Buondì.
I’m going to keep this super-quick, as I’ve got a pile of medical stuff to deal with.
That because, yesterday, I was summoned to meet a surgeon, who will graciously operate on a hernia that popped out of my groin in the middle of one night last spring, when I was lifting a thrashing wild animal out of her cot (Roomie was having yet another nightmare), careless of the impact of bending double to lift thirteen unwilling kilos.
The surgeon had nice shoes, nice jeans, a nice shirt, a nice grey cashmere sweater (I had a similar one, but mine has been customized by moths), and a supercilious manner.
I sat, patiently, watching him type out details of my up-coming operation with one finger of each hand, while staring intently at the buttons on his keyboard.
I tried SO hard not to suggest that, were he to spend a day or so learning to touch type, in future he’d have more time for shopping and golf.
Giving advice is a professional trait, but on this occasion I managed to resist. Why antagonise someone who needs 100% of his concentration to type a sentence over the arc of ten minutes, yet will be cutting open your groin?
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N.b. This coming Friday, April 21st, I’ll be at the hospital at the crack of dawn for pre-operative tests, and the usual time-wasting. It’s possible that the Friday article will be delayed, or not happen at all. In which case, you have my permission to go smoke behind the bike sheds.
Friday 28th, invece, I’ll be offline all day, and for a brief period, unconscious. So unless I get my act together to write something on Thursday 27th, there will NOT BE AN ARTICLE THAT DAY. Nor customer service for ebooks. If you delete the email with the download link, or can’t work the app on your iPad, you’ll have to wait until Saturday. Sorry.
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So anyway, I resisted advising the great doctor to invest in acquiring a basic skill that most primary age children have already mastered. Though in Wednesday’s article for the club I was less restrained.
I was suggesting you read in Italian, remember? And that while doing so, you avoid using a dictionary, two things that I always told my students, and often write here.
The usual objections came rolling in via email, so just to sum up my argument:
- We’re talking about reading in a foreign language that you don’t know well. I assume you can already read English, and whatever other languages you do know well. So reading as a way of learning, or a supplement to other learning activities. AGREED?
- Good. Now it will be obvious to all that, when approaching reading (also listening) in a foreign language, there are going to be lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of words you aren’t familiar with. Also some unknown grammar structures in all likelihood. Also cultural knowledge (try reading an Italian newspaper to find out all the people, places and things you’ve never heard of…). Also elements of style. People who communicate in a language that’s not yours, that you are not (yet) familiar with, are doing to do so in a way that for you will be VERY HARD. With me so far?
- So we’re talking developing a reading habit but using materials which we know in advance are going to be very hard. We can mitigate the expected difficulty in three ways, all of which I mentioned in my article. They are: A.) use ‘simplified’ or ‘graded’ texts, for instance our ‘easy readers’ which are designed to be manageable by students at a given level. I mentioned I started that way, but the range of available material was limited. B.) Choose ‘real’, that is to say ‘authentic’ texts – magazines, books, etc. wisely, ideally plumping for something that is going to be easier than you might otherwise select in your own language (Grisham not Shakespeare) and/or is interesting DESPITE BEING DIFFICULT. If your motivation is high, the likelihood of quitting is reduced. And so C.), the dictionary, and why not to use it. This deserves a number, not just a letter…
- DON’T USE A DICTIONARY BECAUSE… a.) Your aim in reading is to improve your foreign language in general, not specifically to learn vocabulary, which is only one aspect of language. b.) There are going to be so many words you don’t know in ‘authentic’ texts, it will be overwhelming. You’ll spend forever on the first page, looking things up, writing down lists of translations, and so on. But that’s not reading, that’s STUDYING, which is something different. Why not ‘study’ the words you encounter in an ‘authentic’ text? Why not indeed. Because there will be THOUSANDS OF THEM. And how will you know which are a good use of your time, and which not? Answer: you won’t. And however persistent you are, you will, sooner or later, quit.
- Also, DON’T USE A DICTIONARY BECAUSE… c.) when doing so, you’re missing the chance to improve your ability to ‘guess’ unknown words. But also at a more ‘macro’ level, while you’re focusing on this, that, or the other unknown item, you’re not focusing on the broader context, the development of the plot, the dialogues on the next page (which are usually easier), and so on.
Summary: you’re reading to improve your language skills, so learn to read ‘better’, meaning more efficiently, faster, with more satisfaction and less frustration, and you will, in the longer term, improve more. And be a more fun person.
