How I Learn Languages Through Reading
Learning a language by reading is my favorite way to practice. In this post I'll show you exactly how I do it: how I choose a book, what I do with new words, and how I use AI and Anki to make it stick.
A quick disclaimer. I'm not a polyglot. I'm just a Russian teacher and a language lover who speaks 3 languages at C1 level. This isn't the one true way to learn a language. It's just how I practice. I love reading, and learning languages is also a hobby, so I'm killing a lot of birds with one stone here.
A quick disclaimer. I'm not a polyglot. I'm just a Russian teacher and a language lover who speaks 3 languages at C1 level. This isn't the one true way to learn a language. It's just how I practice. I love reading, and learning languages is also a hobby, so I'm killing a lot of birds with one stone here.
How to Choose a Book for Language Learning
You've probably heard the advice: "Read something you're genuinely interested in." Sounds great. But if you're a beginner, your chances of finding that book are close to zero. What's the point of opening a novel where you understand one word per page, at best?
When I'm starting out and know my first 100 words, I look for adapted books (also called graded readers). Usually these are short stories or even just short texts. Are they thrilling? Not really. But the feeling of "Wow, I'm reading something and I actually understand it!" is priceless.
So I lower my expectations a little and try to enjoy the reading itself.
When I'm starting out and know my first 100 words, I look for adapted books (also called graded readers). Usually these are short stories or even just short texts. Are they thrilling? Not really. But the feeling of "Wow, I'm reading something and I actually understand it!" is priceless.
So I lower my expectations a little and try to enjoy the reading itself.
Podcast transcripts: a free alternative
If you don't want to buy a book, try podcast transcripts. Read them like short stories first, and only then listen. This works especially well for beginners. The stories from the Prosto. Russian podcast are a good example.
Step 1: Read Out Loud
The book is chosen. What now? I read in small chunks: a paragraph or a logical block. And I read it out loud.
Methodologists will tell you this makes you focus on form and ignore meaning. They're right, if we're talking about a lesson. But here nobody is grading my pronunciation. For me, reading aloud keeps me in the story. My brain can't just wander off and pretend to read.
Methodologists will tell you this makes you focus on form and ignore meaning. They're right, if we're talking about a lesson. But here nobody is grading my pronunciation. For me, reading aloud keeps me in the story. My brain can't just wander off and pretend to read.
Step 2: Choose New Words Worth Learning
While reading, I keep running into words I don't know. First, I ask: can I understand this word from context? If yes, I check whether it's even worth learning.
If I can't guess it, I look it up in a dictionary. Then I ask again: is this useful for me? If I'd really use it, it goes into my notebook. More precisely, I write down the whole chunk or phrase, if it's something I could say in real life.
If I can't guess it, I look it up in a dictionary. Then I ask again: is this useful for me? If I'd really use it, it goes into my notebook. More precisely, I write down the whole chunk or phrase, if it's something I could say in real life.
Step 3: Retell Instead of Rereading
Many people say, "You should reread it." For me, that doesn't work. I get bored and my concentration disappears.
So I retell the paragraph out loud in as much detail as I can. If I forget a word or expression I need, I peek into the book. So it's a mix of retelling and rereading. I keep going until I'm tired or have to go do something else.
So I retell the paragraph out loud in as much detail as I can. If I forget a word or expression I need, I peek into the book. So it's a mix of retelling and rereading. I keep going until I'm tired or have to go do something else.
Step 4: Record Yourself and Get AI Feedback
If you think that's the end, it's not :)
The next morning, I retell everything I read the day before, out loud, and record it on my phone.
This part shows me where my speaking is right now, especially spontaneous speaking. I find it really hard to talk about nothing, and retelling something I just read is much easier. It's also a pretty good retrieval exercise for the vocabulary from the book.
Then I use AI to transcribe the recording and send the transcript to Claude and ask it to:
Important: AI makes mistakes. Even when the grammar is right, its text often doesn't sound natural or authentic. Keep that in mind.
The next morning, I retell everything I read the day before, out loud, and record it on my phone.
This part shows me where my speaking is right now, especially spontaneous speaking. I find it really hard to talk about nothing, and retelling something I just read is much easier. It's also a pretty good retrieval exercise for the vocabulary from the book.
Then I use AI to transcribe the recording and send the transcript to Claude and ask it to:
- Find patterns in my mistakes and tell me what to focus on right now (grammar, a certain kind of vocabulary).
- Rewrite my text correctly.
Important: AI makes mistakes. Even when the grammar is right, its text often doesn't sound natural or authentic. Keep that in mind.
Step 5: Learn Vocabulary with Anki
Remember the notebook with words and phrases? Now it's time to move them into Anki and actually start learning them. Words don't learn themselves, unfortunately.
That's my method. It's not perfect, but it works for me. If you try it, let me know how it goes. And how do you read in your target language?
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