Stop Grinding Through Original Texts; Change Your Approach and Supercharge Your Language Skills

Don't you agree that the most agonising part of learning a foreign language is plodding through original texts?

You always start with grand ambitions, but after only a few pages, it feels like walking through a minefield – every step reveals an unfamiliar word, every sentence presents a new hurdle. You look up words until your hands ache, your enthusiasm completely drains away, and eventually, you close the book and toss it into a corner to gather dust.

We all believe that if we just bite the bullet and grind through it, it will eventually pay off. But what if I told you the problem isn't that you're not trying hard enough, but that your approach was fundamentally flawed from the outset?

Learning a foreign language is just like learning to swim

Imagine someone who wants to learn to swim. What would they do?

They wouldn't just jump into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, would they? They'd start in the shallow end of a swimming pool, somewhere they can touch the bottom and feel safe.

Learning to read in a foreign language is the same. The first mistake many people make is directly challenging the 'deep end'. They immediately dive into classic literature and in-depth reports. This is akin to a swimming novice attempting to cross the Channel. The result is either choking and sputtering or a complete loss of confidence.

The correct approach is: find your 'shallow end'.

This 'shallow end' consists of materials that are 'just right' – slightly challenging, but not so difficult that you can't understand anything at all. For instance, original screenplays of films you've already seen, simple articles about topics you're familiar with, or even young adult novels.

In the 'shallow end', you won't be paralysed by fear; instead, you'll enjoy the pleasure that language brings and steadily build your confidence.

Don't cling to your 'lifebuoy'

Now, you're in the shallow end. At this point, many people make a second mistake: clinging tightly to the 'dictionary' lifebuoy.

You encounter an unfamiliar word, immediately stop, open an app, and meticulously research all eighteen of its meanings and usages... By the time you're done, you've long forgotten where you were in the original text. The rhythm and enjoyment of reading are repeatedly broken.

This is like learning to swim where, after every stroke, you turn back to grab your lifebuoy. This way, you'll never learn to feel the water's buoyancy, and you'll never truly get swimming.

True swimming ability comes from daring to let go.

Try not to look up every single unfamiliar word. Guess based on the context; it doesn't matter if you guess wrong. If a word appears repeatedly and hinders your understanding of the main idea, then it's not too late to look it up. Trust your brain; it has a powerful ability to develop a 'feel for the language', just as your body can intuitively find a way to float in water.

Your goal isn't 'perfect stroke', but 'swimming to the other side'

The most fatal mistake is striving for perfection. We often feel we only 'understand' something once we've grasped every single word and every grammatical rule.

This is like a swimming beginner who obsesses over whether their arm angle is correct or if their breathing technique is elegant enough. What happens then? The more they overthink, the stiffer their movements become, and eventually, they sink.

Forget perfection, remember your goal: grasp the main idea, feel the flow.

The core of reading is to acquire information and enjoy the story, not to conduct academic analysis. First aim to 'understand the gist', not 'understand every single detail'. When you can fluently read through a paragraph or a chapter, the sense of accomplishment and the flow experience are far more important than painstakingly dissecting an obscure word's usage.

The nuances of language will be naturally absorbed as you continue to 'swim'. The further you swim, the better your feel for the water, and your technique will naturally become more skilled.

From 'Reader' to 'Communicator'

When you adopt this 'swimming approach' to reading, you'll find foreign language learning becomes easy and efficient. You're no longer that trembling learner on the shore, but an explorer who can swim freely in the ocean of language.

Reading is input; it's 'solo practice'. The real 'getting into the water' is engaging in genuine communication.

If you want to put this 'feel for the language' into practice, why not try chatting with native speakers? This is like moving from the swimming pool to a real beach – it's the best way to test your learning progress. You might worry about speaking poorly or not understanding, but don't forget, you've already learned the 'swimming' mindset – don't be afraid to make mistakes, enjoy the process.

Tools like Intent serve as your 'smart flotation aid' when entering real communication scenarios. Its built-in AI translation enables you to communicate seamlessly with people all over the world. When you stumble, it can help you instantly without interrupting the 'flow' of your conversation. This gives you both a sense of security and maximises the development of your real language ability.

So, stop grinding away at books.

Imagine learning a foreign language as learning to swim. Start in your 'shallow end', bravely let go of your 'lifebuoy', and focus on the overall feeling of 'getting swimming' rather than every single detail.

When you're no longer afraid of choking, you'll discover that the ocean of language is far more captivating than you ever imagined.

Try it now: find your 'shallow end', jump in, and start swimming!