Reading Books and poetry.

Question

Hello everyone. I didn't know where to write this, so I'm gonna write it in the poetry subforum.
I have a problem. Basically, I'm studying english philology and the problem is that I don't really know how to read books in english - poetry or books. For example - I'm reading now 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' at the moment. Honestly, I understand only half of the text and sometimes none, maybe mostly none

How am I supposed to learn English by reading? It's impossible to stop all the time and check for words, because it will drive me crazy rather than teach something new. There are one-two or even five new words in the sentences which I completely don't know. I understand that the book in the example is written in the Old English Language, but the other students probably understand more than me. My english tutor told me that I should read books to wide my vocabulary dictionary, but i don't trust in her words at all, It's a piece of fake words that don't mean anything for me while I am reading. Well, reading should be put in a quotation marks, because I will rather call it martyr's path. Seriously, I would like to read books with understanding and joy, but this all overgrows me and I'm starting to feel depressed. Can anyone tell me something about it and try to reveal the foreign-reading mystery? I will really appreciate it. Thank you in advance and I'm looking to your response eagerly.

Darkpoint

Oneandonly · Accepted Answer

Hello!

Some time ago I also started to read books in English (The House of the Dead & The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoevsky), and I am quite content about my reading comprehension. Of course, there are words which I don't know in every page (sometimes one, two or none, sometimes up to 5-6 words or more - the author wrote a complicated description, etc.), so I check the dictionary, or I try to understand it as it is, from the context. I have one advice for you: when you see a word, and you don't know its meaning, look up in the dictionary, it helps a lot, even it nags you because it stops you from reading. Even if you read news, books, watch movies without subtitles, etc., don't skip a word. And if you want to remember it next time, make use of it, because otherwise you may forget it.

AFE · Answer

Hi there!

I understand you 100%. Often a lot of English teachers don't realise just how BIG the English language is. It has a vast amount of vocabulary, and literature, which differs from period to period. When I was studying Russian literature and trying to read stories about a completely different world 150 yrs ago, it almost killed me!

The thing you need to remember is this: why are you reading / listening? If it is for "practice", then the text should be comprehensible for you. Why? Because then you are revising words you know, meeting a few you don't, and perhaps learning new meanings for words you already know. It also affects your motivation, which is very important in learning another language.

When reading / listening to texts which have difficult content, new words, and "poetic grammar", the point of the activity should change. Here, you should practice your skills in guessing words, forming images in your mind, paraphrasing, understanding global meaning etc. Something like you might do if reading a textbook for university - find the information most relevant / interesting for you.

For a lot of students, including me, it is a bad idea to practice reading / listening with texts that are too difficult. The key is to read a variety of genres. News is always a good choice because you can quickly switch between entertainment, politics, finance, sports and many others. And the words you read are words which you can use in today's world :-)

Suggestions: teenager books - Twilight, Harry Potter etc. Teenagers in English don't use complex grammar constructions, but do have a large lexicon (vocabulary).

Darkpoint · Answer

Thank you for all of your responses to my thread. But you see, it's a bit more complicated. When you read text/article for yourself, because you enjoy the topic and genre - you obtain new words like a vacuum draws the dust. But the situation changes, as you said AFE, when the environment of the reading text changes. It's something that I HAVE to read, because deadlines are chasing me and it's not easy to understand texts like in the example:

'Now pray,
this penance deign to take;
'twill improve another day !'
The man much mirth did make,
for wine to his head made way.

This is an extract from the "Sir Gawain..." - it's only a small text and I don't understand these highlighted words. I don't have much time for chencking new words one after ofne, because I need to learn from other subjects too, it's not that I have only literature. I like English language, but it started to overgrow me at this poing, to the degree that I'm considering change field of study. I would like to learn texts and get a lot from them, but as you can see... it's very hard way. I understand your hard work AFE that you have put into your philology, respect. I'm trying with english one, but it's really hard work, especially when it makes me angry every time I don't understand what am I reading/doing. Thank you.

AFE · Answer

Ok, so if we have no choice... How about using Google Translate to give a basic translation? Then, you can work through using your own judgement as to the grammar.

Things like "'twill" might translate strangely, but just remember with poetry sounds are taken out i.e. "It will...". But I'm sure you have been taught that :-))

Reading Books and poetry.

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