Why reading is a secret weapon for language learning

[@IkennaLanguages]

So for those who don't know I'm starting a new podcast series! It's called The Ikenna Pod (for now, name might change), where I'll be interviewing renowned language learners, polyglots and KZbin personalities! Full podcast with Olly Richards comes out next week! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it! It'll be the first ever episode! What are your thoughts on reading? Share them below!

[@RB-dc2mp]

My favorite way of reading to learn is playing video games in my languages because the visuals help me feel like I'm inside a little world of my languages and they give me context of what I'm reading.

[@hungryforlanguages6864]

It would be awesome to be on your podcast some day! But I guess you want more famous "polyglots" on your channel. I have one of Olly's books by the way: Short Stories in Russian. Loved it, and recommend it to everyone. Very helpful!!

[@Fullrusher]

I'm so annoyed this has been one of my weakest areas in life and it shows based on my income and skills I spent most my life doing art so I tended to do slot of visual things and I let my busy and reading ability slouch and now it's super hard to get into , I've recently bought a kindle to read more and study with without distractions and it's clear I don't do this enough, I had even gave up on language but randomly stuff like this would come back up to remind me where I went wrong hopefully one day I'll be able to speak Chinese and Korean

[@oamioxmocliox8082]

;)

[@TyonicV]

@@RB-dc2mp What games do you usually place? like best ones

[@RB-dc2mp]

I feel so validated. Everyone told me speaking is the key but reading is best for me.

[@lc-ii9ii]

Well speaking is key if you want to get good at speaking. Obviously Olly isn't going to say that while selling a book. You can't get good at speaking by reading.

[@lakkadbagga]

For me the key has been listening

[@lakkadbagga]

@@lc-ii9ii I agree

[@bigfan2452]

For me the key has also been reading, I am currently learning Japanese 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵 and it is extremely difficult to read because I don't know the Kanjis.

[@lapepa1699]

@@lc-ii9ii but reading is also very important, it allows you to analise words in a more... "individualized" way, so to speak. Reading, speaking and listening are equally important in terms of absorbing a language :)

[@levipatrickdiaz]

Reading is so great! For me reading was one of those “breakthrough” things that helped me to recognize that I was actually learning the language and that I was able to understand it. Even though I didn’t get every word or phrase, just the fact that I understood the story was incredible for me.

[@oamioxmocliox8082]

;)

[@storylearning]

Reading was one of my first language breakthroughs too.

[@yetijakegaming8452]

If reading is too boring, you guys can play the game Stardew Valley in Spanish. It’s basically the same as reading a book since you have time to analyze a text dialogue until you feel ready to click to the next one. But the game also is super relaxing and fun, thus providing more motivation. I’ve been doing this and writing down the words I don’t know. Hope this helps you guys as much as it has helped me.

[@zA-be5sr]

Thank u this is actually helpful ✨

[@SleighJessi]

I’m a HUGE Stardew fan, so I really appreciate this suggestion.

[@Hasta-pasta]

I'm downloading it now. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@MyDogIsMyWife]

why have i not thought of this haha. great idea!

[@apracity7672]

This might be fun, but not efficient

[@bradybowman4478]

Reading in a foreign language is a great study tool but can be a major setback for beginners. Often learners revert to their native language pronunciation when reading foreign material and it can create misconceptions when listening to real native speech. I believe that although reading is an excellent way to really expand ones vocabulary, focusing on listening and pronunciation first is important if your goal is to be able to understand and be understood by native speakers.

[@bunnyteeth365]

I agree. I think as a beginner it's best to focus on listening. I also like that people use a narrower vocabulary when they talk. Once you have decent listening comprehension and you notice your vocabulary isn't growing as much I think it's time to focus more on reading.

[@IkennaLanguages]

Yeah in that case I believe reading while listening to the audio at the same time if possible would be the best solution, but I definitely get what you mean!

[@storylearning]

I absolutely agree that you should listen and read together, at the same time. It’s not always possible if you don’t have the material, but it’s the ultimate study method.

