Reading doesn't just allow you to review words multiple times, but also in context. I believe you will get more out of reviewing a word 50 times in 50 different sentences, than just reviewing it 50 times as an isolated word on a flashcard. Reading is the best!
I recently had a study of the Gospel of Mark for a Sunday school class at church. I decided to read it in Spanish, my target language. The language was a little advanced for me and there was some less common grammar, but the great thing about the Bible is that you can follow in your native language if you get stuck, since every sentence is a numbered verse. Also there is a lot of importance put on making sure all the translations convey the same meaning so it’s a great way of comparing how the language communicates an idea without word-by-word translating. Whether you read it as a part of faith or as literature, it’s a great resource.
This kind of langauge might not be relevant to current version of language. So be careful with it. It might be old-fashioned version of language in each case. I would rather recommend well-known fairy tales if you want to start small. They teach native speaker kids current language, so if you know the plot already they should be easy to follow and will teach you the basics of current, spoken language.
I think it very much depends on the translation. Depending on your upbringing, the Biblical stories could be as well known to the reader as fairytales. Passages from the Bible are read on a three year cycle in most churches so they can become quite familiar. I do actually find quite a lot of children’s literature and folk tales harder to read in Spanish than more mature material.
@@elliottmcfadden6261 interesting...I do a lot of praying in my target language, French, as well as the lessons at mass, also in french. I find a big overlap with classical French novels and formal words and expressions used in prayer. (In English I always understood that if you want really good English, then read the classics.) Being said, reading the Bible in your target language can only add to your ability in every sense, imo.
@@Kitiwake interesting on the comment about the classics. The King James Version is an English language classic and informed much of classic literature. I’m not sure how true that is in other European languages, but the KJV would fall under your statement for English.
What a great idea! I want to read the bible and learn French but never seem to have enough time. I love this idea thank you❤ I will find a modern version aimed at youngsters and get started. Thanks again!
I am reading my first book in French. It’s called “Short Stories for Beginners” by Olly Richards!❤ I have the audio to go with it. Enjoying it SO MUCH! I read it to myself, sometimes out loud. Then I read again with the audio playing. Other times I listen to the audio alone to test my listening skills. Then I will sit and translate into English. It really, really works!!! So much more fun than flashcards. Took French at school and was fairly studious back then. Forty years later, I have no patience for boring drills. The day I discovered I could learn French by reading I was over the moon. Thanks so much❤
Actually since ive started reading youre book in Icelandic, suddenly i understand so much more of the things native speaker say and write online without looking it up. Just reading in combination with educational videos i dont pressure myself to understand (but that bring a lot into perspective), has brought me further then trying to follow a class, or a book with a programm.
@@d.lawrence5670 Even if you've never seen some of the words before, most of what you read is review. In my mother tongue, English, I occasionally come across I've not encountered before. Still, I almost all of it is comprehensible to me. Same for my current target language, German. Most of what I read is comprehensible, with only a small amount being new.
@@d.lawrence5670 It's still more effective to see it in use. Sure, translate it, but don't 'revise' those single words. Just keep reading and you'll see it again. Forget. Remember. Repeat. That's how real acquisition works.
Laoshu was one of the best Polyglots on RUclips (memory eternal ☦️) and often said he would read the same chapter everyday for a week. So reading and reviewing went hand in hand. He also spoke with people and got a lot of daily new materials. But that daily review you’re talking about while reading was exactly his approach which clearly worked well in his case.
About six weeks ago, I started re-reading the same chapter every day for about 4-5 days in a row. I wish I'd used the reading repetition approach earlier in my second language journey, as I'm now acquiring the language at a faster rate. Better late than never!
My latest one was Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" in Hebrew. Very easy language and fast pacing plot are great ingredients for a book in a foreign language. Now I've been stumbling through "Into the Water", but I think I'd better leave it half unfinished and begin something new instead.
Initially I read easy short stories (childrens) and then moved on to beginners with audio. I read aloud to help with pronunciation and any words I struggle with I google translate it(not for the meaning but pronunciation). Latest 📖 is 'Corre' ( good as it's also in English)
@@storylearning how would a beginner read something in japanese? Assuming they know the kana at least. In germanic and romantic languages there are common words but in japanese, discounting the borrowed words, there are mainly completely foreign words, so would I have to learn a bit of vocab beforehand, or could I just dive in like you did with spanish?
I love this method! This is what we try to get parents and young kids to do! If it works in your native language, why not to learn a new one? I'm reading Tigres al anochecer (yes, it's a kids book, but I can follow the plot, it's relatively enjoyable, and I'm learning vocabulary about subjects I like). Next up, Short stories in Spanish!
Read the book "make it stick." Its really interesting about learning with research defying the typical notion that "review, review, review" in the way that we're accustomed to do it is what makes you remember or learn things.
I am a 63 years old man from Belgium. And I just started to learn spanish. Now I also read the book short stories in spanish by Olly Richards. But there are a lot of words that I don't understand
Currently reading your book of Russian stories, which are perfect for my level. Challenging but achievable at the same time. Also ‘Crime and Punishment in English for the fourth time - next time in Russian...
Besides all of that^ great conveyance in the video! Great charisma and transitioning from "review review review" into "read read read" and holding them both in tandem really as you did
I read Padre Rico Padre Pobre in Spanish last. I am currently reading El Diario de Ana Frank, and the second one is easier to read. I recently changed my target language to French, and am reading the story from the French Uncovered course by Olly Richards. I want to finish El Diario de Ana Frank because I like the book. I want to continue reading in Spanish while working on my French. I love reading in foreign languages, even when I don't understand a lot.
The last thing I've recently consciously read in Georgian (my target language of course) is the opening of the book of Acts from the Bible. I plan on reading more of course.
Everybody seems to read so advanced books. 🙄🙈 The latest book I read was Црвенкапа (little red riding hood) in Macedonian. That made me really proud of myself and of my progress. 👍💪💥
Kids books are good to read when you’re starting off or in the early stages though…i just came across a Serbian kids Book called Miško Piško….it’s well funny!