IF you have to read something that you know is vitally important, for instance the conditions of a house loan for hundreds of thousands of dollars or pounds, then sure, get out a dictionary. But don’t use it on all the boring stuff (privacy, definitions of terms, etc.), use it on the critical parts – the variable interest rate, the penalties for early repayment, the risk of repossession and how that might be triggered.
How will you know which are the important parts?
Because, child, you will have already learned to read EFFICIENTLY, meaning to get the general idea and to do so quickly, so you will be able to skim anything potentially irrelevant and focus your laser-like attention on the parts which will, if you’re not aware of them, cost you money.
Insomma, PRATICE NOT UNDERSTANDING STUFF, so as to get better at knowing which parts are important, which parts aren’t. The types of trees, the colors of the sky are usually irrelevant to the details of the crime. Who pulled the trigger and what happened next are what you want to know.
So, in rolled all the usual objections via email.
“But I want to understand!”
Yes, well I’d rather have a surgeon who can type, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?
“Teaching children to read, we aim to give them texts made up of 90% of words that they already know.”
That’s as maybe, but the whole point of reading is to encounter texts containing content (including words) that you DON’T know. Teach kids how to deal with the unknowns, and they’ll be much more likely to become proficient readers in the longer term (proabably honing their skills on horror stories, rap lyrics, or porn…)
I’m out of time. Boring medical stuff to do.
But a final word – you will NEVER know Italian, or any foreign language, or your own language, so well that you won’t need the skill of skipping over stuff while figuring out what is probably important and what isn’t.
If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll accept that the actual, real, reading you do in your day-to-day life is as I have described – that is to say complex, and containing a lot that’s unknown.
So why do it differently when learning a foreign language? Why focus on unknown vocabulary?
On a journey, gaze around the forest, pick out the easier route, scan for bears and robbers.
Don’t meditate on every tree in your path.
A venerdì.
P.S. 3 Half-Price eBook Easy Readers from 2016
Don’t forget, this week we’re doing the half-price ebook offer on three titles we published in 2016.
They’re all around intermediate/upper-intermediate. Check the FREE sample chapters to see if they might be right for you.
The half-price offer ends Sunday 23rd April 2023.
Galileo, Pisa e la luna (B1/2) 
Pisa, 1690. Academic and university teacher, Galileo, is re-thinking Aristotle’s idea that the heavier an object is, the faster it will fall to earth. With the help of his reluctant assistant, Valerio, and the city’s famous leaning tower!
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Galileo, Pisa e la luna’ allows us to join the Reniassance scientist for a day while he conducts one of his most famous experiments…
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Galileo, Pisa e la luna just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute (B2) 
A misty Sunday morning in Venice, 1703, and there goes Sig. Vivaldi, part-time violinist and composer, hurrying off to his day job taking mass in one of the city’s famous churches…
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute’ allows us a glimpse into the life of the famous Italian composer while providing fascinating details about some Venice landmarks.
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Vivaldi e la chiesa della Salute just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
Un giorno con Raffaello (B1/B2) 
Who hasn’t now heard of Raffaello, one of the most famous Italian painters? But he wasn’t always so well-known.
This original easy Italian reader, ‘Un giorno con Raffaello’ introduces us to Raffaello early in his career when, one morning, he receives an unexpected letter…
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Un giorno con Raffaello just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog
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P.S. 
Did you find time for Tuesday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news?
If not, why not read/listen to it today? There’ll be another tomorrow.
Relentless, isn’t it? But subscribing is FREE, so there’s no cost reason why you shouldn’t develop a habit of reading in and listening to Italian, if you can be bothered.
Give it six months or so and you’ll notice a difference.
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OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
Mayken says
Hi Daniel!
First of all, I wish you all the best for your upcomong surgery, and pkease DO NOT FEEL GUILTY about not keeping your schedule of writing and sending out articles or helping people retrieve their ebooks. Health comes first.
Second, I mostly agree with you on not using the dictionary when reading. My advanced French teacher in high school said the same when he gave us authentic magazine articles to read.
However I allow for one exception. My Italian level is such that I understand most of the Easy Italian News articles without too much difficulty. There are many new words thatI mostly guess from context or because tvey are similar to French, but when I can’t figure out at all what a *key word* of an article means, one that’s crucial to understanding what the whole thing is about, then (and only then) do I go and look it up.
Daniel says
Researching the ‘meaning’ of a word, especially if it seems to be key to a text or conversation, seems logical, I agree. It’s just that IF the word is key to a text or conversation, you’ll probably figure it out without a dictionary, anyway. And using a dictionary may take up time that could be better spent doing other things (reading on, or something else.) And might hamper any potential improvement in your reading skills, such as guessing from context. And… Well, you read the article.
