It’s ironic: Half of the reason why I learn languages is to read in them, yet often, trying to do so is what discourages me from progressing.
It’s like clockwork. I open up a short story after a random wave of productivity washes over me. Eager to learn and already envisioning my future self effortlessly flipping through entire novels, I go through the first several pages with ease, as if with every Korean character I read aloud I gain a precious modicum of proficiency. However, as the pages become denser and denser, I inevitably begin to slow down.
That’s when it all goes downhill.
As the amount of words I don’t understand seem to exponentially appear on the page, reading seems less like an exciting challenge and more of an unnecessary slog. Several pages that I could’ve blown through in minutes had it been in English somehow consume a half hour and eventually, I put it down and never end up picking it back up.
I’m still learning to correct this bad habit and won’t claim to have completely overcome it. But there are two core tips I always use to learn foreign languages through reading (and genuinely enjoy it!), and here they are below:
Read more than just books
When someone discusses reading in a foreign language, most people (including myself) picture novels or newspaper articles. But as a beginner, you need to find a resource that acts as both an engaging yet accessible challenge; with rudimentary knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, attempting to start with an entire novel and marking down every single new word will quickly get tiring.
Instead, choose whatever you believe will be simple enough to attempt reading in a field that interests you. I personally love horror games and found Youtubers that do entire playthroughs in simple- to intermediate-level Korean. Through the Korean YouTube subtitles and the actual in-game text, I’m able to practice reading while remaining engaged for what sometimes ends up being over an hour (which, let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do had I been reading a short story or even a children’s book).
While this is an incredibly niche personal example, catering your learning experience to your individual interests can easily encourage you to immerse yourself and improve your skills. Whether it be reading through “non-traditional” mediums such as song lyrics or Webtoons or finding a niche field that engages you, such as horror (like me!), art history, or football, actively try and make learning fun and catered to you.
Remember only the most important words, then gradually learn the rest
I’m speaking from experience when I say that attempting to copy down and memorize every new word you come across is a method that only works for a lucky few. Instead, I suggest either to seek out vocabulary that you’re interested in/relates to you (such as your age, hobbies, things that correspond to your studies or job) or that you encounter daily.
If you read song lyrics to help you learn, first memorize the vocabulary in the chorus, as they are the ones that appear most often. If you like learning through video games or YouTube videos like me, if there’s a central theme (such as makeup or sports terminology, or if it focuses on a particular social issue), take note of the words that recur most frequently or would best aid your understanding. The rest you can learn over time, but instead of brute-force memorizing a slew of vocabulary words that’ll be doomed to be forgotten anyway, choose what will help you the most and slowly learn from there.