Hi Olly, excellent advice, as ever. I was a little surprised that you didn’t mention the importance of listening whilst reading. For me this has become critical as my comprehension of Spanish is poor. In that regard ´- Fluent Spanish Academy and ´Conversations´ are proving a great help.
Hi Michael. Yes, fair enough... sometimes I choose not to mention some things in order to strengthen the main point. If I didn't do that then basically every single video I ever make will be "just listen and read"!
I read Narcis und Goldmund by Herman Hesse in German, Short Stories by Olly Richards in French and, which is why I actually decided to comment: I read Cronica de una muerta anunciada in Spanish. ALL in the last 3 months! Thanks Olly
The last thing I have read in my target language(when it was Bulgarian), is an old Bulgarian criminal novel written by Dimitar Peev. So far I have read 107 books in Bulgarian and this input method made me speak in the language fluently and academically without making any output practise. So I can easily say that reading is the most powerful method to improve a language.
Just finished Spanish Short Stories for Beginners vol 2. I am now working on Short stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners. I can't recommend this series enough.
I'm reading What I talk about when i talk about by Haruki Murakami in English. It's very short, easy to follow. And most importantly very very interesting as Mr. Krashen recommended. : )
I love reading in Dutch. Just started a series "The seven sisters". My Croatian is not good enough to read books yet. I got some children books but its still too new.
After reading a number of novels in French I finally have taken on Du Cote de Chez Swann (Swann's Way), the first novel in the series known as A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. Only about half way through, but it was a bit of a thrill to get to the famous bit about dipping the madeleine cake into tea. There are passages I struggle with, but I understand it well enough to enjoy the story and it's been a bit of a thrill to read the great classic in French.
I read Cajas de Cartón by Francisco Jiménez , and now i am the follow up book to Cajas de Carton called Senderos Fronterizos. I am also reading El Libro De Mormon.
The last book the I read in my target language, French, was 'En exil' by Delphine Diaz, & it relates to my job working with refugees. It's a brilliant history of refugees in Europe, published last year (2021).
I have not yet read anything significant in my target language, but I am enjoying 101 conversations in French, I look forward to your stories book and I have bought a couple of Tintins. Thanks a lot for promoting reading, reading and reviewing.
Last (and first) book I’m reading in French is Olly’s French short stories. Last book I read in Spanish was Como Agua Por Chocolate, but the most helpful was the Isabel Allende Águila y Jaguar trilogy. Fantastic for building up comprehension and growing your vocabulary.
This book is also a cookbook, so one can really get a taste of the culture by trying out a recipe from it. ;-) I love Isabel Allende and she has plenty of great books, so keep reading. You will never regret it. I also recommend reading interviews with her in Spanish newspapers. Since conversations with her are also very interesting.
Right now reading Steve Lukather’s autobiography (guitarist in the band Toto) in Finnish. It’s really doing so much for my vocabulary already even though I’ve only read a few chapters. I imported it into LingQ and voila it had 17000 words I don’t know yet. Such a fun and effective way to learn without even being focused on learning, but rather just enjoying the content.
I started a french graded reader and stoped for no specific reason, now I read The Walking Dead(Comic). I also read subtitles on netflix, which I also consider kind of a reading practice.
i've been learning chinese on and off for a couple months and have wanted to read tiny times 1.0 for a while, but have been too nervous to start. i've read every level 0 mandarin companion graded reader and am currently on a level 1 book. i'll start tiny times with a dictionary tonight!
The last one I read was Le chapeau de Mitterand. Antoine Lorraine. Excellent and not difficult. Prior to that it was two of Camus' books - more challenging but I DID notice new words recurring ! That means that the rule 'read' is very important simply because you will review automatically. Simple and fun. My vocabulary has expanded partly through reading.
I'm going through your book on LingQ. What a great combination! I also got one chapter into Historias Cortas Para Principiantes, but the "Buy" feature seems to be glitching. I hope they get that straightened out: I need to know what happens next! LOL
My favourite book of all time is The Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray Williams. I think that I would like this to be my first book to read in Spanish.
Hi. I’m totally agreed to this method which is read, read, read! Also I have been trying to one book reading a month. It’s worth it for sure. I’m very curious how long it will take a time to improve my English skill by this method anyway.
Books I enjoyed in English : Dickens -David Copperfield, Oliver twist, Great Expectations, Dombey and Son. Paul Auster The New York Trilogy , Theodore Dreiser An American Tragedy and also Edgar Alan Poe, Agatha Christie and even The famous five and the Secret Seven. I read a lot of them when I was younger and it is so great to be able to read them in English now. Oh and I almost forget. You have English Short Stories by Olly Richard.
"The Pali Canon: What every Buddhist should know" in Thai by Payutto. It was hard. Lots of Sanskrit/Pali words and I peaked at the English translation whenever I got stuck.
The latest book that I’ve been reading in Spanish is the Bible. It’s translated in more languages than any other book, many of the stories are very popular even if you’re not religious you know about ‘David and Goliath’ right? And it’s such a large source of material so I am beginning to spend endless hours reading it. What do you think Olly? Do you think the Bible is a good source material?
I just got back from Korea where I bought a bunch of books. I just finished (재미와 교훈이 있는) 이솝 이야기 (Aesop Stories) which is the easiest thing I've ever found written for native speakers, and it was fun to read. I highly recommend it for anyone who has reached an intermediate level in Korean, the vocab repeats a lot so it almost seems like it was written for second language learners.
How do you address the pronounciation with just reading? Do you need the audio book as well? I want to avoid learning a wrong pronounciation because I am guessing how it might be pronounced.
I have been reading manga on the treadmill after work in Spanish using a Nintendo Switch joy con to move the page and listening to the anime version on Netflix when I'm commuting or moving around to help reinforce what I read and hear the characters use the same or similar words. I have been doing this with Yu-Gi-Oh! And Dragon Ball.
