Table of contents planning your day 2

Practice regularly
Finally, one of the best ways to improve your reading comprehension is to practice regularly. The more you read, the better you will get at understanding the language. Try to make reading a regular part of your language learning routine, and aim to read a variety of texts on different topics.

In conclusion, reading comprehension is an important skill for language learners, and it can be challenging to improve when reading in a foreign language. However, by choosing texts at your level, activating your background knowledge, using context clues, reading actively, taking notes, and practicing regularly, you can improve your reading comprehension and gain a deeper understanding of the language and culture you are studying.

#11 DEALING WITH UNKNOWN WORDS

As language learners, we are constantly encountering unknown words when reading, listening, or speaking in a foreign language. It can be frustrating and overwhelming to come across words we don't know, but it is also an opportunity to expand our vocabulary and improve our language skills. In this article, we will explore some strategies for dealing with unknown words in a foreign language.
Guess the meaning from context
One of the most effective ways to deal with unknown words is to try and guess the meaning from the context. Context refers to the words and sentences around the unknown word that provide clues about its meaning. For example, if you encounter the phrase "he was feeling blue," you might not know what "blue" means in this context. However, by looking at the surrounding sentences, you might infer that it means he was feeling sad or down. This technique can help you to understand the meaning of unknown words without needing to look them up in a dictionary.
Look for familiar roots and affixes
Another strategy for dealing with unknown words is to look for familiar roots and affixes. Many words in English and other languages have roots that come from Latin, Greek, or other languages. By knowing some of these roots and affixes, you can often guess the meaning of unknown words. For example, the root "bio-" means life, so words such as "biology" and "biography" relate to life. Similarly, the suffix "-ment" often means an action or process, so words such as "movement" and "management" relate to actions or processes.
Use online resources
There are many online resources available that can help you to deal with unknown words in a foreign language. Online dictionaries such as WordReference and Linguee provide translations of words and phrases and often include example sentences to help you understand the context of the word. Additionally, there are websites and apps such as Quizlet and Memrise that provide flashcards and quizzes to help you memorize new vocabulary.
Keep a vocabulary notebook
Another effective way to deal with unknown words is to keep a vocabulary notebook. This can be a physical notebook or a digital one, and it allows you to keep track of new words and review them later. In your notebook, you can write down the new word, its definition, and an example sentence. You can also add notes or images to help you remember the word. By regularly reviewing your vocabulary notebook, you can reinforce your understanding of new words and improve your retention.
Practice with authentic materials
Finally, one of the best ways to deal with unknown words is to practice with authentic materials. This means reading books, newspapers, or articles in the foreign language, listening to podcasts or watching videos, and engaging in conversations with native speakers. By immersing yourself in the language, you will encounter a variety of new vocabulary in different contexts, which will help you to understand the meaning of unknown words.
In conclusion, dealing with unknown words is a common challenge for language learners, but it is also an opportunity to expand your vocabulary and improve your language skills. By guessing the meaning from context, looking for familiar roots and affixes, using online resources, keeping a vocabulary notebook, and practicing with authentic materials, you can improve your ability to understand and use new vocabulary in a foreign language.