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The Secret To READING In A Foreign Language | Polyglot Tips u0026 Advice

Robin MacPherson 75 views

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This was super helpful and makes total sense I've done the same thing often reading a few pages of a book in another language only to jump quickly to the next one thinking it will be somehow easier Thanks
Comment from : @ClydeRougeAmbient

I also learned Turkish by the crude method, scratching my way through reading))
Comment from : @black_ranunculus

I have been following Ollie Richards for a few months, as well as "Language Jones," both on You Tube I find them both helpful brThis video was the first I discovered of yours, but already very helpful, so thanks! I agree we other comments that you break the concepts down in an easily understood way 👍brI had repeatedly heard that if a chapter or passage is too hard, to find a more basic level You, however, just managed to encourage us, NOT to seek out hard content; rather, to understand that investing gritty focus in the beginning will pay off, and it will pay off sooner, rather than later
Comment from : @michaelanders6161

i was looking to read english the complete oppositebrbrand no it's not the same
Comment from : @icalculi

True Even books in your own language can be hard to understand if you don't take a time to carefully understand the initial context
Comment from : @helionogueiracardoso1954

To be fair, the "read and try to figure things out without a dictionary" approach works like a charm for languages that are very similar to your mother tongue It worked for me when I was learning English, French and Italian—as I already knew Spanish It would've never worked with Mandarin Chinese, though!
Comment from : @thayishere

Great video man, very informative
Comment from : @Heavymetalisgirlypop

v123
Comment from : @hareth3911

Omg stfu with "the secret" you garbage Youtubers
Comment from : @PeebeesPet

Thank you so much for that great advice❤
Comment from : @yasser9873

Read the first chapter until finish without distractedand learn about main character, place or other detail In the next chapter will be easier to understand
Comment from : @nugrahadwitama2890

I try to understand some English books but I can’t understand these cause I don’t know so much vocabulary this is the main reason why I bought English books what can I do in my situation?
Comment from : @Vietnam_Da

I think the first 20 page is the most difficult part of a book
Comment from : @Khan_2025

Could you tell us before your reading of the foreign language book, did you have any basic training of the languague? I am thinking to read a french novel with help of Microsoft Copilot, which can explain the meaning of words and sentences, and providing background information if it is a relatively known novel I dont have any training in French So I am really curious about your knowledge of the language before your readings Thanks!
Comment from : @harbin88

It's pain to go thoroughly through text with a dictionary and notes, but it's SO worth it! Thank you for reassuring me to continue!brReading 10 pages of each book is a nice tip as well, thoroughly processing a bunch of small texts really boosts the vocab for the future long reads
Comment from : @leekspinner

Hey Robin , your video made me realize i was doing that method unconsciously i am gifted 😂😂 thank you
Comment from : @ameldz5032

I like this Im moving from short stories to novels soon and wanted advice, and this one makes the most sense
Comment from : @LisaSoulLevelHealing

It takes away all motivation when you think that you need to translate every single word from beginning to end I noticed this thing when I was watching a series of videos about Hannibal's way to Rome I understand almost every word, because I worked intensively with the text of the first 3 of the 15 videos
Comment from : @relaxedbrain4237

I read several
Comment from : @jacksonamaral329

Bullshit
Comment from : @Явеличайшийагрономнаэтойпланет

Excuse me do you learn the alphabets and spellings first to read in a new foreign langauge
Comment from : @itzviolet3216

Great advice! Thank you
Comment from : @polarbearseverywheres

its 2 am rn and ive decided i will read spanish manga to learn the language
Comment from : @diiiittt

I wish I’d seen this before I started reading The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan in my native language brbrIf it makes sense for me in my NL I imagine it will be brilliant in the second language I’m learning
Comment from : @ckubitscespaol6881

Is this method relevant also for Nonfiction?
Comment from : @matanwiesner3640

Great tip I've started reading Olly Richard's Short Stories series and agree If I take the time to go over the first chapter it subsequently makes the remainders easier and more enjoyable
Comment from : @kiwisam1

I can’t understand anything that I read so how would I study the first chapter?
Comment from : @patfromamboy

I’ve been studying Portuguese for over 8 years now but I still can’t read or converse I have to translate everything into English to understand Even the words that I know need to be translated Portuguese words don’t mean anything to me until I translate them into English I’ve visited Brazil 18 times and my girlfriend only speaks Portuguese and we’ve been practicing every day for over 5 years now but I still can’t converse with her She has to speak very slowly so I can translate everything into English I need to find a way to learn without translating
Comment from : @patfromamboy

I’m going to try this now
Comment from : @jojox6145

I have seen a lot of videos about learning languages and I have to say, Robin, you are the bestbrThank you for your tips, your teachings, and your energy
Comment from : @nutertor

Your method also captures some of the author's idiosyncratic vocabulary (and/or the vocab of the time/place/topic)
Comment from : @maletu

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Comment from : @supriyakale994

The major problem with reading is starting a book for the first time and making the wrong choiceIve done this today and I feel terribly ill, because the book i chose was so difficult,i have to stay in bed for several days to recover,it hurts physically,please dont make this terrible mistakes,take an easier one,dont strive for everything in a day
Comment from : @LingvaChad

