This Tip Changed How I Read In Foreign Languages Forever | Multilingual Book Club 03

Reading in foreign languages is amazing and soul-enriching but also can be very challenging. Today I share a single tip that completely changed my ability to successfully read foreign language literature forever.

//== Links ==//

✍🏼 Sign up for the multilingual book club!
❤️ Join my wonderful Patreon community:
❤️ Follow me on Instagram @
_robinmacpherson
✍🏼 Try my foreign-language Journaling app, Journaly!
📖 Check out my book, How To Maintain Languages:
💌 Join my delightful newsletter & access my free downloads:

The Playlist For This Series:

The Secret To READING In A Foreign Language:

My series about reading my first novel in Spanish:

[changingme]

Yes, I start with my books in a similar way. I translate every word in the first one or two chapters. Or, if it has no chapters, I translate the first 10 to 15 pages. The first days work is just working through one to three pages. Next day I start with checking that piece of text before moving on.
After the initial chapter/pages, I set a limit to how many words I translate per page for the next ten pages, then lower it for the next ten. If I need, I lower it for the next ten. When all that is done, I start the book from the beginning, with all my notes beside me, and work through all the read text. If I need, I do it one or more days, until I feel I got it.
Then, I throw myself into the book. I only allow myself to write up three words per page after that, if it isn't making any sense when reading. I translate the words after my reading session, check the sentences they are in... and move on.
During the process, I also try to find sentences that are interesting. I jot them down and look at them several times. I have a special notebook for those.

[DiruMede]

This is so true. Novels take place in a bubble. If you stick to it for a couple of hours, you will start to see that specific setting language getting repeated over and over again and it starts to get easier from there.

[AlexHolland]

Looking up more words in the first chapter is a good idea I'll start doing that. For the book in general though I generally set a limit of words I can look up per page, my limit is 5. If you're constantly searching every word it gets tiring a lot quicker. It's also helpful to start with children's novels

[tracertas]

I've read that book many times, it is one of the most incredible books ever written in Spanish.

[poohoff]

How to read a book: start with chapter one (c) Robin

[barbaricrunner]

I'm reading my first novel in Estonian right now. I'm reading 3 or fewer pages a day to make sure I don't get too frustrated. I also have a calendar made out to finishing it (projected at a rate of a chapter a week) to visualize my progress.

[rachelgregory]

I followed your first chapter tips from another video that you did - it's so helpful, I highly recommend it!

[narmingahramansoy]

My german level is almost B2 and I am trying to read novels now. I never look up for every word unless it is very crucial to understand the context. While learning English I was reading elementary level versions of well-known books like “The picture of Dorian Gray”, “The Phantom of the Opera” etc, it was super helpful. Would love to find something similar in German.

[TheESMAT]

Me just thinking about starting reading plan...
Robin: HOW TO START READING A NOVEL!!

[Curly]

Thank you for this tip that I am going to use for my first book in Arabic 👍

[ryeretsian]

Thanks for this great strategy, Robin! One thing I decided to do before tackling my first novel in Turkish is to listen to and transcribe a YouTube video with a summary and critic of the novel. This may not always be available, but whenever it is, it can be a good strategy to prepare and ease our way into a book in a foreign language.

[uzKantHarrison]

Wow, this sounds like something I have to try out. I usually wait until I understand most of the text by myself cause I hate looking up words.

[IowaLanguages]

Excellent advice! 😀 I'm reading the book in Turkish and I'm a beginner. My only fear is falling behind the group. I do have the English version so if I have to I can switch to it. At the rate I'm going I'll be done in 1.6 years. 🤣 1, 000 people, woah!! That'll be one full Zoom meeting lol. 💕❤️💕❤️

[studywithlore]

I listen to you to learn English. I love your videos <3
Today I start reading Dracula. Maybe I'll finish reading the book in 10, 000 years, but I really want to give it a try.

[ofgodzeus]

estoy muy emocionada para empezar a leer todos juntos !

[monica]

I’m reading a book in Portuguese and the first chapter is indeed difficult, but my experience is that once the dialogs start it gets easier.

[RQF]

Thanks so much for this video and for organizing the book club. I have been studying Spanish for many years and consider myself an advanced learner. That being said, I have had this book for a while and have tried to read it and have given up several times. I am soo that person who you described jumps from book to book because it is always "too difficult." Super excited to try your method and see how it goes!

[paulwalther]

I've often wondered if authors don't write the first chapter using more complex vocabulary, grammar, techniques etc. It's just mind blowing how I will struggle through the first chapter(s) of a book but after 50 pages or so when I've totally lost patience and declared I am not going to use my dictionary unless I really need it, I find I really don't need it for some strange reason. And it's mind blowing to compare how lost I was in the first chapter(s). I've done the jumping from book to book technique too as a low intermediate (or maybe even high beginner) trying to break into reading novels in a language. Once you finally finish your first novel it's a huge relief.

[dianag.]

Really great inspirational advice and makes so much sense: "Don't worry about the complexity of the whole book. Just read thoroughly(!) the first chapter and all the rest will be much much easier because you get familiar with lexicon!" Love this strategy!

[rs-dms]

Reading a foreign language novel is by far best in a tablet reader. I use moon reader plus, which works great. You can highlight a paragraph, click on dict, and get a (typically) perfect translation of the paragraph. Even for intermediate readers - like me - it is invaluable at times. For beginners I don't see another way. I would not even think of reading a spanish book in paper. German is fine for me, but spanish not a chance.