3615. Learning a Language by Reading: My Experience

 Many of us English language teachers are non-native speakers… and we have to provide with a lot of that language to our students. And we perhaps are life-long learners of English. It is my case. 

To learn a foreign or second language you have to practice the four language skills plus learn grammar plus vocabulary. 

One way of approaching one of those language skills – reading – is by reading graded readers and full-version books. 

Now I’m telling you how I proceed lately with reading, in case it may help you. 

At present I’m reading a novel, which brings language you can hear on the street. I enjoy reading it. And that’s quite important. 

As well and on top of that I would say that I study the pages I read: I have gotten accustomed to focus and pay close attention to the few pages I read each time. 

I attentively read the lines and kind of mentally collect a lot of interesting expressions and ways to say things in English. I like it. 

Then, after I’ve read a few pages I go backward to those texts and focus at random on some words and phrases and again fix my attention on them so they get like stuck in my mind. Over time I’ve learned how to read in that way and now it is like natural to me. 

I would even say that most of the English I have learned and acquired has been in that way. And that way or with variations can be taught or suggested to our students: I said suggested because each learner has his or her own way of learning: the way I carry out may be naturally different from yours. Each learner has to find their own pathway to success. Even what works now for me may be different from other ways I will later on apply. 

One more thing about my way of reading: sometimes while I’m reading I do it as if I was writing and typing those text lines on a computer: in that way I pay even more attention to what I’m reading, and new words and phrases may become gotten in mind with more profile or emphasis. 

Just one more thing: I’d say that the reader should enjoy what he’s doing. That helps a lot. Have a nice day.

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