Fast reading and Dickens!
Hi there
Alex, when I was a child, David Copperfield was one of my favourite novels too! I can still remember finding this very old set of Charles Dickens novels on the windowsill of my primary school classroom. The books were tiny with very small print and very thin paper that was gold rimmed. They looked like prayer books. Because they were so small I could read them under my desk when I was bored! Come to think of it, this kind of reading probably contributed to my short sightedness which was diagnosed a few years later. I was only about nine or ten when I began to read Charles Dickens and I think that there were a lot of words that I didn't understand but I was drawn into the rich descriptive passages and of course the really strong characterisationand plot of his novels.
I read a lot of classic novels from that windowsill and lots of them I only partially understood but I learnt to read on without worrying too much about all the words that I didn't understand. Of course the more I read the more I developed my vocabulary through just guessing. I can't remember ever looking up words or even asking anybody about meaning. I just liked reading fast and I still do!
You mention articles and phrasal verbs as being very difficult to get right. I think most learners would agree with you there. I'm afraid that I don't have any special technique that I can suggest except to read more and notice more. Sounds simple but it isn't, I know. Both of these parts of language are very high frequency and in a way insiduous. You have probably been taught lots of rules about their use but actually find it difficult to apply them. Read more and identify any uses of articles that stick out to you for any reason. It's true that phrasal verbs are much more prevalent in speech. I just had a quick check of what I had written but couldn't find many here.I've highlighted some patterns with articles and a few phrasal verbs today and will try and do this in the future too.
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
on the widowsill
come to think of it
to be drawn into something
the rich descrptive passages
the really strong characterisation
to learn to read on
insiduous
Comments
Dear teacher Tricia, It is just to thank you for your efforts to improve English's of people like me via your posts. I regularly read your posts. I found it a great source, of learning English. However, some pattern's in the posts is not completely clear for me in the sense of meaning and application. Would it be possible for you to have a short description along with each lexis. Thanks again to you and BBC learning English team to have a such nice contribution. Good luck
Hello,Tricia It is plesure to read your blog everyday,but I don't have time write comments to every blog.I have learned a lot from your blogs. The best things in each of your blog are: you read every one comments and the student blog and reply accordingly,you always encourage the student blogger to write better way eventhough he/she make mistakes, the way approach them is very great.have a great day.
hi dear tricia how are you today . I hope you read this comment and say meaning of insiduous . by the way i always read english books in the way you tell but i think it made me crazy for finding meaninig of words . be happy & have nice time
should attach a dictionery with this website
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