3659. Learning a Language by (Just) Reading You Said?

 A lot of people want to learn a second or foreign language. Me too. So do I. 

At the same time I teach that language I’m learning and acquiring, namely English. 

And you may know that I often say that reading books and graded readers help learn and acquire those target languages. Indeed. It’s my experience, plus Stephen Krashen says it’s so, even he pinpoints and says that fiction is better than non-fiction. 

Ok now I can say that only after having read a lot and used the dictionary also a lot can you learn many a word. Hundreds of them, perhaps thousands. 

Only then some or many words get stuck in memory. Well, maybe you'll learn a lot of vocabulary by other means.

Then you can use them when speaking or writing in the target tongue. Because you’ve gotten a massive tank of lexis. 

Of course there are more words you can understand than the ones you can use when communicating. Passive vocab is ampler than active vocab. 

Then you can remember many words. And use them. And perhaps it’s so because you’ve seen those words many times, and thus those words got stuck in memory and you can retrieve them when speaking or writing. 

As well when you have read a great deal you acquire what some people say the language sense: you are able to manage that language with some fluency plus accuracy. And something inside you says that what you said is ok or is not. 

And if we’re referring to a second or foreign language teacher, well, he or she will be capable to hold a lesson in that language, with both fluency and accuracy. And that teacher will use a lot of words. 

And let’s consider that that teacher in class has to show and utilize a lot of language: if we want our students learn a language, we teachers have to provide a lot of language in class, so our dear students will have a model plus examples plus input plus intake plus … It’s necessary that teacher would show a lot of language in class. 

Only thus will his students be able to learn and acquire the target language, English in my case. And remember also to practice the four language skills, not merely reading. Have a nice day.

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