confucius Centre and was ranked at 4 for listening and speaking). I ...
5
votes
4answers
127 views
Is it possible to learn a language without translation?
Let's assume I have no knowledge in a language I want to learn. I know only some basic alphabet, but don't know any words. Is it possible to learn a language just by watching videos and reading books ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
How to find the meaning of slangy or misspelled Dogri words?
A friend who speaks Dogri sent me the text:
sr peed maay
which I think contains a typo. But the text was in his native tongue. When I asked about the meaning, I got the meaning for first two words,...
3
votes
1answer
42 views
Graded readers using simplified Chinese characters?
Graded readers are very useful for practising extensive reading. Extensive reading has several benefits, for example, getting a lot of comprehensible input.
The majority of speakers of Standard ...
6
votes
3answers
95 views
How can I improve my ability to understand posts in social networks?
I've started learning English at secondary school. First topic I learned is the grammar rule. I did a lot of assignments about it likes doing the math. I think that I can do it well (I got a 600 ...
1
vote
0answers
25 views
Child recognizing words by first and last letters; what next?
My child, now 4 years old, seems to recognize a number of written names by their first and last letters. They also recognize some other words seemingly by appearance.
They can pronounce individual ...
10
votes
4answers
147 views
What are the implications of reading texts beyond my level?
Most texts, articles, books, novels, etc. that interest me in L2 are well above my level, requiring an intimate relationship with a dictionary in order to read. I can painstakingly plod through, but I ...
6
votes
2answers
911 views
What are the benefits of intensive reading?
As a corollary to this question, what are the benefits of intensive reading for acquiring a second language? A reference paper would be nice but is not required.
Intensive reading refers to reading ...
5
votes
1answer
221 views
How can I learn reading Telugu texts, if I already know Kannada Scripts?
Is learning Telugu script need any extra effort if I already know reading Kannada script? since both languages are quite similar for reading.
7
votes
2answers
82 views
How can I quickly learn to understand a Latin text if I know Romance languages?
After studying French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and now looking at a Latin text it seems like I’m basically there, I’m just missing things.
What are some things I could/should learn to ...
7
votes
1answer
77 views
How to comprehend what we read properly?
I have problems with comprehending sentences. Many times what I understand after reading a sentence or sentences is totally different from what it actually means. I can understand the meaning of each ...
3
votes
1answer
51 views
Learning to read official documents and tables in Danish
In Denmark most of the online tax filing system is only in Danish. The vocabulary is highly specialized and, even if one understands it, the concepts are challenging. A foreigner has to engage with ...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
Learning to read handwriting
What are some ways to learn to read anything handwritten in a new language. There are infinite variations and variables, which makes it different.
I’m looking for general information, but ...
6
votes
1answer
79 views
Can I read nynorsk due to learning bokmål?
Suppose I learn enough Norwegian bokmål to be able to read books and newspapers well enough to follow what is happening, even if I would miss nuances and occasionally misunderstand something. I'm ...
8
votes
2answers
215 views
Japanese – how to learn it without using SRS?
I hate SRS (spaced repetition system), even though I have used it for more than ten years for various languages. I can’t stand the sight of it anymore, yet, I know of no better alternative for a ...
4
votes
1answer
64 views
Resources for learning to read Chinese newspapers (in simplified Chinese characters)?
Many textbooks for learning Standard Chinese, e.g. New Practical Chinese Reader, focus on conversational Chinese. In these textbooks, the text in the lessons are always dialogues. This type of ...
4
votes
1answer
32 views
Teaching syllables to three and half year old
Our Finnish child knows the letters by name. Also, when hearing the sounds the letter makes, they almost always can name the letter associated to the sound. They has not figured out how syllables work,...
8
votes
2answers
147 views
Where can I find graded readers for Russian?
Graded readers are a good type of material for extensive reading. But how do you find graded readers in Russian?
The English Wikipedia article graded reader has no link to the same concept in the ...
8
votes
0answers
55 views
Online course or resources on speed reading in Chinese
In a comment to my previous question about the transfer of speed reading skills to other languages, someone wondered whether this would be affected by the writing system. This is very plausible. In ...
12
votes
3answers
127 views
Benefits of reading texts one does not understand well
My Danish skills are at the level where I can usually puzzle out the meaning of a newspaper article, even though I won't understand most specialized words. I took a quick look at some pages of a ...
9
votes
1answer
70 views
French subtitles
I have been watching a lot of French-language shows on Netflix lately but with French subtitles. I find that the subtitles rarely match what is actually being spoken!
For example someone will say, "...
9
votes
1answer
3k views
Graded readers for Japanese?
As several other questions already mentioned, graded readers are a good resources for extensive reading, at least for people who are not yet sufficiently proficient to read texts written for native ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Where can I find graded readers for French?
Graded readers are a good type of material for extensive reading. But how do you find graded readers in French?
The English Wikipedia article graded reader has no link to the same concept in the ...
3
votes
1answer
307 views
Graded readers using traditional Chinese characters?