Just watched his video on the power of reading. So funny since I just recently subscribed to your channel and then get Prof. Krashen's video as a suggestion. Coincidence? I think not!
Last thing I read was yesterday before bed. It was a short little version of 桃太郎 from this set of Japanese graded readers I bought. Only about 19 pages for the story, but it was really cool being able to read it in my target language.
That Hideous Strength by C S Lewis was the last book I read in Spanish. My Spanish is hideous and I struggled, but I just finished the Gospel of John in Portuguese.. 🙂
When I learnt about the whole input hypothesis, I found it quite compelling and intriguing. So recently I've been browsing for Kindle-samples of books that are both not too difficult (comprehensible) and interesting. One that I picked is Vol. 2 of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series (in French) and the other Le Petit Prince. So far, so good. But Saint-Exupéry uses the passé simple and King the impafait, and I don't know why. So I'll be internalizing one of the 2 past tense forms, not knowing if it is used in everyday language or if it is only a literary style not used in everyday language at all. I think that's one of the perils of this otherwise very enjoyable method of language acquisition. Or am I making it more complicated than it is?
@@Kitiwake Yes, I know now. So what you can learn with this method is vocabulary, that's all. You don't learn anything useful for your everyday conversation with ordinary people.
The last book I read was 'Da Vinchi Code' by Dan Brown. That was so engaging I even forgot all my scheduled things. I wish I could read it in Spanish. Read in place of review approach is quite efficient as long as you stick to it. Thank you for keeping us awake in the world of language learning, Olly Richards.
I actually heard Ranger's Aprentice in German. I've read it in Portuguese (my native language) 4 times and heard the audio book in English once before listening to it in German.
The last book I've read in Spanish was a translation of a history book called Pueblos e imperios, but in Mandarin I've only ever read one book, 我睡沙发去旅行. That was hard due to a lack of knowledge of characters, so I've been doing a lot of flashcards trying to learn characters in both simplified and traditional. I'm hoping it makes the actual reading process a little easier!
Krasen it's incredible, I read sometimes, obviously I need more and more, but one practice that I like it's listening, I'm focused on listening to understand the natives
+Hikaro Noronha Matt vs Japan (RUclipsr) said "Don't focus on reading first, start listening". Olly Richards is right on track, immersion with reading is important, but to me, reading first is like learning how to run before you can stand.
I last read Hola Lola by Juan Fernandez. This is an A1 graded reader. I'm now reading the sequel, Un Hombre Fascinante. This is an A2 graded reader. I also read Spanish translations of superhero comic books. The comics are harder than the graded readers but I enjoy them.
Thank you for posting this video Olly! Very helpful indeed. I am A1 and understand about 50% when reading short stories. Would you recommend to me also not using the dictionary when reading? I do translate but not every single word that I don't understand. I translate those that I feel are crucial in terms of getting the message, if that makes sense. Or when I think I know what it means but am not 100% sure and just want to double-check. You reckon that's a good approach? I will definitely buy your book once I get to learning Spanish!
I have his Spanish book, and in the book he recommends to keep on reading and don’t stop to find words that are vague or unknown in the dictionary. He also recommends figuring out the meaning based on context. Only study the language of the stories in depth once you’ve read the entire story multiple times.
@@dragonswordmountain2908 I've read the whole series in Spanish. It was lots of fun. Don't know how much all the magical vocabulary will help day to day, but it sure is a lot of fun. There are several Dan Brown novels available in Spanish. They're long, but somewhat easier than Harry Potter. Doesn't it feel great to read entire books in another language?
+Carolyn Koslow I don't like reading Harry Potter books in Spanish because i am native in Spanish. I prefer to read them in English, because it's more pure, makes me remember the movies more. Yes, it feels great to read entire books in another language. For French is because i want something fun i already read before, to learn it. In English is to enjoy Harry Potter. That 4th Harry Potter book in Spanish started the passion to read them in English.
@@dragonswordmountain2908I almost asked your mother language & made a guess based on what you had written. Your English writing is good. I love reading & that's always my favorite thing in any language. Keep on going. My current motto is "go with what works".
+Carolyn Koslow Well, i don't like reading, that's always been my achilles’ heel, it's boring. But when it comes to reading Harry Potter, that's love. My current motto is "have fun and learn". What is your mother language anyway? Je suis curieux de savoir maintenant.
@@storylearning As a dyslexic, I have to disagree slightly. When I was a child I couldn't read but I could speak very well. As an adult I can read but I still struggle with phonological processing with words I have not seen before. How would this method work for someone who's phonological processing is weak? Surely there must be a way for visual learners to acquire language?
I'm currently reading The Alchemist in Spanish. I can pretty much understand always what they are trying to say, but it can sometimes can be difficult to know exactly.
The last ook I read in Spanish was yoiurs: Short Stories in Spanish for beginners. Until now I've read the 1st 2 stories, but have found them to be more adavanced for my level. However, I'll keep on reading. By the way, didf you ever write "volume two"?
Hi, Olly. Its been a very good thing following your videos, its given me very usefull insights on language learning, or as Krashen states 'language acquisition'. but something remains kinda hidden when it comes about reading, how you deal with the sounds of words/expessions if you dont know how to pronounce them yet, considering youre learning the target language? id really appreciate your feedback.
Audiobooks while you follow along the written word. Or reading transcripts of podcasts/videos in your target language (ideally) spoken by native speakers
Je lis « Le Tao au jour le jour » par Deng Ming-Dao; 365 méditations taoïstes. C’est excellent. En anglais, c’est « Tao 365...Daily Meditations ». Highly recommended in whatever is your target language. Bonne lecture! Lis, lis, lis....Read, read, read...🙏
Thank you for the video! I'm surprised this hasn't been asked yet, but I'm curious how you found/find foreign language screenplays? I think it would be incredibly useful and would love to try.
