Language self study

[jpc34]

For those of you who learned or are learning (to read) a new language for research: how did you do it? What methods are successful for acquiring reading knowledge, outside of formal instruction? 

[TsarandProphet]

I might have the necessary expertise in that. A good way is to find an older textbook of the "grammar and reader" genre, which will take you through graded reading and translation exercises to functional reading proficiency. Then, by reading, you'll acquire speed, vocabulary, and skill in reading this language.

[JMAurelius]

I second what TsaranfProphet said. I'll only add that if you can, find a book that comes with answer keys for the exercises. Not all of them do. Having an answer key makes a huge difference for self study. It also helps quite a bit to have someone who's proficient in the language you will be studying, whether a faculty, a grad student, a friend, etc. so that if you get stuck on anything and the textbook/answer key provide no insight, you have someone to turn to. Answer keys are invaluable, but there are limits to what they are suitable for.

[AfricanusCrowther]

Once I got to intermediate proficiency, reading newspapers in my research languages first thing in the morning was very helpful.

Edited May 4, 2021 by AfricanusCrowther

[TsarandProphet]

One more tip: advanced readers are rare but they do exist. Depending on the language, Dunwoody Press (which was dead for a long time and is now reviving its old glory) published many such readers for laughably less-taught languages. Since many of these books are out of print, it is worthwhile to search on WorldCat or your university library catalog. If you are already quite acquainted with the grammar, even a reader whose auxiliary language is other than English (the Soviets were good in publishing readers) can be useful for you -- you just need graded, well-chosen texts for your practice. Searching for old textbooks is also a gem because it helps you ease into reading primary sources. It is funny, perhaps, but reading what an American/British learner of German read to study German in the 19th century is actually quite useful in the post-beginner stage.

[michiganundergrad]

I started with wesbites like Duolingo to learn Spanish, Arabic, and Latin and then asked for profs for which textbooks and readers to try. Hope that helps