READING - How I get the most from it.

If I realise after a few lines that the article, say, that I'm reading is an easy piece, I read quickly, to remind myself of words I've probably seen before and how they're used. If there's a new word, I try to work out what it means, then I circle it, so it's easy to find for review. I write the phrase in English in the margin or on another piece of paper, so I can also review by translating it back into Spanish. Then I often read the piece once or twice more to help my speed of understanding. I'll then put it to one side to read again the next day and then again a about a week later.

With a difficult piece, I go slowly, trying my best to understand as I go along. I underline things I'm not sure of and double-underline anything I can't understand at all. And read on. When I get to the end of the piece, I usually have a better idea of what it's about, so I read those difficult sections again in this new light and try to figure them out. If I've still no idea, I reach for the dictionary and spend some time understanding the words and tenses. Then I re-read once or twice, for speed and as a reminder of the new words. I'll then put it to one side to read again the next day and then again a about a week later.

The most important thing for me is reading the piece(s) again the next day, and scheduling into my learning diary to read through them once or twice more in a week's time. It's not so much the repetition as the intervals between. Spreading this over a longer period means I'm more likely to meet the same words in other texts I read in the meantime, which keeps them fresh and active in my head.