INTENSIVE or EXTENSIVE reading, which is BETTER?

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
0:18 What does it mean extensive and intensive reading?
0:49 The biggest benefits of each
1:29 Steps for Intensive Reading
2:31 Steps for Extensive Reading
3:27 Which is better for you?

[labirynt]

Hi! I use both methods. First, I try to understand all the sentences, words, meanings, etc. I repeat the video again and again until I get everything. Finally, I read all the sentences for pleasure once more. For me, this is the best method, although it's a little exhausting. Of course, I use the text and audio simultaneously.

Pozdrawiam z Polski :)

[Sochi-app]

I've found that reading is the best way to learn a new language.

[antoniocasciello]

Right video at the right time! I'm reading a book in German for the first time and I was wondering what the best way to do it is. Thank you Luca, your videos are always inspiring! :)

[tanyavitale]

Thanks, Luca! Interesting video. I struggle with extensive reading in languages I’m less fluent in because I tend to look up and write down every word, idiom, related words, forms, collocations, etc. Audiobooks, however, have been quite helpful. Since I listen to them while on the go, there’s no time to stop and investigate every word. This forces me to deduce their meaning from context, and it works really well.

[vincentiusrex]

I agree, there's a place for both. What you don't want to do is get bogged down in a text that's too hard, and I've been there with French and Latin. If you have to look up every third or fourth word, it's time to stop and switch to something easier. Because you probably won't make it to the end, you might stop not fully understand, and you probably won't retain most of what you researched trying to understand the text.

[spadaacca]

I do exactly that. I'm at 6 languages at variously levels (mostly upper intermediate to advanced except one), and I generally start with intensive consumption, then extensive consumption - in fact I quickly move away from text to audio/video, and use text as just support for understanding/deciphering.

[GandalfTheWise]

Great video. As I was experimenting with input methods a decade or so ago for Ancient Greek, I ran across a 3-pass system that I enjoyed and which improved my skills. I had a parallel text of Greek/English I was using. I would read a paragraph or section in 3 passes per sitting. Pass 1 was extensive reading, I just tried to read it. Pass 2 was intensive reading, I looked at the parallel English and perhaps reference materials as needed to get reasonable understanding, Pass 3 was extensive again. Pass 3 was usually more comfortable than Pass 1 but that improvement resided largely in short term memory.

Each paragraph would get a few days to a week of repeats as needed to get Pass 1 for the day up to a decent level. I adapted my effort on the intensive pass to match my understanding. First day would often require more effort. Later days, little. Also, as my skills improved, I could sometimes understand most of a new paragraph on the first extensive pass on the first day.

This mixture seemed to produce a reasonable balance between the two styles. I now mix in audio in my extensive passes including listening only, listening and following, speaking along, and various combinations. My pass 1 or 3 might include a lot of speaking repetition or listening to improve listening and speaking skills. I do a lot of adapting as to what is working for the level of a particular paragraph and what is enjoyable. No hard and fast rules except that when something is stressful or frustrating, I take action to reduce my stress levels. In the intensive work, I try to focus on alleviating recurring things that seem to be my biggest frustration at the time hindering extensive reading. Over months, I find my general reading level is going up.

I usually "test" myself weekly by randomly jumping ahead and seeing how much I can understand. It's not scientific metric. But it is usually encouraging to see comprehensible words, phrases, and sentences jump out to me when looking at or listening to a random page.

[quantus]

Yes -- IMO this video is right on -- with every point. They both have their uses and I use both. Kind of bounce back between the two methods. With intensive reading I focus on short content. So, I can re-read and re-read the content.

I feel like intensive reading is a little better when you are first learning -- until you get a vocab of maybe 3K+ words and then you can start moving to more extensive reading - which I think is a bit better when you're intermediate and advanced. But both have their pros and cons and doing both is good!

[JoseCarlos-BarbosaJunior]

Very interesting Congratulations Luca🎉

[beirne]

This is a good video. I was surprised to see news stories in the group for advanced learners, though. I've always found news stories to be good for intermediate reading. I have to pick stories that both interest me and that I can read, but that's usually not too hard. I have Google News set to my target language and watch for interesting stories there each day.

[slavicmeatfeast]

I can't focus on reading for more than 30 seconds at a time, so listening (intensive and extensive) it is. Extensive listening is the sh*t.

[lynnsee]

My problem is that when I read, I try to learn the new vocabulary, then use it in conversations. Almost every time, the native speaker laughs and says, “Where did you learn THAT word? Nobody uses it! It is correct, but you sound like you are from (Middle Ages, Renaissance, etc.)” It seems wasted effort.

[Learning_English_at_home]

that's easy take a book look up words. When you finished the book reread the same book without look up words in dictionary. Do it in row

[AlinefromToulouse]

A lots in a few minutes. About the e-book: when in Russian?

[darwinelianbaezgonzalez]

Hola Luca, cómo podría combinar esto con el curso de traducción bidireccional? Eres increíble, estoy disfrutando mucho del curso ya voy en el día 22 con assimil. Saludos.

[dimitrispetrovas]

Hello Luca, I have a question that seems to trouble me a lot lately. If I pick to read a book which is way above my comprehension’s level (lets say I am B1 in Russian and I am reading C2 material - a research on brain’s plasticity). I read it while listening to its audio version at the same time. I do it twice per day, every day, 20-30 minutes each session. Is there any possible benefit from this, or is it a complete waste of time?

[MisterComunicacion]

Interesante, no había pensando mucho en este tema antes de tu video. ¿Estas leyendo libros serbios y turcos ahora?

[ChandlerBing-tk]

So can I use articles to intensive reading and books to extensive reading?

[crisxxofc]

Are comics/manga worth reading as well? I wanna know cuz I don't enjoy reading books that much