What should you be reading to maximize your language learning?
Itâs easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of literature we can learn from. Baby books bore you, but youâre not ready for any type of novel, so whatâs left?
For beginner/A1/A2 learners
Watch a YouTube video in your target language, then read the comments
youâll already have vocabulary from watching the video, most of the comments will probably use that vocab
itâs a short enough text that you wonât get fatigued
the only downside is that sometimes people utilize abbreviations and slang terms, but even these are good to know
Read news headlines and if you find one you understand almost fully, try to read the full article
sometimes the vocabulary used is not common in everyday usage, but itâs a total win for an A1 learner to fully read and mostly understand any text
while vocab is not used everyday, it will give you the ammunition to talk about that particular topic
Watch Netflix in target language with subtitles in the same language
believe it or not, you will learn to read better, especially because you donât have to understand written description of visuals (usually uses very niche vocab) or emotion
and now you can slow down or speed upÂ
I watched DARK in German before I felt like I could read a book, and I understood 85% of it. This is because I looked up some vocabulary in the first episodes and they continued to use it throughout the show so it really cemented in my head to the point where I donât even think about it. Now, I had to rewatch some conversations the characters had, but thatâs much better for understanding than switching it to English or looking up full phrases and sentences.Â
For intermediate/B1/B2 learners
itâs ALWAYS good to read about something youâre interested in so if you like any major movies, books, television, this is the perfect option for you
most people use relatively basic language and you can choose the lengthÂ
find a comic book or graphic novel
like watching tv, that visual aid really helps with understanding of the plot without all those tricky descriptions
read a book in your target language that youâve read and loved in your native language
this is by far my favorite way
you donât have to worry about trying to understanding the bigger picture because you already know whatâs happening/what will happen, you really have to discover the meaning of each sentence and then you begin to picture the scene using only your target language
Check out my other post for methods of how to get the most out of reading !
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