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I have just started reading english novels "Jane Eyre", I've seen it's movie. In the first chapter I looked at dictionary for every word. It made me leave the book aside after 2 pages.
I usually read fast in my native language and also technical english but I don't know how to read english novels.
Do I need to find words's meaning every time? or find the words at the end of each reading to improve my vocabulary?

I also bought "sense and sensibility", I'll read that after this book.
any suggestion would be great for reading and any new materials

Anoosheh

2007-04-12 19:11:45 · 4 answers · asked by little elephant 1 in Society & Culture Languages

4 answers

Hello Anoosheh,

You are starting out with books that are obviously too difficult for you. Otherwise you would not be frustrated after 2 pages.
I recommend that you try something with more "modern & every day" language to start with. In this way, you will learn and understand expressions that are commonly heard today.
The two books that you mentioned are NOT modern and are basically English Literature Classics, not a good choice for learning to read 'novels' in the language. Go for something more 'exciting' like a suspense novel for example which will keep you interested and involved in the story. It won't hurt to even go to the library and borrow teen novels or even comic magazines as a beginning.
Keep your dictionary close but only look up words that you REALLY need to in order to understand what is happening. If you are getting the 'gist' of the meaning without looking up the 'exact' meaning, that will be sufficient. If you see the same words enough times, you will gradually learn them.

Based on your written English language skills that you show here, I think that you will have no problem reading easier, more modern novels. Then if you want to start reading literature, go for it.
Another weird recommendation, based on my own experience, choose a book with larger letters and no more than 250 pages. The small cramped writing and 450 pages to get through can be a trial for native English speakers.

Good Luck and don't put pressure on yourself just to learn, but make it an enjoyable moment as you would if you were reading in your own native language.

2007-04-12 22:15:49 · answer #1 · answered by 2 shy 4 · 1 0

Hi,

Jane Eyre is a good novel by Charlotte Bronte, but the English that it uses fits takes significant consideration from its setting. I've known schools and colleges to use this book as a required reading for their students. So if English is not your native language, looking at the dictionary is perfectly normal.

My piece of advice is aside from consulting the dictionary, you should also try to make sense of the meanings and also what is happening in the story. Of course, you should also consider why certain words go in a particular sentence, rather than an easier word to fully grasp its meaning. Reading literature is different than reading technical materials because literature has more of an "art' element built on to it.

I hope this helps. Good luck reading and keep it up!

2007-04-12 19:35:08 · answer #2 · answered by Syndus Beoulve 2 · 0 0

I would suggest one (or both) of two things. First, if you really want to read Jane Eyre, you can (I'm pretty sure) get a Penguin Graded Reader version of it. It has the same storyline, but the vocabulary and grammar are simplified to make it accessible to non-native speakers. You might want to read it in conjunction with the real book, so you'll have a good basis for understanding the words in the real book that you don't know.
Second, read easier books.

2007-04-12 20:53:48 · answer #3 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 1 0

Young Adult books customarily have a watered down english variant. By watered down I imply it is simplified and no longer as intricate(Complicated). Some books: -Twilight Series (They suck slightly, however it is written at a teenage english stage.) -Harry Potter (Also a well choice, however it is specific English, so watch out with that. Also, there are plenty of magic phrases that don't seem to be truly. Asides from that, it is written for a tender viewers.)

2016-09-05 12:03:02 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

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