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Comment from : @supriyakale994

Intensive only never made sense to me, how are you supposed to gain a 12000 word vocabulary if you only read at 90 literacy?
Comment from : @mingusbingus6746

I haven't really read in French in a long time, but I've studied thousands of vocabulary using Memrise I will probably stop using Memrise in about a month and focus a lot on reading
Comment from : @QUINTUSMAXIMUS

I can't thank you enough bro
Comment from : @KhaledMohamed-tu2cb

I’ve noticed that this kind of methodology could work with me, it is practice, I think in the real life the process learing is just a matter of good habit Thanks for your advices
Comment from : @omarperezprada

Wonderful Robin Thank you again for more a incredible advice
Comment from : @mateussouza1872

Hi Rob, I love watching your videos, they are so inspirational👍 Reading has become a big part of my language learning process, I’m currently learning French and was wondering what your advice and thoughts are about ‘reading out aloud’ to ones self?
Comment from : @MotardRosbif

The brute-force is always my favorite method until I got really used to the languagebcs I'm lazy and need this "DO THAT!!!! NOW!!" to continue going oneven to watch movies or so if I don't force myself to just go through without subs ( in the language but subs) I still lazy around about improving my hearing and speaking To repeat over and over again the same chapter or just pass through without having a base of the language it just waste of time and torture to me
Comment from : @batatasacrazyadas7843

Thank you!
Comment from : @lettucestream1720

I can’t wait to try this I’ve been learning French and I have started to read more novels around my level My approach has been to just read, and if I understand the majority of the first chapter, I’ll continue reading If not I’ll go to a different book And I only look up words I didn’t know that were repeated multiple times because to me if something is repeated, it means it’s important
Comment from : @UrMousey

Reading the first novel in French was a milestone for me I've read short stories before, in simplified form, but this was the first book in the original language, without pictures and explanations Now I have the courage to read another book To rest my head a little I switch between French and English Swedish is my native Language English isnt nearly as hard as French It's more joy than work but I still learn new words
Comment from : @jerryhall5709

I don't agree at all I think it is much better to start reading easy graded readers When we read very difficult texts we end up reading much less and this is going to slow down our progress a lot
Comment from : @Blueaspen391

Totally agree with you That first Chao you are also learning all the vocabulary around that subject or story Once that’s done it’s so much easier to move forward
Comment from : @vjones5646

Thank you 🙏🏻
Comment from : @emrepinar9200

I agree with your method I unconsciously did this when i read my first comic book in french So i read the first chapter and find myself searching for the meaning for every word that i am not familiar with and when i went to chapter 2 i kind of felt lazy so i just told myself to just scan everything And surprisingly i kind of understood the context and i was able to finish the book quicker than when i would’ve studied them intensively per chapter
Comment from : @jaki5747

from now and on I'll read the first chapter again, thank you Robin
Comment from : @Ifaii9l

Mew to your channel Is there s sequence you can recommend ?index?brNew to iPad age 85 ,this is challenge
Comment from : @RanBlakePiano

1:19 "some of my loveliest delightful moments of my language learning and even in my life, honestly have happened reading books in foreign languages" Oh, I bet that's something introverts would say 😜😊❤🙊
Comment from : @agustinamansur5665

Would you use kindle with the build in dictionary to study a foreign language?
Comment from : @katerinaproftova8410

´Maybe I should read that one, it invited me in with the cover page, it seemed so nice and friendly Until I read the first 10 pages’ 😂 💀Robin you are literally narrating my life! brbrI’ve been fighting with Chinese books for yeaaars and lost every battle 🙈 I always couldn’t help but take the intensive approach I’m definitely going to try extensive reading and hopefully soon on you’ll see my first book review video of a target language novel I’ve finished! 🙊🤗✨✨✨
Comment from : @kaedreaming8341

Your entire "reading journey" is exacly like mine! I have been struggling with the reading since I don´t even remember Thank you soooo much for that advice!
Comment from : @krolowamotyli257

Each Language Transports you to Its Own vibebetter Outloudlisten to your own voice big helpbrCool storieswe in same Boat
Comment from : @klarakrok

Just awesome! Thx so much!
Comment from : @michellew3691

Hi Robin Thank for sharing the brgreat tips of how to read in a language that you are learningbrI tend to focus only on perfectly brunderstanding every single brword in an English bookbrSometime that works well Mostly, however, I end up to feeling brexhausted and getting strain because of my energy and timebrjust consumingbrLuckily I have learned a great tipbr from you : read the first chapter intensively brThe method can makes me brmuch more comfortable with br reading an English book ☺️✨
Comment from : @shioszk

I recently discovered your channel and am gobbling up all the goodies you have produced over the years I am near fluent in French, and am at an intermediate level in Portuguese, and a beginner-intermediate level in Bulgarian You are now my go-to YouTuber in all things 2L acquisition, as you have lots of useful tips (PS I really like videos like this one that only have background music at the beginning and/or end, as otherwise it can be quite distracting, especially if it's a track that has a 10-second loop or so) Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Comment from : @CanadaMills