I recently finished "I married a communist" by Philip Roth. It's a novel about the time during Cold War when there was a witch hunt against communists in America. Now I'm reading "Playing the Jack" by Mary Brown. It's a history novel, too, and it's very colorful and full of action. It's set in the 18th century in England. Both books are great - as novels and as learning material, too. I'm trying to avoid SciFi and Fantasy books in English (my target language) because the specific vocabulary of that issues is not related to my life. Sometimes unknown words stick together in one sentence, and one day I typed one of those sentences into the "examples" field in my vocabulary trainer and made a new vocab out of every word I didn't know, all with the same example sentence. So I discovered that novels are full of the kind of vocabulary that I want to have! Vocabulary in courses seems to be categorized by themes. There are "basics", "clothing", "at the restaurant" and much more categories. Expressions like "to the contrary" don't fit in one of those categories... So alongside extensive reading studying single sentences of novels intensively has become one of my favorite learning methods.
thanks for sharing.I just reading harry potter 1-7 for a year, my vocabulary from 5000 reached 6000, from 2018-07 to 2019-07.and i want to know how many words have to read in order to achieve a goal of 10000 vocabulary.
My "reading" in Mandarin includes looking up 80% of the words. I can do that quickly with a browser App, but not from book text (in Mandarin: no pinyin spelling), so I don't read books yet. The last thing I read was emails in Mandarin from a friend. I learn words reading and replying to emails. I'm trying to read stories online, but even "HSK-2" stories use unfamiliar words in every sentence.
Be patient. Chinese kids do not start reading before tackling all the signs for 6 years of primary school first. Find the lists of recommended signs, stick to proper order of learning them, learn to use dictionary by knowing key elements of basics signs. Chinese and Japanese are learnt best and easiest if you follow learning methods and advice from native speakers. Use good quality learning materials designed and graded and stick to the idea on which design is based. It will pay off. And learn signs by handwritting. Easiest way to really tackle asian languages. And caligraphy is fun and teaches you a lot about culture too. And if you learn caligraphy it also helps to find native speakers willing to help you learn. And you may try to use flashcards for kids. There is a lot of them. This helps with memorizing signs.
Soy de EE.UU. Mi idioma nativo es el inglés. El último libro que leí en español es "El Alquimista". El problema ahora para mi es que estudio chino, pero todavia estoy en un nivel básico. ¿Es una buena idea para mi encontrar algo para leer cuando todavia soy un principante en el idioma?
If i dont know many books in foreign language, i buy christian bibles in simple foreign languages translations,read it all for exposure.Thanks for your advise.
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Reading doesn't just allow you to review words multiple times, but also in context. I believe you will get more out of reviewing a word 50 times in 50 different sentences, than just reviewing it 50 times as an isolated word on a flashcard. Reading is the best!
I recently had a study of the Gospel of Mark for a Sunday school class at church. I decided to read it in Spanish, my target language. The language was a little advanced for me and there was some less common grammar, but the great thing about the Bible is that you can follow in your native language if you get stuck, since every sentence is a numbered verse. Also there is a lot of importance put on making sure all the translations convey the same meaning so it’s a great way of comparing how the language communicates an idea without word-by-word translating. Whether you read it as a part of faith or as literature, it’s a great resource.
This kind of langauge might not be relevant to current version of language. So be careful with it. It might be old-fashioned version of language in each case. I would rather recommend well-known fairy tales if you want to start small. They teach native speaker kids current language, so if you know the plot already they should be easy to follow and will teach you the basics of current, spoken language.
I think it very much depends on the translation. Depending on your upbringing, the Biblical stories could be as well known to the reader as fairytales. Passages from the Bible are read on a three year cycle in most churches so they can become quite familiar. I do actually find quite a lot of children’s literature and folk tales harder to read in Spanish than more mature material.
@@elliottmcfadden6261 interesting...I do a lot of praying in my target language, French, as well as the lessons at mass, also in french. I find a big overlap with classical French novels and formal words and expressions used in prayer.
(In English I always understood that if you want really good English, then read the classics.)
Being said, reading the Bible in your target language can only add to your ability in every sense, imo.
@@Kitiwake interesting on the comment about the classics. The King James Version is an English language classic and informed much of classic literature. I’m not sure how true that is in other European languages, but the KJV would fall under your statement for English.
What a great idea! I want to read the bible and learn French but never seem to have enough time. I love this idea thank you❤ I will find a modern version aimed at youngsters and get started. Thanks again!
Don't apologize for promoting your stuff man! Your content is awesome, and I'm planning to buy your conversations.
@James Rimes
İ was thınking egzaktleə thu same🐼🐔🏅👑💍👌👏
I am reading my first book in French. It’s called “Short Stories for Beginners” by Olly Richards!❤ I have the audio to go with it. Enjoying it SO MUCH! I read it to myself, sometimes out loud. Then I read again with the audio playing. Other times I listen to the audio alone to test my listening skills. Then I will sit and translate into English. It really, really works!!! So much more fun than flashcards. Took French at school and was fairly studious back then. Forty years later, I have no patience for boring drills. The day I discovered I could learn French by reading I was over the moon. Thanks so much❤
Actually since ive started reading youre book in Icelandic, suddenly i understand so much more of the things native speaker say and write online without looking it up. Just reading in combination with educational videos i dont pressure myself to understand (but that bring a lot into perspective), has brought me further then trying to follow a class, or a book with a programm.
"Read, read, read" is effectively "Review, review, review." Every sentence of comprehensible input is review.
Not if you've never seen the particular "comprehensible input" before.
@@d.lawrence5670 Even if you've never seen some of the words before, most of what you read is review. In my mother tongue, English, I occasionally come across I've not encountered before. Still, I almost all of it is comprehensible to me. Same for my current target language, German. Most of what I read is comprehensible, with only a small amount being new.
@@d.lawrence5670 It's still more effective to see it in use. Sure, translate it, but don't 'revise' those single words. Just keep reading and you'll see it again. Forget. Remember. Repeat. That's how real acquisition works.
Is it work reading stories or books on computer or just with papers?
