Read Harry Potter
So you want to start reading in English, but don’t know where to start…
After I moved to Spain, I was very serious about achieving Spanish fluency. I knew I needed to be able to interact with all aspects of the language — spoken & written — in order to be satisfied. I was somewhat confident in my speaking ability, but there was one thing I hadn’t done yet — read a book in Spanish.
There are many benefits to reading in your target language. First, of course, is an expansion of vocabulary. You will learn tons of new words. Second, and I actually think more importantly, you will see correct grammar structures over and over again. They will burn into your subconscious mind. This will be reflected in your speaking.
So where did I start? You know already from the title: Harry Potter.
Why Harry Potter?
A few reasons.
I knew the series already. I hadn’t read the books, but I had seen most of the movies, and just generally knew things about it. Therefore, the content was going to be somewhat familiar to me already.
It is entertaining to me. I liked the story, so therefore it didn’t feel completely like homework but rather a form of recreation.
It is written for a large audience, including kids / teens. The language and grammar isn’t too difficult.
The first book is short. The second is a bit longer. The third is longer than that. Et cetera, et cetera.
For those reasons, it was the best place to dive into reading in a foreign language for me. I think it can be that for you, as well.
THIS IS IMPORTANT:
I do not recommend looking up every single word that you don’t know. This will make it feel like homework. You will lose momentum and burn out after reading 3-4 pages. Instead, do your best to understand the context despite not knowing a few words on each page. After seeing a word 5 or so times, you should look it up — then something will click, and you’ll understand more about the previous pages.
While I recommend Harry Potter for these reasons, another series would do just fine — especially one you are already familiar with, and that follows a similar pattern (books start short and get progressively longer).
By the end of the series, you’ll be a fluent reader, and your speaking will have improved as a result.
— Ben
