I have read lots of reading is helpful to learn language.
If let say, about portion between reading & listening, it would be like 80:20.(Is it true? Can you agree with it?) But also there is a core which is the most important when reading. That is NOT to translate. So I have tried but felt like I was swimming in chaos. Perhaps I have been used to naturally translate English into Korean in mind. But if I just try to read English article itself without translate, I was so hard to understand what the articles talk about. In other word, I would get nothing after reading. Still my best friend is a dictionary for reading.....Anyone can help me out to overcome this problem? Any good tips here if it is really true not to translate is a way to help leaning English fast? If just keep reading (Stick not to translate & without dictionary), would it really happen I can suddenly read and understand English with no translating? Like magically?
It is Ok we all are busy:)
Yes put down the dictionary means, put it away. Do not use when you are reading. I think this is good advice. Many make the mistake of using the dictionary and lose interest very quickly. It is better to just read the article over without a dictionary. You can read it quickly as if you were reading naturally it does not matter if you are making mistakes, it just means you are getting used to reading rythums and it will actually increase your confidence in reading out loud. You can read it in different speeds too. You will also be more natural when reading other things.You will find that over time you will become more familiar with reading and understanding what you are reading.
Yes you can use the dictionary later to see about a few words to increase your vocabulary, but it is not possible to learn everything that you read. It would take you for ever! You can then use the few words you learn in real life or to create sentences that you will actually use. For instance, you work in medicine and in the article you read someone has a rare illness or you see idioms/proverbs related to that field such as, an apple a day keeps the doctor away (if you eat apples or healthy food you will need to visit the doctor less!) or alive and kicking (in good health).
Here is a link to breaking English the articles are at different levels, they have the same articles in MP3 usually and at different speeds, they have reading, writing and listening tasks etc for all of them, and UK ans US English. http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/index.html
I am not a teacher though, but this is what I have heard has worked for many people. I am also doing this now for learning French:) I read poems and sing short songs without translation. I do listen later to hear what it is about.
If you are reading at a level appropriate to your ability in English then more often than not you will be able to work out the meaning of new words from the context of the other words in the sentence. That is what Phil means.
This is a much more natural and fun way to learn new vocabulary than reading something that is too advanced for you and having to pick up the dictionary every ten seconds to be able to understand anything. And to be honest that sounds like what you are doing, reading something that is too advanced for you so you can't take anything in. What type of things do you read? If you are just reading articles you find online, bear in mind these are mostly written by native speakers of English for fellow native speakers (or people with an advanced level) to read.
Very good advice, Phil.
The main difficulty for many learners is that they do not know what is appropriate to their level. Some do not know their own level. Others refuse to accept their true level ("in denial"). Yet more refuse to go to a proper English class and prefer to believe that watching TV series is an effective replacement for going to class and doing homework.
Many learners are their own worse enemies, poisoning themselves with a little bit of denial, a little bit of complacency, a little bit of laziness and a little bit of wishful thinking.
I am not saying that Jinjoo is like that. Writing here to ask for advice is a good and big step forward. As for magic, we all know what it is: illusion, or delusion.
I see you're in China... I'm no expert, but I'm told that the following is the government approved version of the website:
