Who else here doesn't have English as their primary language?

>>7633450
never use a dictionary, it's Haram.

File: smug_reader.jpg (13KB, 172x292px) Image search: [Google]

13KB, 172x292px

I mostly disregard the word and guess it's meaning from context. If that doesn't seem possible and the word relevant, I go to
www.dict.cc
for a quick fix

>>7633469
>>>/pol/

>>7633473
But my English is not that good and every line has at least 3-4 words I don't understand.

>>7633450
I am German
And I do it similar to >>7633473, I guess the meaning of a word that is unknown to me based on the context, however I do underline the word and look it up later. I used to make a list of them until my lack of disciplime persuaded me to stop

>>7633484
You are reading books that are too difficult for your level of proficiency then
Try an english translation of le petit prince, or try reading a book that you have already read in your primary language or try to get a shitty sci-fi novel.
You will find that your proficiency will imcrease rapidly once you start reading anyway, so it's not like you will have to read a ton of children's books

>>7633473
I usually do this. But my English is probably as good as my native language so it is rare. If you are finding 2-3 words in every sentence that you don't understand, you are reading a book that is out of your reach. You can postpone reading the book or read a translation. Reading translation is better than struggling through a book due to the language barrier.

>>7633550
Thanks for the reply, lad. But finding a translation of the book in my native language is pretty much impossible. I have read a few, low level English books. Will be working on my vocab.

>>7633450
I usually try to bypass the word unless it's absolutely essential to the context. And then I (in my constant curiosity) look it up afterwards.

>>7633484
if there are that many words you don't understand the book might be out of your reach for now, at least. Try reading books closer to your level, where there's only a few words per page you don't understand.
Note those down, look them up, use them in a sentence and revise them every week.

I firmly believe that you have to have fun reading literature, and I can't imagine enjoying the work when constantly having to interrupt my reading looking up obscure words.

I was trying to read snow country by Kawabata in japanese and I had to look up about a third of the words every page. Even though you'll expand your vocabulary, it's detrimental tot he enjoyment of the narrative

You'll do fine, Thoreau was anything but a prose stylist so we're only really dealing with literal usages of words. I have the same edition as that picture

>english is third language
>start reading everything in english because it 'sounds' better in my head
>start with pleb stuff
>read murakami
>hmm that's ok I guess
>download the crying lot of 49
>start reading
>"is my document corrupt? what is this gibberish?"
>can't understand shit
>a couple of weeks later pick it up again
>keep reading, googling references and words I don't get
>holy fuck this is so good
thnks lit

>>7633450
highlight and try to build understanding from the context.