Allan says
Hi Daniel, good luck with the operation, hopefully it won’t be cancelled like the NHS seem to be good at these days. Thanks for the discount on the books. They’re above my level but if you don’t aim higher you’ll never improve. Regards Allan.
Daniel says
I’ve not heard of operations being cancelled in Italy, though I expect it happens. Usually I’m an emergency case, this is my first elective surgery. Hopefully there’ll be few wires and tubes involved…
As regards your level, your ‘reading level’ is what you can do that benefits you, no more, no less. Technically I’m a beginner in Spanish, for instance, but can browse the newspaper with little difficulty. While in Turkish I’m intermediate in speech and comprehension, but can barely read at all.
Try stuff and see what works for you. You might be surprised!
Patricia Barber says
Hoping your surgery goes well and your recovery is speedy and pain free. I need to thank you for your quick response to my reading concerns while you were on vacation. I didn’t realize you weren’t already back at work in Bologna. Thanks for answering me and thanks for sharing your trip.
Daniel says
Prego. As you see, I work wherever I am. Unfortunately there was no internet in the hospital today, so no article… First time I’ve skipped one in many years.
Donna K. says
Buona fortuna, Daniel! My husband had the same operation several years ago and recovered quickly.. However, follow the doctor”s orders—typewritten or not—do not lift and take your pains meds on schedule. The day after the surgery he skipped the scheduled dose because he felt okay, but then the pain arrived with a vengeance. It took a bit of time for the medicine to work it’s “magic.”
Daniel says
Noted, Donna, Many thanks for the advice!
KG from Arlington, Virginia says
“Don’t meditate on every tree in its path.” Such words of practical wisdome, Daniel. Thank you for emphasizing something I know is logically correct – yet nevertheless keep fighting.
Daniel says
When you’re doing something, KG from Arlington, ask yourself why? Are you hiking though the woods to get to the camping spot before dark, or pottering around looking at anything that might catch your eye – a mushroom here, an insect there, some berries, maybe? A bear turd, wow!
Is the purpose of what you’re doing micro, or macro? And why? And if both, what’s the priority? And in what order? Teachers who know what they’re doing (many don’t) plan their lessons and know at every stage of a class what the purpose is and what benefit is expected to accrue. That’s harder for those learning autonomously, especially at first, when we have little experience. Sometimes it’s easier to go with what we know (learning lists of words, for example.) Then, when the results are not what we hope, we moan that the task is too hard, rather than examining whether the decisions we took were the right ones.
As I wrote to someone else today, learning is hard. Learning to learn is hard too, but has a great return on investment!
Jackie Sears says
Hi Daniel,
Just wanted to wish you all the best with your operation next week. That’s a long time to be waiting for it. (And may possibly be related to the typing speed of your doctor?!)
It was also really good to meet you and Steffi at last, when I was doing the MadreLingua course, which I absolutely loved! You’ve got a great setup there with wonderful teachers, and I can really feel the benefit to my Italian.
I hope you all continue to thrive – I’ll definitely be back!
Best wishes
Jackie
Daniel says
Thanks for the best wishes and positive feedback, Jackie! A presto, allora.
JoAnn says
Wishing you a speedy recovery from your upcoming surgery. And thanks for the reminder to dump the dictionary !
Daniel says
Prego, JoAnn. I’m aware that I write the same three pieces of advice over and over, but a basic lesson of marketing (my other job…) is that it’s not enough to tell people something just once or twice if you want them to take action or change what they do. Learning is a complex process and a poorly understood one, teaching people how to learn even more so!
Kathy says
Best wishes for a quick recovery, Daniel!
As to the discussion on reading, I stumbled upon a book of nature essays for (at a guess) 10-14 year old Italian kids that were perfect for me as a nature-lover and B1-ish reader. Occasional pictures for support, engaging and clearly-written stories about things I had some familiarity about in English, and only a few pages per essay. Also, the publishing house Sellerio offers collections of short mysteries by its stable of writers that introduced me to authors with a variety of writing styles (and remember, writing style has as much or more influence on comprehension as vocabulary – the more literary or colloquial a writer is, the more difficult it can be to catch the gist of the story without becoming dispirited). Buona lettura!
Daniel says
Very true about the style, Kathy. Some writers are just hard to read, and that’s presumably true in any language. Anything written long ago is harder by definition, as both style and language change over time. As a learner, finding texts that are both interesting and readable is a challenge. Finding a topic that interests you, as you say, is a good starting point. In the end though, reading either has it’s own momentum, or it doesn’t, and with momentum comes motivation improved skills.
