Common Mistakes When Reading In A New Language

Reading seems like it should be a pretty straight forward and simple task, however, when we are reading in a new language we will often make a lot of mistakes as it can be more difficult than we realise.

These small mistakes can all add up and hinder our progress. I will go through some of the most common mistakes you might make, that are usually found across most languages.

It’s good to know what these are, so you can try and avoid them yourself.

Reading can take a lot of time and effort so you want to make sure that you are doing it efficiently and making as much progress as you can, so being able to spot mistakes is helpful.

(You can read more about – Why Is Reading In A New Language So Difficult?)

Reading At The Wrong Comprehension Level Is A Mistake

The biggest mistake I see in reading a new language is getting the comprehension level all wrong.

Of course as beginner you are not going to understand a lot, but it is important that you are reading something where you can at least understand something.

If you cannot comprehend a single word then you are wasting your time. You may as well be reading a pile of random letters on a page.

You need to be able to at least grasp the basic concept of what you are reading. It’s totally okay if you don’t understand everything, but you will need to understand something.

The percentage you understand is always going to change based on what you are reading or what level you are at in the language.

It could range anywhere from 10% to 95% which is pretty drastic. The main thing is that you are understanding something and you should be working towards understanding more and more each time.

Understanding Too Much Is A Problem

You may think that you need to be understanding 100% and while this can be helpful and good practice, in general, it is a mistake.

If you can understand everything then it’s clearly too easy and you are not pushing out of your comfort zone.

You are not going to be coming into contact with any new words or grammar, so you sort of want those grey areas in the text, this is where you are able to grow and learn. 

Constantly Looking Up Words When Reading

Another easy mistake to make is looking up every single word as you go along. It’s fine to look up the occasional word, especially if it seems pivotal to your understanding.

However, if you are looking up every word, then the text is clearly too difficult for you. You need to drop down to something simpler so you can start to comprehend it by yourself.

This is going to be more productive for you in the long run. You can come back to the harder text in a while and tackle it again, where hopefully you will not need the dictionary so much and can grasp what is going on by yourself.

Not Finding Out Correct Pronunciation When Reading

When you think of pronunciation, you might think this is just for is just for speaking, but it is actually important for reading too.

When you are reading you are usually saying the words to yourself, even if it’s all in your head. You need to know the correct pronunciation for this as it will affect how you actually speak later on.

If you have been saying a word wrong in your head a thousand times, it’s going to come out wrong when you finally speak it out loud. It is just easier to learn the pronunciation of the word properly right from the start, rather than having to correct yourself later on. 

Translating Too Much

Another common mistake you will find you are doing when reading is translating too much.  It is okay to do this a lot when you are just a beginner and you will still need to do it from time to time, however, you need to try and limit it as you advance in the language.

The way around this is to try and think in the language. This will take some practice and you will slowly find you can do it more and more. Just thinking in the language will allow you to just read naturally and use the language as it is intended, rather than it being something you need to decode and translate in your native language.  

(You can read more about – How to Stop Translating In Your Head)

Rushing Through The Text

It is common for people to try and read at the same pace they do in their own language. You need to recognise that you are learning and that it’s fine to go slow.

Just take your time and read things properly, there is no need to rush. I know it can be annoying to read slowly, but it is better to do it properly and it’s also important to know that the more you read, the faster you will become.

This means that you will not be slow forever, so don’t worry about it now it’s just all part of the journey.

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Reading In A Second Language)

Not Reading Enough Is A Mistake

I think the biggest mistake I see is just a lack a reading. I really cannot stress how much you need to read to learn a language. It is an obscene amount.

I see too many people read for 5 minutes a day and think that’s enough …it’s not. While I can’t say exactly how much you will need to read, just understand that it will be a lot.  

It really is a simple equation – the more you read, the better you will get at your language.

You need to be honest with yourself and really ask how much are you actually doing, you will probaby not be doing enough. Just try and increase how much you are reading and you will see the results.  

(You can read more about – Reading Resources For Language Learning)

A Lack Of Consistency Is Bad

The amount you need to read is directly linked to how consistent you are. You need to read often and consistently.

Reading is something you should really be doing every day. I know it’s a big commitment, but this is what you need to do if you want to learn a language. I see too many people dip in and out. They might do a lot of reading one day, then nothing for the rest of the week.

While this is better than nothing, it’s still not great. You should set some time aside every day and really focus on your reading. The results are worth it, so just be consistent with it. 

(You can read more about – How To Practice Your Reading Skills In A New Language)

Conclusion

As you can see there are plenty of mistakes you can be making in your reading practice. However, you can also see that none of them are that serious. They are all small things that will just slow your progress down.

If you think you are doing any of these things you can easily correct them and you should start to notice improvements in your language. Just keep practicing and putting the effort in, you will reach your goals.     

(You can read more about – Is Reading The Best Way To Learn A Language?)