[@osamugaming1807]

For me the method I use was listening, writing and speaking at the same time. Listening is the best way to learn languages. Writing it helps you to remember what word you wrote and lastly, speaking is the way to master pronunciation.

[@blankb.2277]

Just bought a new novel in my TL and this came out. 😱 Shipping was expensive and it took forever to get here but I’m so excited 😆

[@sathvikreddy4807]

What is mean by TL

[@itoko05]

Yess that’s so exciting good luck :D

[@moosoe7820]

Good Luck!

[@rtso4167]

what language?

[@Aliraza10107]

@@sathvikreddy4807 Target Language

[@AmbiCahira]

I'm using webtoons to practice reading faster no matter if I choose to look up words or not so that I can become fast enough to keep up with subtitles. Webtoons have such a relaxed vocabulary that it is less intense than books are and far more bite sized but I look forward to being at a level where I can read actual books.

[@storylearning]

You’re doing a great job by reading what you enjoy! Keep it up!

[@Tallahass33]

Good idea! I might do that too! And webtoon has pictures so you can use context!

[@hotarukaleidos]

#TeamWebtoons >w

[@levipatrickdiaz]

Also, totally agree with Olly about how much more vocabulary you get through reading.

[@allen_woka]

I use reading to see the way how people formulate, use words in my learning language in natural way :)

[@hannahkroyer1]

I own his book for French! It’s the best for short stories where I feel like I’m actually reading an interesting and dynamic story! And I’m learning sentence structure and gaining a larger vocab at the same time!

[@storylearning]

Thanks Hannah, I’m delighted you’re finding the book useful!

[@melaniegrace7707]

I feel like reading is absolutely the best tool for comprehension, but speaking is still the best tool for speaking. But both are two of the most important parts of language learning that along with srs. With all that said Ikenna and Olly, you are two of my biggest inspirations and my language skills pale in comparison to yours - so please take my opinion with a grain of salt.

[@nexus0129]

Speaking is the best tool for speaking? Lol

[@ocaminhodoingles]

I agree with you, reading has its place but for me, nothing compares to listening and speaking, I see in my country( Brazil) that a lot of people can read and write but they're not able to talk and understand spoken English for example.

[@melaniegrace7707]

I know it sounds redundant, but it is the best tool. The more you speak, the better you get at speaking and there's really nothing else you can do to finesse that particular skill. But that isn't the only aspect of language learning, thats all I meant.

[@storylearning]

@@melaniegrace7707 I absolutely agree! The ONLY way to get good at speaking is by speaking… a lot!

[@samsworld1770]

Ikenna, i just wanted to thank you very much, because, it's because of you, that i am now able to speak 3 languages (English, Russian and French (native language) ), and that i am able to understand myself and other people better. You changed my life for the better and i'll never forget that. Thank you :).

[@phoenix-king779]

When I learn a new language. I always take the first two weeks to learn the alphabet and sound. The next 3-4weeks is simple phrases and most used words. Then for the next 3-4 months i do reading and some grammar. After that i can understand pretty decent. Speaking comes a couple of months after that

[@FlyHighinItalian]

I agree, reading is such a powerful method to learn a language! Not to mention, for anyone on the introvert side, that's the perfect method 😅. It was one of the key methods I used when I was learning French and Spanish and I felt I needed a major boost! It takes patience as you might not see the results straight away, but once you start reaping them, you'll be amazed at the progress you've made 💪🌟😊

[@rimenahi]

Also people should realize that they should **not** expect instant improvement just by reading a week or so. There are researches showing that the improvement in the target language by reading takes 2-3 months or 6 weeks in some studies.

[@lachrimae7421]

Should I read books over listening music, read reddit, watch videos on youtube if I understand only main meanings?