Graded readers are very useful for practising extensive reading. Extensive reading has several benefits, for example, getting a lot of comprehensible input.
I have found several series of graded ...
8
votes
1answer
103 views
Natural Approach text books
I have only found a single example of a Natural Approach text book, Lingua Latina. Are there any other books in this style available for purchase online?
4
votes
1answer
35 views
How do I not prioritize pronunciation over comprehension when reading out loud?
When I read an Italian text (this question is about reading out loud), what I focus on dictates how "well" I read it.
For example, if I focus on pronunciation, then my pronunciation is flawless, but ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
Conditions for successful extensive reading?
According to the literature on second language acquisition, what are the conditions for successful extensive reading? Does the literature provide any suggestions on how many words a learner should ...
5
votes
1answer
146 views
What are the benefits of extensive reading?
What are the benefits of extensive reading? More, specifically, in what ways is extensive reading helpful for learning a target language?
Responses based on research would be appreciated.
11
votes
2answers
175 views
How does one go from “understanding each word” to “understanding the sentence.”
I've been learning Italian for the past 2 years, and I've reached a point where in the average sentence (in introductory material) I understand over half of the words. This usually allows me to ...
8
votes
1answer
79 views
Creating summaries helps us understand a new language?
At school we were "forced" to summarize the text, but does it help in learning a new language?
6
votes
0answers
75 views
According to research, how well do speed reading skills transfer to other languages?
According to Wikipedia, speed reading is
any of several techniques used to improve one's ability to read quickly. Speed reading methods include chunking and minimizing subvocalization.
There are ...
5
votes
2answers
107 views
How does the vocabulary learned through immersion compare to vocabulary learned via study?
When reading texts in L2, (sometimes) it can be easy to infer the meaning of a word based on its usage in the text. This can work similarly when listening or conversing. (Of course, to ensure there is ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
What are all the concepts that you need to understand to become proficient at reading in a language?
Phonics seems to be important. What else is important? Do you need to know the formal rules of grammar?
By "reading a language" I mean reading aloud or silently (whichever is better for comprehension)...
9
votes
2answers
190 views
What's the most effective way to learn to quickly read Chinese?
I know enough Chinese characters to read quite advanced texts in this language. The problem, though, is that I'm terribly slow, so slow that reading anything is not a pleasure. This is something that ...
16
votes
1answer
88 views
What do we call reading a word incorrectly as a related word?
I'm a reading tutor. My new student is exhibiting some unsettling reading behavior.
As an example, we learned the word "woman" two weeks ago. He sometimes reads that word correctly. However, at ...
15
votes
2answers
707 views
What skills does reading aloud improve?
Have there been any studies about the benefits of reading aloud for language acquisition?
14
votes
2answers
139 views
Can reading aloud be an alternative to practicing speaking skills with other people?
The reason might be that we can not easily find people with the same language that we learn or just feeling more comfortable when we read out loud and try to make correct sounds by ourselves.
7
votes
2answers
64 views
What are the positive effects of reading the same text at different levels?
Have any researches compared reading many texts at the same level vs reading one text at different levels?
Would it be effective to read the same book or any text repeatedly, but at different level (...
3
votes
2answers
64 views
How can I decide when to begin reading short stories? [closed]
I just started learning Spanish, and I want to know what criteria I should employ when deciding if/when to begin reading short stories in my target language.
8
votes
1answer
67 views
How can I improve my ability to find the definition of unknown words using the context?
Most people can easily determine the definitions of words they've never seen before in their L1 because of contextual clues that surround the unknown word. I'd like to do the same with an L2 that I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
150 views
Why retain vocabulary when there are dictionaries?
Usually, when we come across an unknown word, we can guess its meaning based on the text around it (assuming that all the words around are known). However, there are cases that the meaning of the word ...
12
votes
3answers
145 views
How can I stop myself from pronouncing abbreviations and numbers in an L2 in my L1?
(The question title is clumsy. Any help to improve it is appreciated.)
When reading a text in English, occasionally I will meet a symbol. I of course know how to speak that symbol in English, but ...
7
votes
1answer
95 views
Learning Braille [closed]
I'm trying to learn braille (not yet blind) and decided to start somewhere familiar - the men's restroom (although I could start with physical books, I could not find any at the local public library)
...
16
votes
3answers
238 views
Pros and cons of reading the same book in each language I learn
One of my language learning strategies is to read the same book in every language I learn (in my case, the Book of Mormon). I know this book quite well, having read it several times in English and in ...
15
votes
1answer
204 views
What factors affect the ability to read aloud in a foreign alphabet?
What cognitive skills and other factors (types of exposure, practice, knowledge of the language, etc.) affect one's ability to read aloud fluently in a foreign alphabet — or even in one's native ...
10
votes
0answers
100 views
What aspects of “Remembering the Kana” make it effective for learning kana?
While Remembering the Kana is regarded by some as having some flaws (some have criticised how it teaches katakana, and I've noticed a few inconsistencies or errors in the book that a proof-reader ...