Laoshu was one of the best Polyglots on RUclips (memory eternal ☦️) and often said he would read the same chapter everyday for a week. So reading and reviewing went hand in hand. He also spoke with people and got a lot of daily new materials. But that daily review you’re talking about while reading was exactly his approach which clearly worked well in his case.
About six weeks ago, I started re-reading the same chapter every day for about 4-5 days in a row. I wish I'd used the reading repetition approach earlier in my second language journey, as I'm now acquiring the language at a faster rate. Better late than never!
I’m doing your course el hombre del sombrero, es increíble! Muchas gracias Olly, tu también eres increíble!
Gracias Janet!
Just finished my first complete novel in Chinese, 為了活下去. An amazing read in any language.
Congrats!
What's the name novel?
@@eren3982 The English name of the book is 'In Order To Live'
Thanks.
Not to survive?
My latest one was Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" in Hebrew. Very easy language and fast pacing plot are great ingredients for a book in a foreign language. Now I've been stumbling through "Into the Water", but I think I'd better leave it half unfinished and begin something new instead.
For language learning yes. For accuracy is content, wildly imaginatively.
Initially I read easy short stories (childrens) and then moved on to beginners with audio. I read aloud to help with pronunciation and any words I struggle with I google translate it(not for the meaning but pronunciation). Latest 📖 is 'Corre' ( good as it's also in English)
Currently reading Spanish short stories, by Olly Richards :) Thanks for all you do, Olly!
I am currently reading Short Stories in French by Olly Richards & Richard Simcott :)
Superb choice!
@@storylearning how would a beginner read something in japanese? Assuming they know the kana at least. In germanic and romantic languages there are common words but in japanese, discounting the borrowed words, there are mainly completely foreign words, so would I have to learn a bit of vocab beforehand, or could I just dive in like you did with spanish?
I love this method! This is what we try to get parents and young kids to do! If it works in your native language, why not to learn a new one? I'm reading Tigres al anochecer (yes, it's a kids book, but I can follow the plot, it's relatively enjoyable, and I'm learning vocabulary about subjects I like). Next up, Short stories in Spanish!
Kids books are really good to start with!
Read read read. I read the Spanish transcript of a youtube video I like. Nothing fancy, quick and does its job.
I read my Bible every day in my target language and anything I read on Safari, I translate to my target language. Great video!
Read the book "make it stick." Its really interesting about learning with research defying the typical notion that "review, review, review" in the way that we're accustomed to do it is what makes you remember or learn things.
Je lis TOUS LES JOURS!! Actuellement je lis L’étranger pour le troisième fois, chaque fois que je le lis, je remarque mon progrès 😊
I am a 63 years old man from Belgium. And I just started to learn spanish. Now I also read the book short stories in spanish by Olly Richards. But there are a lot of words that I don't understand
Currently reading your book of Russian stories, which are perfect for my level. Challenging but achievable at the same time. Also ‘Crime and Punishment in English for the fourth time - next time in Russian...
Your brain picks up patterns subconsciously I can’t further explain. Acquiring language Is astonishing.
I love the shameless book plug! Made me laugh out loud and caught me off guard! Def needed that Olly! Taking your advice today 👍🏼
Haha, that's great to hear. Hope you didn't spill your coffee.
No but I may have spilled my Maté! 🤣
Besides all of that^ great conveyance in the video! Great charisma and transitioning from "review review review" into "read read read" and holding them both in tandem really as you did
"Call me by yuor name" by Andre Aciman is the best book I have ever read in my target language(English).
I read Padre Rico Padre Pobre in Spanish last. I am currently reading El Diario de Ana Frank, and the second one is easier to read. I recently changed my target language to French, and am reading the story from the French Uncovered course by Olly Richards. I want to finish El Diario de Ana Frank because I like the book. I want to continue reading in Spanish while working on my French. I love reading in foreign languages, even when I don't understand a lot.
The last thing I've recently consciously read in Georgian (my target language of course) is the opening of the book of Acts from the Bible. I plan on reading more of course.
A wonderful book.
Everybody seems to read so advanced books. 🙄🙈 The latest book I read was Црвенкапа (little red riding hood) in Macedonian. That made me really proud of myself and of my progress. 👍💪💥
Thats great. Everyone has to start somewhere. I watch fairytales in Italian with the subtitles in Italian.
Kids books are good to read when you’re starting off or in the early stages though…i just came across a Serbian kids Book called Miško Piško….it’s well funny!
Hi Olly, excellent advice, as ever. I was a little surprised that you didn’t mention the importance of listening whilst reading. For me this has become critical as my comprehension of Spanish is poor. In that regard ´- Fluent Spanish Academy and ´Conversations´ are proving a great help.
Hi Michael. Yes, fair enough... sometimes I choose not to mention some things in order to strengthen the main point. If I didn't do that then basically every single video I ever make will be "just listen and read"!
@Olly Richards
Fabulous jusdifikeyshin, yu Steve Kauffmann and Krashen and Matt frum Japan are ouwtsdandingly good in guiydins an langwij lerning
I read Narcis und Goldmund by Herman Hesse in German, Short Stories by Olly Richards in French and, which is why I actually decided to comment: I read Cronica de una muerta anunciada in Spanish. ALL in the last 3 months! Thanks Olly
The last thing I have read in my target language(when it was Bulgarian), is an old Bulgarian criminal novel written by Dimitar Peev. So far I have read 107 books in Bulgarian and this input method made me speak in the language fluently and academically without making any output practise.
So I can easily say that reading is the most powerful method to improve a language.
I am currently reading "Second language acquisiton and second language learning" by Stephen Krashen.
i just finished harry pottor series in july,it's a very very very good story !
Just finished Spanish Short Stories for Beginners vol 2. I am now working on Short stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners. I can't recommend this series enough.
Wonderful, thanks Bobby!
