How to read books in another language

Try a few pages before committing

Start with a familiar story, a contemporary book on a topic you enjoy or an adapted edition for your level. A level label can help you choose a candidate, but the text itself is the real test.

Read a couple of pages without a dictionary. Can you explain who did what, or state the main point? If you lose the meaning in every sentence, try an easier text and leave this book for later.

Choose between following the story and studying

When reading for the story, let some unfamiliar words pass if you can still follow what is happening. When studying the language, pick a short passage to examine closely.

You can combine the two: read a whole scene, then return to one difficult paragraph. Every part of a chapter does not need the same amount of attention.

Give the dictionary a specific job

Look up a word when it blocks the action, keeps appearing or belongs to an expression you want to use yourself. An unfamiliar description that does not affect your understanding can wait.

Try the surrounding sentences first, then check your guess. If you keep returning to the same sentence without understanding it, look up the meaning or a translation of the whole sentence and move on.

Save an expression with its context

An isolated translation says little about how the author used a word. Keep a short phrase, the page, its meaning in that passage and your own reminder of the situation.

For example, save a character’s phrase about postponing a meeting and add a note explaining the situation. Choose a few expressions you actually want to revisit; you do not need to collect every unfamiliar word.

Keep the author’s exact words distinct from your explanation. The guide to taking notes while reading covers this distinction.

Try one short session

Use this starting plan and adjust it to suit you:

1. Choose a short scene or two or three pages.
2. Read to the end, marking places that prevent you from following the meaning.
3. Check the words you need and reread the difficult passage.
4. Close the book and say a couple of sentences about what you read.
5. Save one expression you would like to recognize next time.

If staying focused is difficult, try short reading sprints. Your reading speed in your first language is not a target you have to match.

Separate the quote from your explanation

In Pagetime, you can save a passage as a quote attached to its book and your own explanation as a thought. Adding a page number helps you find the original. Choose your dictionary, translation tools and vocabulary practice separately; Pagetime keeps your reading notes.

The free version includes up to 5 books and 20 page scans with text recognition in total. Text notes and the timer work offline without an account; a subscription removes the book and scan limits. While Pagetime is getting ready for iPhone and Android, start with a book and a few lines in a notebook. Leave your email below to hear when it launches.

This independent guide is published by Pagetime and is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Google LLC.