My English could have been better when I first arrived in North America. I had passed the TOEFL exam well enough to enter a Canadian university, but my reading skills needed to improve. In my first year, I often had to read my textbooks five times with a dictionary to keep up with my coursework.
Reading has been a passion of mine since childhood. Back then, it was hard to find Japanese books in Canada, so I had no choice but to read English books.
I would be lying if I said it was easy. It was nothing but frustration. It took me trial and error to improve my English. I was desperate to satisfy my reading needs. With patience, I eventually reached a point where I could read English as if I were reading in Japanese.
I know that foreign books are more accessible online in North America nowadays. You can even get a translator for your web reading.
Reading books has many benefits, and so many books are written in English. Suppose you want to learn to read books in English as a second language. In that case, I have something to share about my learning experience. Today, I want to talk about how I improved my English reading skills.
Reading but Not Understanding
In my first year, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fully grasp the stories I read. It gets more complicated to read novels. Unlike textbooks, Novels follow a relaxed format, making them more challenging for me to understand than academic papers.
A novel contains plots to create a story. A book has many components, such as a theme, characters, symbolism, etc., to create a story. Each of these components is connected to understanding a story you are reading. Unfortunately, I spent so much energy deciphering each word that I couldn’t spare any mental capacity to connect these components or to visualize a story. The book was full of English words I understood individually with the help of a dictionary. Still, I could not piece them together into a coherent narrative.
Then there were phrases like “cat got your tongue,” which made me think my book had turned into a horror story. It took me a while to understand these kinds of expressions. Such informal idioms aren’t used in Japanese to describe someone being unusually quiet.
When you’re “reading” like I was, you cannot summarize the chapter you are reading. All my focus was on translating words, so my brain ultimately gave up on understanding the story.
I often wondered if reading English books could have been a better use of time. I struggled to comprehend them, which was a frustrating experience.
Interruption of Reading
Suppose you are reading a book way above your reading level. In that case, you will interrupt your reading whenever you encounter unknown words. I found I needed a flow of reading to focus on the book’s story. Looking up too many unknown words interrupts the flow. Our brains aren’t designed to multitask. Every time I looked up a word, it distracted me from reading. Although it was essential to look up new words, it took my focus away each time I opened my dictionary.
It did not help; I used an English dictionary, not a Japanese-English dictionary. My English teacher suggested switching to an English-only dictionary so it would force me to think like an English speaker. It was hard. Sometimes, I even had to look up the definitions of words in my dictionary. We didn’t use Google Translate or our smartphone to look up either. I may have given up if I wasn’t so desperate for books.
I was getting very frustrated at this point. No matter how many books I “read,” my English reading skills never improved. I am wasting my time.
If A Book Reading Is Too Difficult, Pick an Easier One
There was a turning point in my life with books. It was more like luck.
During a trip to Prince Edward Island, I picked up “Anne of Green Gables,” a book I had enjoyed many times in grade school. To my surprise, I scanned it without any difficulties. Encouraged, I bought the second and third books in the series and read them just as smoothly. This experience made me realize I had been attempting books that were too advanced for my current reading level, so I decided to return to the basics.
I began with books for elementary schoolers, such as Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, and the early Harry Potter books aimed at younger readers. Having previously read these stories in Japanese was a huge help.
A friend lent me several books by V.C. Andrews, which were also relatively easy to understand. Reading multiple books by the same author was beneficial because authors usually use a consistent vocabulary, reducing my need for a dictionary.
Reader’s Digest Was My Other Alternative
Reader’s Digest was another helpful resource for improving my English reading skills. The magazine featured short excerpts from various books, perfect for people too busy to read full-length novels. These brief passages were ideal for quick reading sessions between classes on busy school days.
Since Reader’s Digest was for adults, I am still determining how much I enjoyed reading it. All I knew was that each was a shorter version of a book. There are a few stories I would like to read all the books for, but the library near my apartment doesn’t have them since our area is predominantly French-speaking.
Suddenly, I Was Enjoying A Book
I noticed that I was gaining vocabulary. Over time, I found myself reaching for the dictionary less frequently. The first book I fully grasped on my first attempt was Dean Koontz’s “Watchers.” The thrill of understanding it completely was so exhilarating that I read through the night despite feeling guilty about losing sleep. The sense of satisfaction was unforgettable.
At the time, I was remembering my childhood in Japan. My parents scolded me for reading books at night when I was supposed to be sleeping. I was excited. This was a serious turning point for me when reading English books. I started reading much more books. Importantly, I enjoyed reading them immensely. I improved my reading skills a lot faster after this point.
Being a student with a limited budget, I could only afford to buy a few books, so I often visited the local library. It wasn’t an extensive library but a welcoming place that brought me joy. I stumbled upon a series called “The Cat Who…” by Lilian Jackson Braun. I got hooked on Asimov’s science fiction.
It took me about two years to reach this level of reading proficiency after moving to North America.
Some Classic Books Were Still Difficult
Since I could read books for adults, I wanted to read some classic books. So, I tried to read James Joyce’s Ulysses. How wrong I was! It was all over again. I was “reading” but not understanding the story. I also tried to read Illiad, and I had the same problem.
This time, I start reading classics that are easier to understand or something I’ve already read in the past. Despite the significant roadblock in reading some classic books, I could still read classics used in high school. I read “A Tale of Two Cities” by Dickens, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I think there’s a reason schools encourage students to read these books—they may be conceptually difficult, but they’re more approachable.
Conclusion
Here’s what I’ve learned from my journey to improve my reading skills: if you need help understanding a book, try something less complex. Just as skiing down an advanced slope is risky for beginners, and playing Chopin’s Etudes is challenging for new piano students, reading requires progressively building your skills.
Starting with books whose stories you already know can be beneficial. Since you’re familiar with the plot, you can focus more on language and structure.
Be patient with your learning curve. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Instead of measuring your progress week by week, consider looking at it over more extended periods, like six months.
Despite my passion for books, I have also struggled to develop my reading skills. If you are having the same problems as I am, I want you to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned. I know it requires effort. Eventually, my efforts made me get what I wanted: to read English books. I hope my story inspires others facing similar challenges.