[@wendersonbarros1900]

I completely agree with this. I learned hundreds of vocabulary while reading the Harry Potter books. I didn't stop reading to take notes, I just highlighted the sentences and made them flashcards. This helped me a lot! (I'm a Brazilian)

[@lifeuncovered6188]

I might as well try this as I’m learning danish lol

[@iiwokeup]

This was a brilliant take!! I’m sincerely looking forward to listening to the full interview. Cheers, Ikenna ❤️

[@luciaherrerafuente9048]

I agree, everyone says that speaking is key but I learn much more through reading. You assimilate the words and structures without even realising and by the time you open your mouth to speak you are using vocab and idioms ypu didn't even knew you knew

[@norma94]

Wow an interview with olly. I just got his book for Korean and audiobook as well. I’m excited to be reading more along other methods.

[@Nesay369]

I was literally reading before this vid and now I’m gonna continue thx for the motivation ikenna

[@Bacon420]

I LOVE to read old Stephen King and Michael Crichton books in Spanish that I've read before in English. I just need more vocabulary, and that's a fun way to get it done! I like to read some Hindi kids books too. The alphabet was the hardest!

[@rafaelbotelho3111]

Thank You So Much! Seeing you talking about this language learning approach I feel I am in the right way learning my languages, I am reading manga now I am reading To your eternity in english as well as Sapiens I am reading this book with audiobook and It is been great, I feel I am learning, I want to start learning spanish with this approach since I am Brazilian and speak portuguese already, spanish is going to be so much easier for me...

[@storylearning]

Keep it up!

[@harshitashrivastav376]

That's what I expect So frequent videos

[@patricks.6185]

This is 100% true! I just started learning Spanish after having reached a pretty decent level of fluency in German, and so, avoiding all the mistakes I made in German, after around two weeks dedicated to grammar study, I immediately picked up a Harry Potter book and read for hours upon hours every night, looking up every word I didn’t know, any phrase that confused me, any grammatical structure that still looked unfamiliar, etc. And in the beginning, my pace was excruciatingly slow. I think I averaged 1 page every 1-3 hours and with a words-per-page encounter rate of around 20-30 words a page. One and a half months later, I’m now reading my third Harry Potter book and am averaging around 10 pages an hour with a word encounter rate of below five words a page. I expect to encounter more words when I switch to non-fiction (which I’m doing after this book), but my progress is surprising even myself. What’s even more surprising is seeing how much this habit is affecting my listening. My listening routine is a lot less strenuous than my reading routine. I simply listen to the video once, looking at the subtitles if the need arises; then I listen to it again, picking out words I really can’t understand even with context. What’s strange is that I can already understand around 70-80 percent during the 2nd viewing. And this is only after one and a half months of learning the language! What Ikenna said about “learning more but having less fun” has always rung true for me. I just call it “work hard now and have fun later (when you can actually use the language at a passably fluent level)”.

[@lifeuncovered6188]

That’s great! I’m learning danish, so there might not be many good books around, but I’ll try to find one now! Thanks for the inspiration my guy!

[@patricks.6185]

@@lifeuncovered6188 Good! Just keep in mind that this is already my second foreign language and that Spanish is also much easier than German. I also tend to become pretty obsessed with things I‘m interested in, and so I‘m willing to put in hours upon hours of my time on pretty tedious activities (noting down and looking up new words, inputting new vocabulary into Anki, going through the sheer drudgery of reading a book where literally every sentence has at least a few words you don‘t know). If this is your first foreign language just learn to manage your expectations. My first year with German pretty much went nowhere until I finally found what actually worked for me. Either way, the key to quick language learning is really consistency, enough time and a good strategy. Good luck!

[@useruserbruser]

@@patricks.6185 hey did you use flashcards on Anki? Or did you just write the sentences down?

[@Aliraza10107]

@@useruserbruser don’t use words only , write done whole sentences , as words written in context are helpful to remember than simply lone words written on a flash card app .

[@joaovictorlemos2143]

Plz do a video with Gabriel (from the channel Gabriel poliglota) he's a Brazilian who's teachs English for people from more than 100 contries and speak more than 8 languages, and he did a video before talking with Olly Richards

[@FelipeCampelo0]

Oh! Manga must be an awesome experience for language learners, once they're full of images and drawings that will keep you reading, even if you understand only 1% of the words or japanese characters.

[@jayslingualounge]

And the vocabulary in certain manga and webtoons are no joke (at least in Korean). A lot of vocabulary only comes out in those mediums so I think it can help expand ones vocabulary library which can improve overall comprehension.

[@huxa7624]

Awesome vid man can't wait to see the complete pod

[@minjosof]

Learned so much from reading regularly

[@moneyinvestingwithvandi7727]

Reading enables one to understand a language, it one of my favorite skills in language learning merci pour partager

[@renaribeiro]

Yes!! Currently learning Português and I am learning best from reading ☺️

[@useruserbruser]

Where are you from?

[@sarasreadingnook]

I strongly developed the listening part of language learning since I am passively bilingual. Speaking has improved a great deal. But reading has been amazing. I love reading all books but I love reading middle grade books in Portuguese because I feel like I’m learning and having fun while doing so. It’s like weirdly nostalgic and makes me feel like I am falling in love with reading again for the first time. Except it isn’t the first time - I just get to feel similarly since it’s a whole new world to discover. It should feel daunting but it’s not, it makes me happy that I have something to look forward to and discover each day.

[@moosoe7820]

I’m exited for this!

[@teamjipper2495]

I am a reader. The hardest part for me with reading in a new language is finding the right level - a pitifully low level when one starts out learning a new language. Olly Richards and Steve Kaufman have tried to fill the gaps, but for me the gaps remain. Sometimes it feels like I make more progress flipping through memrise than reading a beginner level book. With that said I've it through most of Olly Richards' Strories book in Italian, and now I am working on the Little Prince in Italian - this is slow going.

[@FlyHighinItalian]

I can relate, I came to think that one feels that way with language apps as they're meant to give you a short-time satisfaction and in general, the level is easier with apps and they're also very encouraging along the way, as they're most likely designed to keep your confidence up and not give up, which is still great for a beginner! :-). On the other hand instead, with reading the 'validation' has to come from the inside, from ourselves, and we just need to remind ourselves it might be slower but the kind of progress I've made in my language learning through reading I couldn't have got to using apps, it's just so much more encompassing, not to mention an immersive experience! I did the same with the Little Prince at the time I was learning French and Spanish, it's the perfect book :-) Planning to do some 'reading a book' video lessons on my Italian learning channel soon as well, as I think it's a great way to learn!

[@amiothenes]

Great interview! Just confirmed that my language routine of reading is reasonable!

[@emilyr8668]

currently reading a book i loved as a kid translated into italian and was totally surprised at how many interesting and useful (imo) words ive been finding. its definitely a bit above my paygrade since i havent seriously studied in about a year, but since i already know the plot so well its actually been not too difficult to keep up with the plot

[@amberlache92]

The z library is a great source to get free e books in lots of languages!

[@gabrielcarmn]

Also PDF DRIVE

[@GarnetsWeb]

Thank you so much!!

[@Amaling]

Secret? I think it’s mainly that in our online language learning bubble, we’ve kinda been dismissal of reading. Usually, reading is a pretty obvious way of studying languages. But regardless, this is a really good interview!

[@storylearning]

Yeah I do think that there’s a tendency for people to think that tech is better than everything else… but in my opinion we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There’s a reason all smart people read!

[@welcomingnormie6475]

I totally agree, i learned my spanish and english generally by reading and approve of it as something of the greatest use

[@justinherrera3722]

You’re brazilian, né

[@welcomingnormie6475]

@@justinherrera3722 i'm russian

[@Ricebender]

@Ikenna I think it would be great to interview interesting people, native in the language that you already speak and then add subs!

