Reading has become completely intertwined with our modern world. If you have been literate for most of your life, it probably just comes naturally to you. You go about most of your daily life reading a variety of things from social media posts to the packaging of products lying around the house without even trying. Even right now, if English is your mother tongue you’re just taking in this blog post without much thought.
This effortlessness completely disappears the minute you try to do the same in a foreign language. Suddenly, you’re forcefully reminded that reading is a skill, it’s something that has to be learned and practiced. But why is reading SO difficult in a foreign language in comparison to your mother tongue?
Reading is a skill
But what exactly does that mean? Basically, unlike listening, which we are naturally able to do and develop as human beings, reading is something you have to learn. If you are never taught to read, you will never be able to read no matter how much writing you’re exposed to.
Writing is not an innate part of human language; most languages existed for centuries without a writing system, and many still do.
Whether it’s in your mother tongue or a foreign language, reading is a skill you have to learn.
It’s more overwhelming
When it comes to one’s mother tongue and foreign languages, the learning process for both is quite different. Children typically learn to read in their mother tongue years after they’ve begun to grasp the language through daily communication with adults. They already have an understanding of how the language works, they just need to learn how the words and expressions they already know are written out.
This is generally not the case for foreign language learners. Unless they choose to learn to read later on purpose, foreign language learners will typically learn all language skills simultaneously. This means that while they are learning how to pronounce words, they are not only learning the writing system, but also how to form basic sentences among other things. Thus, the reading process for a foreign language learner becomes three times harder because, while a native speaker can use their prior knowledge of the language to help them read, a foreign language learner is trying to pronounce the words correctly, while trying to understand their meaning within the context of the sentence, while also trying to figure out the grammar of the sentence which may or may not be completely new to them.
Overall, The process becomes much more overwhelming.
Reading is more that just vocabulary
When learners are looking to learn how to read in a foreign language, they will often ask about how many words they need to know to do so. This is only natural because when you start to read, the most consistent obstacle you face is not knowing the meaning of the words in the text. However, as stated earlier, learners are overwhelmed with several different obstacles when they try to read. It’s not just about vocabulary, they also need to understand the grammar and the expressions being used. In some cases, an understanding of culture may even be necessary.
This may seem like a given, but you don’t really realize just how important all these things are until you come face to face with a sentence that is formed with nothing but vocabulary that you know, but you can’t understand the meaning of the sentence.
When reading, you’ll often have to go beyond just the vocabulary to understand.
You know what you’re missing out on
If you’re learning a foreign language, it’s likely that you already have a good grasp of your mother tongue. As humans it becomes natural for us to constantly compare our proficiency in our native language to that of the language we’re learning, even if only as a means of motivation. So many language learners will subconsciously develop the expectation that their reading proficiency in their target language will soon equal that of their native language. That is not the case and that reality will breed impatience and frustration in a learner as they struggle to read in their target language.
The keyword here is ‘soon’; while it won’t be happening anytime soon, it’s not impossible to achieve the same reading proficiency as your mother tongue. However, you will need the same amount of time AND exposure to do so. Consider when you first started reading in your native language, how much you have read since then and how much you consistently continue to read everyday. That’s a lot. Considering all this will remind you that it’s going to take a long time before you can read comfortably in your target language and thus, you should be patient.
Every time you read in your native language, you’re reminded of what you’re missing out on as you continue to struggle in your target language. You can continue to remind yourself to be patient, but it does contribute to making the struggle feel worse.
–
Learning to read is difficult enough on its own, but with all these other factors on top, it’s no wonder so many learners give up on it. Still, if you truly wish to improve your reading proficiency in your target language, I implore you not to give up!
The next time you’re struggling on your reading journey, remember that while a lot of things may not be working in your favor, with time and dedication you can continue to steadily make your way towards your reading goals.
Mix it with Mandarin 