You might have come across many reading techniques at work or at school. It’s clear that reading in a foreign language is generally slower than reading in your native language. And, remembering what you read is even harder. It’s true that quantity is not better than quality, especially when it comes to language learning! You must remember what you learn! And you must remember what you read, to an extent.
Rola’s workbooks give you an opportunity to practice your reading skills with a new text in every chapter, increasing in difficulty as you go. Whether you’re a beginner,
or more advanced,
Rola can help take your language skills to the next level.
Here are some useful tips for reading in another language:
Take notes on the page
Never read without a pencil. Underline sentences you find confusing, interesting, or important. Become familiar with the topic by doing a quick internet search. The more you understand and know about a particular topic, the more likely you will be able to make associations and remember the information better. If you are translating words, write them in both languages, create a separate list, and maybe create flashcards to help you remember them.
Capture the main topics with quick notes on index cards - using different colors will help strengthen the memory with a visual association.
Skim the material
Prior to perusing the material, observe headings, pictures, tables, blurbs, graphs, and opening sections. Concentrate on the significant data that satisfies your motivation for going through the material. Skimming the material primes your memory, arranges your reasoning so you can concentrate on significant data, and encourages you to grasp the substance more in detail, which makes it simpler to recollect significant information. The thought here isn't to avoid the entire understanding procedure. Rather you'll need to skim the content for significant themes and catchphrases previously so you comprehend what's in store when you really delve into the material. Being comfortable with the general topics will empower you to internalize the points of interest.
Read out loud
This technique may work best when keeping a couple of key things in mind. The purpose of learning a language is to speak and to communicate. Reading out loud not only helps you listen to yourself ‘speak correctly’, but also helps you train your mouth, tongue, lips and face to speak in a foreign language. Remember, learning a language is not only mental, it is also mechanical.
In addition to reading aloud, having a native speaker to copy will also help you train to pronounce correctly. Rola has both live online & in-person classes to support your pronunciation development - check out our offerings here.
Read in short segments
To build your focus, read in short sections. For instance, read just a segment, or read for just 10 to 15 minute increments, one after another. After you read the section, summarize what you read in your brain. Grow your reading concentration by consistently expanding the measure of time you read every day or week. For instance, in the event that you read in short sections of 10 to 15 minutes a week, read in 20 sections the following week.
Track your progress in a journal - like this one:
Discuss the material with someone
After you read something, discuss the new information with a friend, family member, classmate, or most ideally, a language teacher! Request a Rola tutor here and find someone to help you reach your goals on your schedule.
The act of discussing the content will create new associations in your memory. It will also help you see which information you understand and can remember, and which information you do not understand and cannot remember.
Go back and re-read the information you had trouble recalling and conveying. Then, discuss the information with a friend or family member again.
Make learning a new language fun! Find books and articles that are fun for you to read! Find books that you have already read in your first language, and read them in the foreign language!
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