[@IkennaLanguages]

Definitely would love to do that in the future

[@AnonyTests]

I’m a book lover and there are plenty of books in my wishlist that are written by great Russian authors but unfortunately I don’t speak their language. I’m aware that translated editions cannot be as good as the original books (especially novels) because translated editions do not reflect the author’s writing style and choice of words, all of which affect one’s reading experience. I know by reading a book in its original language I will be able to see exactly what the author intends me to see. For that reason I made it my goal to learn Russian so that I could read those books that I’m deeply curious about and explore more of the Russian literature. To start my journey I wanted to do something interesting so I purchased 2 Russian novels that I have 0 clue what they are about, and the only way for me to understand their content would be to learn Russian by studying the vocabulary used and be able to understand the passages page by page. It’s incredibly fun as it feels like I’m solving a mystery which is something I truly enjoy. What I find to be great about this is that once I understand few words from a paragraph I am able to guess what the lines are saying and hence the story gets clearer and clearer as I read and expand my vocabulary. I do have to say my approach towards improving my English started with reading books in English (my native language is Arabic). I remember like 9 years ago I went to the bookstore and got 2 novels (Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen & Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen) and the former novel (the author for this is Danish but I read the book in English) was easier to read as it contained children’s stories that are familiar, whereas the second book (by Jane Austen) I could barely understand the text (keep in mind these books were written in the 1800s hence different vocabulary than say today). It all looked new and puzzling that I decided to put the book aside and read it once I develop my English. Now when I read the book (I still have the 2 novels in my bookshelf :) ) I find it fascinating how the exact text that used to be difficult to read become so easy. It’s as if there used to be a fog that prevented me from seeing and now that fog disappeared and I’m able to see and understand the text well. I consider this to be an achievement and even though it’s a small one it makes me happy every time. And that’s why I bought the Russian novels to repeat this wonderful experience since I know the results are gratifying. Anyways wish me luck!

[@zoe-jj6jc]

I personally don't feel very comfortable talking to people in a new language for the first year or so, so the best way for me to improve is by watching videos, reading, writing and thinking in that language (So far I've only learned English and I'm currently still working on Danish and Italian). And for me reading helps the most when it comes to learning new words and it obviously helps me to write corectly. So thanks Gutenberg, for having made it easier with the whole book thing ig (I'll apologize for mistakes in advance)

[@kharismawilsonne785]

No mistakes, Great job bro

[@zoe-jj6jc]

Thanks, great to hear

[@FlyHighinItalian]

I was a little bit like that with my languages, I felt I wanted to reach a good level before I threw myself out there! Now I'm still much of a perfectionist, but I realised that practicing, even when you're not perfect, does you so much and helps you improve :-)! I'd advise to practice at the start just by speaking aloud when you hear sentences in a listening or video so you get used to the sound of the language! I did a video where I spoke about it a few days ago, which I considered a 'proactive' approach when you learn a language! Good luck with your progress! :-)

[@0000SYL]

I watched this video, then was motivated and started looking for spanish books. I open amazon like store and first thing i sea is a book and guess this dude is the author and i was like wait i know this guy. Ofcourse book was even in the background the whole time, our mind works in mysterious

[@akunnie4414]

so fun wish was longer

[@MaxLearnsPersian]

I fully agree with Olly and I read his short story books for Spanish, German and French. Now I am reading different stories in Persian, because unfortunately his books are not available in Persian

[@maciekosmolski]

Wow! There is a Fluyo dolphines at the beggining! I'm still waiting

[@sirnaznyoncelot1228]

I do agree that reading is a powerful tool on understanding/helps in language learning, however it does depends on the level of text we read. If the brain able to handle a higher level (advanced) text, like for example Stephen Kings series (not all of course, there are some of his books at beginner and intermediate level) then it will take a shorter time than those whom brain not able to handle higher level ones. Though thats just my opinion on this, as I learn English through intermediate and advance text (scientific journals and such level of novels, I blame my auntie whom a phd holder and lecturer on this) since my childhood.