It’s taking me forever to get though the library’s Bryson, and I’ve only a few days left, so I shan’t finish. But I’m learning a lot about the human body, and the style is light and fun, so it’s a fun project, not study. Learning while having fun is a good goal to aim for…
Lynne F says
I made the mistake when I first started to learn Italian, of wanting to know the meaning of every word in the text I was reading. Well, that is how we were taught a foreign language back in the ’60s. Encouraged by yourself Daniel, particularly during the book club sessions, I was quickly converted and what a difference it has made. I would encourage anybody else to try, Reading and learning vocabulary lists and grammar rules are two different things, although they can enhance each other.
Now I am learning Polish. Although at this stage only very simple captions and sentences I am reading without a dictionary.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and suggest you don’t tell the surgeon how to do his job until after the operation 🙂
Daniel says
Good advice, Lynne. I’ll try to keep my mouth shut while being patronised and lectured…
Kath says
Hi, Daniel, Thank you for your helpful emails ,I wanted to endorse the advice you give. Your critics really should give it a go. I regularly listen to some Italian film/YouTube vlog etc and initially it may seem incomprehensible but by listening to it repeatedly it makes sense . I start to recognise verb formations, use of prepositions etc unconsciously without formally analysing anything. I now find that I automatically use this knowledge when I speak to Italians. It’s really satisfying.
Good luck on Friday
Daniel says
My first endorsement, Kath! Many thanks.
And yes, you’re right, it is satisfying when you can communicate better as a result of reading/listening. What I really like, though, is when I’m speaking to someone and I can see they’ve forgotten the linguistic obstacle of talking to a foreigner, with a horrible accent and no grammar, because they’re busy telling me about their life, hobbies, health problems, or whatever. THAT’S when I really feel I’ve achieved something, when the people I practice with value the interaction as much as I do (or more, who knows.) Conversation, not just ‘speaking’, is a rich vein of learning opportunities. And the opposite of boring.
enda buckley says
I’n bocca al lupo oggi Daniel !
Take care and rest up 🙏
Daniel says
I had to check what ‘rest’ meant, in a dictionary, but still didn’t understand… Thanks for commenting, Enda!
enda says
Lol 😝
No rest for the wicked
Daniel says
Hospital appointments are definitely harder work that work work, Enda!
Helen says
I hope Roomie is happy wherever she is now and not missing your lovely family. You sound like you’re missing her though.
Good luck with the forthcoming operation.
Daniel says
Yes, we miss her a lot, and hope the same as you… Speriamo bene, as Italians say.
Terry says
Best wishes. I appreciate your essays. I find them very motivating when I feel discouraged by my pace of learning. I wish you all the best with your recovery. I read all of your emails.
Daniel says
Grazie Terry!
Jan says
Hope all went well on Friday, Daniel, and your recovery has now started in earnest. Hope too that you are able to take however much time is needed for your rest, and some self-kindness. You are very much in my thoughts – and many others the world over.
Daniel says
Friday was just the pre-op tests, and arguments, Jan. The ‘intervento’ itself is this coming venderdì. But thanks for your best wishes anyway!!
Alison Ledgerwood says
Wishing you well for Friday Daniel and thanks again for everything you do. Years ago, when I was an Au-Pair in Austria and really struggling to learn German, I got hooked on Asterix books. Lots of pictures and very funny jokes. No online resources in those days of course. I later progressed to Goethe and and classic novels, as well as modern stuff, but you’ve got to start somewhere.
Personally, when I read German or Italian I do find myself looking up the odd word when it is really key to understanding a crucial plot point, but don’t fuss too much otherwise. I am interested in history (I enjoyed your history series) and I have ended up reading several books about ancient Rome and Pompeii (2 in Italian and 2 in English) of which 3 are novels and 1 is non-fiction. The benefit of that is that you are reading about something from lots of different points of view but much of the language is similar,, you understand more of the history and the day to day life of antica Roma and you are reinforcing what you already know. As you and others have said, the key is to find a topic you are really interested in. So much more interesting than grammar books………
Daniel says
I always found Asterix in French to be way too hard for me, Alison, but I was a teenager then, and a lot of the jokes and puns would have been over my head anyway.
A few years back I picked up some Tintin books in Istanbul, in Turkish of course. With their rampant inflation you can sometimes get some real bargains on old stock which they couldn’t be bothered to reprice.
As you say, reading something that interests you IS so much more interesting that poring over grammar books. Personally, I’m convinced it’s just as effective, if not more so, and partly solves the motivation problem.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!