I was in the same situation you described, reading the first pages and trying to understand every word, until it felt too complicatedbrbrI'm trying a different approach now: I have bought an ebook and imported it to a website called "readlang" for which I pay a yearly subscription (it also allows you to save webpages: news articles, blog posts)brbrI can translate up to 12-words sentences just by clicking them on my screen It's instantaneous (and it saves all the words and expressions translated into a database, from which they can be exported to spaced repetition systems like anki, if you wish)brThis way, I can read, trying to understand as much as possible, and if I don't understand a sentence or a word, readlang gives me the translation, and I can move on to the next lines If an unknown word comes up very often, I'll end up memorizing it effortlessly The same goes with expressions and grammar structuresbrbrIt's pleasant, and you learn gradually, without feeling overwhelmed or unmotivatedbrOnce you've read the book once, you can come back to it later, and read it again: it will seem way easier, and the words you missed the first time will be the next you'll learn
Comment from : @Nico97fr

I'm amazed by how you manage to point out your techniques in learning new languages, and it's so easy to understand As someone who has been struggling to learn English and Spanishyour videos are always helpful
Comment from : @MisAlineR

So what happened to starting with newspaper and magazines?
Comment from : @CalBruin

I totally agree about picking the first chapter apart Actually, as I was watching this I was cutting open a box of books that just arrived from Germany
Comment from : @Avtandil_74

3:47 the golden advice
Comment from : @MrsKoldun

I cannot tell you how happy discovering this method has made me I've been learning Italian for 8 months and I felt like my language learning hit a brick wall But in the last few weeks since diving into a couple of novels, I feel this method is really moving me forward! This Robynne is grateful to you, Robin!
Comment from : @robynneblissett6510

So much wisdom intensive reading of first chapters, Other chapters will seem easier I also will try this withFrench
Comment from : @artiesolomon3292

Il n'était pas "canal de découverte", vos suggestions et recommandations, mais j'ai trouvé quelques approches intéressantes dans votre vidéo Il est temps de les expérimenter Merci, Robin
Comment from : @slowlearner4341

I did this too When I left home, I bought foreign language books in French Anything but Le Petit Prince I discovered Alphonse Daudet's Lettres de mon Moulin, which is a lovely book And I followed up with a book called Ramuntcho, a story about Basque smugglers I also retught myself French by using G Mauger's cours de L'ange et Civilisation français Which I think is a fantastic way to learn French cheaply
Comment from : @Jauhara

Why do we have lots of poliglots giving tips and a few linguists, and everybody values more poliglots than liguists?
Comment from : @LucasSantos-cz2cl

Hello Robin I have been disappointed in books I have bought, not really enjoying what I thought would be an interesting story, but your idea about getting to know the characters etc has given me an idea I loved the book Shogun by James Clavell, so I'm going to see if I can get it in Italian I know the story so well having read it several times So many thanks for your ideas !
Comment from : @solea59

Graded readers are fantastic too I find them so helpful
Comment from : @LO-nt7lg

Very useful I will definitely give this a try Thank you for sharing
Comment from : @GypsyCurls

Ohhh I love your suggestion of highlighting words that are used frequently!! I'm going to give this a try I have been underlying words and looking them up, but to hight light them would make the comen words really stand out!
Comment from : @annettemcnabb5856

I am going to try this Thank you for the tips, I am going to come back after a month with an update
Comment from : @academiavillage8783

What about starting with the books you've already read in a language you already know? (Currently reading 'Les enfants de capitaine Grant)
Comment from : @user-pc4i8ege55

I just watched your video on easy language videos Robin I had written tons of stuff from them Now I have three A4 notebooks of Italian full of notes This is my arsenal Now I'm ready to start Thank you so much for the advice you give us Very helpful Your passion for language learning is very infectious !
Comment from : @solea59

I'm a french speaker trying to improve my english with reading, so thank you!
Comment from : @Wazkaty

I came close to reading Tolstoys Anna Karenina in Russian The problem is that the older I get, the smaller the print becomes Not very conducive to reading in a foreign language
Comment from : @irenemcnamara9699

That's some great advice! This is actually why the first book I read in every new language is almost always Harry Potter, cause I've read it so many times by now that I know a lot of it by heart It also has a simple language and it's been translated into so many languages, so it works almost like a modern day Rosetta stone!
Comment from : @Tov_e

Thank you for this video I have been learning French from the past 5 years with weekly lessons, and I still have an erratic experience reading in French It is very frustrating I will try this method and hopefully, I can overcome my fear of reading French and not completely comprehending everything about the text
Comment from : @shlee4

I’ve noticed that a lot of polyglots on YouTube say a whole lotta nothin’, but you actually give genuine, useful and practical advice and don’t try to come off as some kind of language wizard I always identify with what you’re saying It’s refreshing and helpful Thank you!
Comment from : @xxxqwertxxx

damn that is a good video You look passionate, enthusiastic, happy to help, energetic And the information is great Pretty cool approach to reading, something i surely need to try as i am lost novels after first 3 sentences Seems like this would work, makes a lot of sense, so thank you and keep up the good work
Comment from : @angelnokare6906