[@CapitalTeeth]

Speaking is the key for kids when they learn their native language in elementary, because they can't read yet, and for all they know, their native language is the only language in the world. Reading however is better for adults. It is the primary weapon when you're learning a language. Remember folks, we dutch may be one of the best non-native English speakers, but we didn't learn that through the flip of a switch. It's because we constantly see and read English that we become familiar with a few phrases.

[@AqilahSafia]

Reading manhwa in Spanish changed the game for me . I found myself reading for an entire hour and needed to tell myself “okay aqilah , you have to go adult now” .

[@ElSemih]

Writing in target language is even greater

[@chinesevoicegarden]

YES!!!!!

[@Riurelia]

I knew that Olly would be in the video as soon as I read the title.

[@tishawhite3932]

I love reading and have read many of Olly's stories. I've also purchased some kids books for ages 8-10 and 9-12 years old. Any idea how the different DELE levels (A1, A2, B1...) compare to age levels?

[@bunnyteeth365]

I've recently gotten into reading Hebrew. I've had decent listening comprehension for a while, but I was starting to notice that I'm no longer learning enough vocabulary from listening. Right now I prefer non-fiction because it's a lot easier to read and reread than fiction. I'm mainly interested in Judaism, so reading non-fiction makes the most sense.

[@Aliraza10107]

Yeah , I think reading self help books will be easier because the vernacular used is not so much advanced compared to fiction . But still we need to read fiction if we want to expand our vocabulary.

[@tackleblood5287]

I don't know how to read a book (in foreign language ) well without stop and translate it every time, that's not leisurely . Any recommendations? ( I'm trying to pick up my English)

[@strangepotato6330]

Reading novels is great, but only if you can find an interesting one at your level. I’m learning Japanese and ended up improving my reading by watching youtubers play story based games with captions on. Since I could hear their voice and see what was going on, it was way easier for me to understand and far less frustrating. I’m down with reading, but novels for me are still too difficult 😂 (I’m down with manga tho, depending on the genre)

[@visualsofsora]

It’s just all about balance. If you only read or read too much and you don’t listen to your target language enough, your pronunciation won’t be good at all. If you haven’t heard how the language sounds for enough hours how can you possibly imitate how the language is supposed to sound accurately.

[@SpanishAcademyTV]

These are valuable tips that everyone should know 🥰 We would love to partner with you so you can have one more resource to share!

[@kebanius361]

I would love to read more. And reading is definitely key to learning a new language, especially if you're a beginner. But for someone, who is currently learning Japanese, or let's say chinese, looking up words is a pain in the butt. Any suggestions on how to read a light novel in Japanese, if you're a beginner?

[@Xellos976]

Read in your web browser with yomichan or rikaikun pop dictionary

[@DoomCro1]

Subscribe to LingQ site, import the e-book you'd like to read and read it through the LingQ app. You can save individual words but also whole phrases which is a huge deal.

[@kebanius361]

@@DoomCro1 LingQ can do such things?! Thanks for the tip! Now, I will most definitely check this function out, I never thought about that ^^

[@sabr3T]

Actually, if you're learning chinese, you can copy the text and use the Pleco clip reader. Then you can tap on any word and it'll give you an instant definition. This is what I'm doing with pleco rn. I'm just pulling up random articles from baidu and it's working like a charm!

[@caca95cb]

The issue with reading is that not all languages have available material. As someone learning irish the only material I can reliably get my hands on is the Bible and that doesn't feel like it'll help much with day to day vocabulary

[@itoko05]

I ordered manga in Japanese and it’s so so fun 😭

[@ravins4786]

When you talk in other languages do you think about it in English or the actual language?

[@sofiaelkahla3796]

Would you recommend (someday) books that you used in your learning languages journal? 😏

[@lucifersatan2226]

Ikenna, please, I need your advice is it not late to start learn languages in 22? I'm going to start with Korean

[@SaneKoi13]

it's never too late... Many people learn late you have 60+ years of learning any language you want.

[@FlyHighinItalian]

It's never too late! I'm 32 and started learning German last year :-)

[@sabr3T]

Steven Kaufmann is 75 years old and he's currently learning Arabic I think.

[@rainnnnn28]

I just turned 24 and started learning Chinese seriously like several days ago. Never too late!

[@Aliraza10107]

Yeah , I’m 27 and I have started learning German ( I already know English and Urdu ) . I have made a commitment with myself to learn a new language every 2 years 👍🏻.

[@clairegittens3707]

I am from the fun first school. Lol. I watch hella tv - 3 to 5 hours a day, but I do read. I don’t read in Korean though and that is a problem, because Korean is not really phonetic... so not reading, kind of also means I cannot spell and therefore cannot write. Lol.

[@Newmindseton]

But what if you don’t understand what you are reading … You shall only read on your level right ??

[@mlucky952]

What happened to your app your making?

[@laurenmtz7014]

I feel really embarrassed that I have to learn Spanish (being that I'm ethically Mexican). I was born in the U.S, so my first language is English because my parents mainly spoke to me in English. I would only hear Spanish when we would visit my abuelos, which is why I can understand most phrases being said, but I struggle with how to respond or have full on conversations in Spanish.

[@Mintgreengum]

I feel that I’m Puerto Rican but am learning Spanish but I feel like I had to realize there’s nothing to be embarrassed about! You should just be happy that you’re trying. Don’t put a weird pressure or expectation on yourself that you should’ve been fluent or that your Spanish isn’t good enough now. You just have to roll with the journey of learning Spanish and be patient with yourself!

[@laurenmtz7014]

@@Mintgreengum Thank you for the advice 💖 I'll keep that in mind. Also I saw your "bullying from a different perspective" video, and it's so good!! I subscribed 😄

[@Mintgreengum]

@@laurenmtz7014 awww thank you

[@jackdanks8816]

try esperanto

[@ahhm_king9446]

do u have a discord server? If not, then you should creat one

[@lei2164]

How to find different language mangas/comics? Any app suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! 🙂

[@josemacias6207]

Manga geek app

[@jameslong672]

Have you tried webtoons, it’s not really manga but more like web comics in different languages

[@minjosof]

Agreed!

[@sulcatathor9946]

Does anyone have any good japanese frequency lists. Along with that I don't know where to look up the meaning to japanese words. I just can't find a good reliable site to learn words. PLZ help. Edit: quizlet has top 1000 and 2000 words so I will be using those once I learn katakana and hirigana. Still don't know where to look things up though.

[@GarnetsWeb]

Hi! Join reddit. It can be toxic sometimes, but they have Japanese language subreddits specifically for learning. The native speakers on there are always willing to help!

[@sulcatathor9946]

​@@GarnetsWeb I'll try that. Thank you

[@GarnetsWeb]

@@sulcatathor9946 You're very welcome 🙂

[@Fleurr5678]

Do you speak any Nigerian languages?

[@UncleBensEditor]

I have a question if you or anyone else dont mind awnsering. I've been looking for worksheets for japanese for some time and hoping anyone knows any good websites with them for a variety of topics maybe. I'm currently studying up on grammer/phrases cause my vocabulary is "OK" in my opinion. like I just want some worksheets that can help me with reviewing cause i know i work better actually applying what i learned somewhere.

[@zumi5778]

hello

[@dias7956]

What if I feeling that I don't have any progress

[@SHINYFUNGAMES]

Is Olly English?

[@waxedlatexpanda8496]

Which mangas do you recommend and do you know any websites where you can read mangas in Spanish and Russian?

[@josuebarreto423]

Tumangaonline. in that website you can read mangas in spanish

[@ItsameAlex]

It keeps unsubscribing from on here and I don't know why.

[@kazakhchad6766]

Hi, I'm learning English. You are can give me advice, how i can improve my English?

[@lifeuncovered6188]

Hello, you should probably talk to as many people as you can, and talk a lot. That’s my advise.

[@kazakhchad6766]

@@lifeuncovered6188 thanks

[@Amelia-bv7jd]

I don't like read.😅 I need to change that.