I'm reading What I talk about when i talk about by Haruki Murakami in English. It's very short, easy to follow. And most importantly very very interesting as Mr. Krashen recommended. : )
Aujourd'hui, j'ai fini «Charlie et La Chocolaterie»! C'est mon premier roman en Français! Merci beaucoup pour les conseilles Olly :)
Mine was le petit prince en français this May, 2022.
I love reading in Dutch. Just started a series "The seven sisters". My Croatian is not good enough to read books yet. I got some children books but its still too new.
I need to get some Croatian kids books…..which ones did you get?
After reading a number of novels in French I finally have taken on Du Cote de Chez Swann (Swann's Way), the first novel in the series known as A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. Only about half way through, but it was a bit of a thrill to get to the famous bit about dipping the madeleine cake into tea. There are passages I struggle with, but I understand it well enough to enjoy the story and it's been a bit of a thrill to read the great classic in French.
Stephen Stuart Congratulation this is not an easy book.
I'm reading Atomic Habits in Korean :D
Ooooh nice.
Very nice! I’m Korean and I’m reading Atomic Habits in English 😊😊😊😊
I've just started it in Russian!
안녀하세요 :)
Dope
I read an article in french about fitness and nutrition. It was great because it gave me vocabulary that I need as a personal trainer.
”牧場物語”っていう本を読んでいます。この本は子供向けのものですが、すごくいい話だと思います。
I read Cajas de Cartón by Francisco Jiménez , and now i am the follow up book to Cajas de Carton called Senderos Fronterizos. I am also reading El Libro De Mormon.
The last book the I read in my target language, French, was 'En exil' by Delphine Diaz, & it relates to my job working with refugees. It's a brilliant history of refugees in Europe, published last year (2021).
I have not yet read anything significant in my target language, but I am enjoying 101 conversations in French, I look forward to your stories book and I have bought a couple of Tintins. Thanks a lot for promoting reading, reading and reviewing.
Last (and first) book I’m reading in French is Olly’s French short stories. Last book I read in Spanish was Como Agua Por Chocolate, but the most helpful was the Isabel Allende Águila y Jaguar trilogy. Fantastic for building up comprehension and growing your vocabulary.
This book is also a cookbook, so one can really get a taste of the culture by trying out a recipe from it. ;-) I love Isabel Allende and she has plenty of great books, so keep reading. You will never regret it. I also recommend reading interviews with her in Spanish newspapers. Since conversations with her are also very interesting.
Fantastic!
Right now reading Steve Lukather’s autobiography (guitarist in the band Toto) in Finnish. It’s really doing so much for my vocabulary already even though I’ve only read a few chapters. I imported it into LingQ and voila it had 17000 words I don’t know yet. Such a fun and effective way to learn without even being focused on learning, but rather just enjoying the content.
@Christian Tapper
R u finnısh?؟
Audobiagrafy sounwdz liyk wel iydeea ; )
Gud wurk
@@rezagrans1296 I'm Swedish actually
I started a french graded reader and stoped for no specific reason, now I read The Walking Dead(Comic).
I also read subtitles on netflix, which I also consider kind of a reading practice.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King in Spanish….love your vids and your books Olly!
In English it was the Expanse Nemesis Games from James S.A Corey and in German Die Mauer from Max Annas
i've been learning chinese on and off for a couple months and have wanted to read tiny times 1.0 for a while, but have been too nervous to start. i've read every level 0 mandarin companion graded reader and am currently on a level 1 book. i'll start tiny times with a dictionary tonight!
The last one I read was Le chapeau de Mitterand. Antoine Lorraine. Excellent and not difficult. Prior to that it was two of Camus' books - more challenging but I DID notice new words recurring ! That means that the rule 'read' is very important simply because you will review automatically. Simple and fun. My vocabulary has expanded partly through reading.
I am reading El Bestiario de Axling and absolutely love it
I'm going through your book on LingQ. What a great combination! I also got one chapter into Historias Cortas Para Principiantes, but the "Buy" feature seems to be glitching. I hope they get that straightened out: I need to know what happens next! LOL
What a great combination! Thanks Bill!
My favourite book of all time is The Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray Williams. I think that I would like this to be my first book to read in Spanish.
Estoy leyendo una biografía que se llama ¿Quien fue Fernando de Magallanes? por Sydelle Kramer.
My last free voluntary read was actually the free spanish story from Story Learning by Olly Richards :D
A year and a half later and you are still 63,000 subscribers short of your End of the Year goal. No idea why. I am really enjoying your content.
Hi. I’m totally agreed to this method which is read, read, read! Also I have been trying to one book reading a month. It’s worth it for sure. I’m very curious how long it will take a time to improve my English skill by this method anyway.
I'm in the middle of Un Hombre Fascinante by Juan Fernández, of Español con Juan fame. Good read at level A2.
Books I enjoyed in English : Dickens -David Copperfield, Oliver twist, Great Expectations, Dombey and Son. Paul Auster The New York Trilogy , Theodore Dreiser An American Tragedy and also Edgar Alan Poe, Agatha Christie and even The famous five and the Secret Seven. I read a lot of them when I was younger and it is so great to be able to read them in English now. Oh and I almost forget. You have English Short Stories by Olly Richard.
The last free voluntary reading I did was Japanese subtitles of an anime I was learning from passively. I don’t know if that counts.
"The Pali Canon: What every Buddhist should know" in Thai by Payutto. It was hard. Lots of Sanskrit/Pali words and I peaked at the English translation whenever I got stuck.
The latest book that I’ve been reading in Spanish is the Bible. It’s translated in more languages than any other book, many of the stories are very popular even if you’re not religious you know about ‘David and Goliath’ right? And it’s such a large source of material so I am beginning to spend endless hours reading it. What do you think Olly? Do you think the Bible is a good source material?
I just got back from Korea where I bought a bunch of books. I just finished (재미와 교훈이 있는) 이솝 이야기 (Aesop Stories) which is the easiest thing I've ever found written for native speakers, and it was fun to read. I highly recommend it for anyone who has reached an intermediate level in Korean, the vocab repeats a lot so it almost seems like it was written for second language learners.
