Polyglot Alexander Arguelles and the best method to improve reading skills in a new language

  

Brief introduction to this video:

In this video Professor Arguelles talk about the global problem of reading, he says every time more people stop reading for own initiative, he spoke about their last visit to Berlin and the decrease number of libraries in the street what he notes.

Before he speak about the correlation between academy success and vocabulary, taking in consideration books readers and their habits in comparison with non readers.

He introduces intense reading concept related with the hard work of try to understood information, search facts, immerse in the book searching real knowledge for own, enjoying the process. And he establish another comparison with extensive reading, this type of reading is for enjoy, no need for a dictionary, is little more hard because we are confronting with so many new words and expressions but we do this just for fun, not for obligation.

Texts for extensive reading: he recommends long texts of any category for improve our vocabulary and for start knowing a couple new words (rare, uncommon, extrange words) for each new novel or text book what we pickup.

Reading as tool

Arguelles says: Before you start reading in four languages make sure reading well in your own language. That is a necessary skill for interpret signs in another languages, is like mounting in a bicycle, you just need learn that one time and carry it in the new language what we try to learn.

Reading aloud

Different than just conversation, really good for feeling the rhythm of the text and the words. He mention how asking to their own university students, read it aloud and the problem what that represents sometimes for they, despite being natives.

Best method:

Bilingual texts for establish comparison with the original text and the new words in another language. When you have reading close to fifteen bilingual books go to the next level: read novels. Go back to the originals texts often, maybe after a month o just a couple weeks later for improve your deeper comprehension of the book meaning.

Audiobooks

Many people are not agree with audiobooks because they think that are just for blind or have many prejudice about audiobooks users. Arguelles was one of them. Useful for start to immerse in the world of poliliteracy.

¿Can you help me correcting this article? I’m studying English and try to improve my writing skills and I need your help.