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Reading in a Foreign Language

Learning how to Understand Elementary Literature in Another Language

Sep 15, 2008 Megan B. Wyatt

After grasping the basic vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language, the next step is learning how to read by using context clues, root words, and minimal referencing.

Most people began reading in English with picture books filled with phrases mirroring the images of “The cat and the hat!” or “I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!” But such books would insult anyone's basic knowledge of any language beyond early elementary school.

Deciding what to read and learning how to read are both equally important when trying to better comprehend another language.

Choosing What to Read

Just because picture books would be overly simple does not mean you should rush to find Moby Dick published in your newly acquired language. Start with direct, nonliterary writing – journalistic articles are great for beginning reading in a foreign language. They not only are short and to the point, but they also contain minimal idioms, literary writing, difficult vocabulary, and complex tenses.

Choosing topics that you are interested in and have a basic knowledge of will jump start your comprehension of the text and add to your vocabulary of your interests, aiding in your spoken and written fluency of the language.

If articles aren’t your thing or you’re ready for something more challenging, try reading children’s stories, poetry, websites, or phone conversations (emergency calls, etc).

Don’t Get Caught Up on Individual Words

While learning to read in a foreign language will require more time, stopping at each unfamiliar word when reading will only hinder your comprehension, leading to frustration. Don’t dissect each word or try to translate the entire text. Instead, read for overall meaning and understanding.

When you feel a word is important, look for the word’s root – it might be in another tense or a different part of speech than you originally learned. In many languages, the longer words are easier to comprehend (because they closely match the English word) than the shorter words.

Testing Reading Retention

After reading text in another language, ask yourself what you’ve just read. Figuring out the overall action and meaning of the story will help you retain what you’ve just read.

First, explain or pretend to explain to somebody in your native language what happened during the story, making sure there aren’t holes in the story where you’ve forgotten or didn’t comprehend what happened.

Next, try writing the basic plot or story structure in the foreign language or write why you liked or didn’t like the text in the language, citing specific things that took place.

Remember that reading in a foreign language takes time, patience, and diligence. Continue reading and pushing the language barrier and you’ll soon find your reading and written comprehension improving, not only in the foreign language, but also in your native language.