That's great - I have a book for intermediate Korean coming out in the Spring
@@storylearning That's so great, Korean needs more resources like that! I'll buy it for sure! I heard a rumor Go Billy is writing one too!
I've been reading Plaidoyer pour les animaux by Matthieu Ricard.
It's not the easiest book to read but I understand it quite well.
How do you address the pronounciation with just reading? Do you need the audio book as well? I want to avoid learning a wrong pronounciation because I am guessing how it might be pronounced.
Use a Google translator. You can input whole sentences.
I have been reading manga on the treadmill after work in Spanish using a Nintendo Switch joy con to move the page and listening to the anime version on Netflix when I'm commuting or moving around to help reinforce what I read and hear the characters use the same or similar words. I have been doing this with Yu-Gi-Oh! And Dragon Ball.
Just watched his video on the power of reading. So funny since I just recently subscribed to your channel and then get Prof. Krashen's video as a suggestion. Coincidence? I think not!
Last thing I read was yesterday before bed. It was a short little version of 桃太郎 from this set of Japanese graded readers I bought. Only about 19 pages for the story, but it was really cool being able to read it in my target language.
That Hideous Strength by C S Lewis was the last book I read in Spanish. My Spanish is hideous and I struggled, but I just finished the Gospel of John in Portuguese.. 🙂
When I learnt about the whole input hypothesis, I found it quite compelling and intriguing. So recently I've been browsing for Kindle-samples of books that are both not too difficult (comprehensible) and interesting. One that I picked is Vol. 2 of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series (in French) and the other Le Petit Prince. So far, so good. But Saint-Exupéry uses the passé simple and King the impafait, and I don't know why. So I'll be internalizing one of the 2 past tense forms, not knowing if it is used in everyday language or if it is only a literary style not used in everyday language at all. I think that's one of the perils of this otherwise very enjoyable method of language acquisition. Or am I making it more complicated than it is?
Neither are vernacular in French is my instinct at this stage of my own french language development.
@@Kitiwake Yes, I know now. So what you can learn with this method is vocabulary, that's all. You don't learn anything useful for your everyday conversation with ordinary people.
The last book I read was 'Da Vinchi Code' by Dan Brown. That was so engaging I even forgot all my scheduled things. I wish I could read it in Spanish. Read in place of review approach is quite efficient as long as you stick to it. Thank you for keeping us awake in the world of language learning, Olly Richards.
@Islombek Abdullaev
Türksüz? Azərbaycandan? Kazak, tatar uyğur uzbek
@@rezagrans1296 Uzbek man. O'zingizchi?
I actually heard Ranger's Aprentice in German.
I've read it in Portuguese (my native language) 4 times and heard the audio book in English once before listening to it in German.
The last book I've read in Spanish was a translation of a history book called Pueblos e imperios, but in Mandarin I've only ever read one book, 我睡沙发去旅行. That was hard due to a lack of knowledge of characters, so I've been doing a lot of flashcards trying to learn characters in both simplified and traditional. I'm hoping it makes the actual reading process a little easier!
I am reading An Béal Bocht by Flann O'Brien (Irish Gaelic).
Krasen it's incredible, I read sometimes, obviously I need more and more, but one practice that I like it's listening, I'm focused on listening to understand the natives
+Hikaro Noronha Matt vs Japan (RUclipsr) said "Don't focus on reading first, start listening". Olly Richards is right on track, immersion with reading is important, but to me, reading first is like learning how to run before you can stand.
@@dragonswordmountain2908 agree
Well, it's best to do both. Both teach different skills.
I last read Hola Lola by Juan Fernandez. This is an A1 graded reader. I'm now reading the sequel, Un Hombre Fascinante. This is an A2 graded reader. I also read Spanish translations of superhero comic books. The comics are harder than the graded readers but I enjoy them.
Thank you for posting this video Olly! Very helpful indeed. I am A1 and understand about 50% when reading short stories. Would you recommend to me also not using the dictionary when reading? I do translate but not every single word that I don't understand. I translate those that I feel are crucial in terms of getting the message, if that makes sense. Or when I think I know what it means but am not 100% sure and just want to double-check. You reckon that's a good approach? I will definitely buy your book once I get to learning Spanish!
I have his Spanish book, and in the book he recommends to keep on reading and don’t stop to find words that are vague or unknown in the dictionary. He also recommends figuring out the meaning based on context. Only study the language of the stories in depth once you’ve read the entire story multiple times.
A mí me gusta leer cómics en mi idioma de destino. Últimamente leí la traducción española de "El Esculptor" de Scott McCloud.
I read your new Spanish short story book (Super!) while also reading the 4th Harry Potter novel in French. 😊
+Carolyn Koslow Oh, i so wanna read that 4th Harry Potter book in French, i read it in Spanish.
@@dragonswordmountain2908 I've read the whole series in Spanish. It was lots of fun. Don't know how much all the magical vocabulary will help day to day, but it sure is a lot of fun. There are several Dan Brown novels available in Spanish. They're long, but somewhat easier than Harry Potter. Doesn't it feel great to read entire books in another language?
+Carolyn Koslow I don't like reading Harry Potter books in Spanish because i am native in Spanish. I prefer to read them in English, because it's more pure, makes me remember the movies more. Yes, it feels great to read entire books in another language. For French is because i want something fun i already read before, to learn it. In English is to enjoy Harry Potter. That 4th Harry Potter book in Spanish started the passion to read them in English.
@@dragonswordmountain2908I almost asked your mother language & made a guess based on what you had written. Your English writing is good. I love reading & that's always my favorite thing in any language. Keep on going. My current motto is "go with what works".
+Carolyn Koslow Well, i don't like reading, that's always been my achilles’ heel, it's boring. But when it comes to reading Harry Potter, that's love. My current motto is "have fun and learn". What is your mother language anyway? Je suis curieux de savoir maintenant.
Oh I read. Subtitles.
