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Reading and Library
Research
There were several reasons why reading assignments were difficult. Again they are related to both the language and the subject. Focusing on the language, I would say that the first stumbling block was my limited vocabulary. However, finding meanings of particular words does not guarantee understanding of a sentence and paragraph. Then, neither did I know how to read a book, a chapter in a book, or an article.
The skill of reading for content only was already very difficult, hut it was more difficult for critical reading. I was only taught that the written word was the `truth'. I had no experience in searching for weaknesses and criticizing other people's work. To complicate matters, the reading assignments were enormous by my past experiences. In high school we mostly only used one text-book for a course, which
Lasted for one year. In college I was suddenly faced by the fact that we had to read several books and articles. I often did not know where to start and how to select what to skim and what to read more carefully.
Again this problem stems partly from a lack of fluency in English and partly from a different approach to learning - the shift from `the written word as truth' to the printed word as a tool for your own use.
You will find that, although you may never quite achieve the in reading of a native English speaker, you will gradually increase your speed and your comprehension. At first you may have to work slowly with dictionaries: a dictionary of English and your own language for general vocabulary; an advanced English dictionary for more complex definitions; and a specialist dictionary (for example, a Dictionary of Earth Science or a Dictionary of Legal Terms) for the technical language you need in each discipline.
Eventually this close attention to meaning pays dividends. You may even find that you end up with a more accurate grasp of special terminology and phrases than many local students.
three short chapters
strategy for academic
not guarantee understanding
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