[@英語わかりません]

Well Learn languages with Netflix more or less kills his argument to a large extent. Since you can scroll through all the sentences, click on whatever and get a somewhat accurate translation, can save sentences and words. What books do have however is a more wide variety of words, which I agree with. Probably depends on how advanced you are, once you feel like movies and TV-series can't give you enough, a transfer to books is probably the next move. Pointless to go to books too early though, there are sentences you can break down and read through Anki (if you get a good deck with sentences and audio).

[@tvmodesto]

Ikenna, now that you are good in spanish you should try portuguese and come to Brazil :D

[@RobertLattery]

How can reading be the key? I was having to look up word after word and it was so slow and frustrating. I just gave up.

[@munawaraaa]

You need to start from your level and work your way up ! Find a book that is your level with a few words you need to search and continue.

[@RobertLattery]

@@munawaraaa So, I guess I will have to get some young children's books!

[@munawaraaa]

@@RobertLattery Yes, children’s book is the way and you work upwards! Good luck!

[@salmonella6051]

QUESTION: whats better - 1. reading an English book, and then reading translated version (or reading the translated to English version first and then the original one) 2. reading the book in the language (in my case, French) that you are learning, and trying to figure out the meaning

[@sarah_7814]

That probably depends on what level you’re at. When I started reading in French, the first book I read was a translation of an English book which I had already read because it was much easier to understand, but as my french is improving I’m starting to read stuff that I haven’t already read in English.

[@salmonella6051]

@@sarah_7814 ok tysm for answering

[@pablomunoz3119]

Like Sarah said, at the beginning it's probably best to start with stuff you're familiar with. Because, if you know how the story goes, you'll be able to fill the gaps in your vocabulary more easily and even deduce from context.

[@salmonella6051]

@@pablomunoz3119 alrightyy tysm

[@pablomunoz3119]

@@salmonella6051 My pleasure

[@celinadorsey1286]

I love reading which is why in Spanish I can read better than speak

[@unknown_fears1169]

First

[@Kin-bd2vd]

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

[@cyan7460]

Yes?

[@Love2Banime]

Finding any book in target language is so difficult.

[@amiothenes]

you can always find books that are at your level, comprehensible to you. i can give you tips on how to find these books

[@Love2Banime]

@@amiothenes please? Where can I find one?

[@FaliyosKako]

@@Love2Banime pdfdrive

[@joellarsson1180]

E 2

[@DraslyThe1]

creepy, I just watched a 1 hours video with daria and olly, and then you upload this video with the same person

[@molokai8122]

Me who hate reading: .__.maybe that explain why I'm a totally disaster in english writing

[@Alexander-mp3re]

i'm learning English but i don't like to read a lot :/

[@pablomunoz3119]

Well you better start liking it.

[@philiptroscher4042]

he has the same bottle as me

[@misscamay]

I was disillusioned and disappointed after watching Olly’s interview with Pablo of Dreaming Spanish. He was constantly grappling searching for Spanish words. It was painful to watch.

[@jennysinanan9897]

I ken na I have something to tell you don't get mad plz let me tell you my daddy name me Ileana to is that ok

[@oamioxmocliox8082]

;)

[@thespoodster]

I wish I could learn like this but my ADHD doesn't let me read for more than a paragraph without me zoning out lol

[@boogiewoch9507]

ADHD too, can read for a long time if what I'm reading is engrossing or I have enough motivation, it helps if you have a good imagination too.

[@RM-jb2bv]

The problem is good content in TL does not exist until you achieve a high level of comprehension and large vocabulary. I wish the YT language influencers would admit this. That’s just how it is. You have to put in tons of time w the language bt this point and it’s really not always fun. It actually frustrating for many. I buy all of Ollie’s readers and recommend them. I don’t buy them for the plot or the quality of writing. The plots ate abysmal. If you read those stories in your native language, as an adult, there is no way you could be engaged by the story.