Me too.
Olly Richards Is it effective to read subtitles?
@@mixpolygt7276 From my knowledge, subtitles can be very helpful, but as you get more familiar with a language you should turn them off.
@@mixpolygt7276 Subtitles are definitely good to learn/review spelling
I get that it helps our comprehension & vocab building but how does reading transfer over to speaking?
Well, if your comprehension is stronger, and your vocabulary bigger, do you think it would make speaking easier?
@@storylearning As a dyslexic, I have to disagree slightly. When I was a child I couldn't read but I could speak very well. As an adult I can read but I still struggle with phonological processing with words I have not seen before. How would this method work for someone who's phonological processing is weak? Surely there must be a way for visual learners to acquire language?
I'm currently reading The Alchemist in Spanish. I can pretty much understand always what they are trying to say, but it can sometimes can be difficult to know exactly.
My favourite Book of all time!
@@helenlouiseadams yes, fantastic book. I am reading it now in Portuguese
@@grietdierick4986 fab! I’ve got the Portuguese version too…..my son gave it to me as a present one year.
Currently reading subtitles to Dix pour cent on Netflix... And yes I "subscribed" Olly to help you towards your 100k.
The last ook I read in Spanish was yoiurs: Short Stories in Spanish for beginners. Until now I've read the 1st 2 stories, but have found them to be more adavanced for my level. However, I'll keep on reading. By the way, didf you ever write "volume two"?
The last book I read was Animal Farm "Rebelión en la granja" By George Orwell. I'm a spanish native speaker.
I am reading "The saint, The Surfer and the CEO" by Robin Sharma
Hi, Olly. Its been a very good thing following your videos, its given me very usefull insights on language learning, or as Krashen states 'language acquisition'. but something remains kinda hidden when it comes about reading, how you deal with the sounds of words/expessions if you dont know how to pronounce them yet, considering youre learning the target language? id really appreciate your feedback.
Audiobooks while you follow along the written word. Or reading transcripts of podcasts/videos in your target language (ideally) spoken by native speakers
Yeah, Reading can work, in order to get more vocabulary; but, Is it efective to get fluency in a foreing language? I hope so.
Je lis « Le Tao au jour le jour » par Deng Ming-Dao; 365 méditations taoïstes. C’est excellent. En anglais, c’est « Tao 365...Daily Meditations ». Highly recommended in whatever is your target language. Bonne lecture! Lis, lis, lis....Read, read, read...🙏
Thank you for the video! I'm surprised this hasn't been asked yet, but I'm curious how you found/find foreign language screenplays? I think it would be incredibly useful and would love to try.
I recently finished "I married a communist" by Philip Roth. It's a novel about the time during Cold War when there was a witch hunt against communists in America.
Now I'm reading "Playing the Jack" by Mary Brown. It's a history novel, too, and it's very colorful and full of action. It's set in the 18th century in England. Both books are great - as novels and as learning material, too. I'm trying to avoid SciFi and Fantasy books in English (my target language) because the specific vocabulary of that issues is not related to my life. Sometimes unknown words stick together in one sentence, and one day I typed one of those sentences into the "examples" field in my vocabulary trainer and made a new vocab out of every word I didn't know, all with the same example sentence. So I discovered that novels are full of the kind of vocabulary that I want to have! Vocabulary in courses seems to be categorized by themes. There are "basics", "clothing", "at the restaurant" and much more categories. Expressions like "to the contrary" don't fit in one of those categories... So alongside extensive reading studying single sentences of novels intensively has become one of my favorite learning methods.
thanks for sharing.I just reading harry potter 1-7 for a year, my vocabulary from 5000 reached 6000, from 2018-07 to 2019-07.and i want to know how many words have to read in order to achieve a goal of 10000 vocabulary.
I'm curious how do you and people count their vocabulary
@@kokolexx lingQ is one app that has that ability.
I read Rebeca novel
My "reading" in Mandarin includes looking up 80% of the words. I can do that quickly with a browser App, but not from book text (in Mandarin: no pinyin spelling), so I don't read books yet. The last thing I read was emails in Mandarin from a friend. I learn words reading and replying to emails. I'm trying to read stories online, but even "HSK-2" stories use unfamiliar words in every sentence.
Be patient. Chinese kids do not start reading before tackling all the signs for 6 years of primary school first. Find the lists of recommended signs, stick to proper order of learning them, learn to use dictionary by knowing key elements of basics signs. Chinese and Japanese are learnt best and easiest if you follow learning methods and advice from native speakers. Use good quality learning materials designed and graded and stick to the idea on which design is based. It will pay off. And learn signs by handwritting. Easiest way to really tackle asian languages. And caligraphy is fun and teaches you a lot about culture too. And if you learn caligraphy it also helps to find native speakers willing to help you learn. And you may try to use flashcards for kids. There is a lot of them. This helps with memorizing signs.
El primer libro en castellano que leí fue un libro sobre los bosques de Patagonia. El segundo fue Ficciones de Jorge Luis Borges.
Yo puedo recomendarle este libro "El hombre que invento Madrid": www.casadellibro.com/libro-el-hombre-que-invento-madrid/9788490673577/2804408
target language: french. currently at a1 levels getting through une vie by guy de maupassant with the help of a dictionary
I love Maupassant, have you read his “Contes?” I really enjoyed them.
Soy de EE.UU. Mi idioma nativo es el inglés. El último libro que leí en español es "El Alquimista". El problema ahora para mi es que estudio chino, pero todavia estoy en un nivel básico. ¿Es una buena idea para mi encontrar algo para leer cuando todavia soy un principante en el idioma?
Just purchased your Short Stories for French. Wish me luck!
I was disenchanted and disappointed by Oli’s Spanish skills when I watched his interview with Pablo of Dreaming Spanish.
If i dont know many books in foreign language, i buy christian bibles in simple foreign languages translations,read it all for exposure.Thanks for your advise.
I’m going to read the Olly Richards beginner Russian book