How can I read faster than I do now?

[CreamCat]

English is not my first language. On average, I read about 6~10 pages an hour. I cannot read much unless I dedicate hours a day to reading.

I cannot dedicate that much time to reading in the long term. In the long term, an hour a day is the maximum I can think of.

My reading is not that fast in my first language, either. My listening comprehesion is similarly mediocre.

How can I improve my reading speed? I don't think I have reached my personal upper limit of reading speed.

I want to be able to read at least 20 pages an hour.

Edited May 23, 2019 by CreamCat

[BjarkeT]

I recommend spending time improving your english. The better you understand what you are reading the faster you can read it otherwise the alternative option is to find more time to read in order to read more.

https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2018/12/03/learn-english/

I recommend reading this. Scott young have learned four languages in one year he knows what he is talking about related to language learning.

one of the fastest way to improve your english is to speak it with someone.

Edited May 23, 2019 by BjarkeT

[CreamCat]

1 hour ago, BjarkeT said:

I recommend spending time improving your english. The better you understand what you are reading the faster you can read it otherwise the alternative option is to find more time to read in order to read more.

https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2018/12/03/learn-english/

I recommend reading this. Scott young have learned four languages in one year he knows what he is talking about related to language learning.

one of the fastest way to improve your english is to speak it with someone.

For most self-help books, I don't need to look up dictionaries for 99~99.5% of the time. So, vocabulary is not slowing me down. I think I know more than 12,000 english words. Elite english readers know 30,000~40,000 words, most of which are names for various concrete things such as letticework. When I don't read novels written by elite english writers, I usually don't find myself looking up english dictionaries.

Most self-help books are written in easy english, so grammar comprehension is not a problem, either.

If grammar and vocabulary are both comprehensible, what is slowing me down? Perhaps, the urge to understand every single word perfectly is slowing me down?

Edited May 23, 2019 by CreamCat

[ValiantSalvatore]

There is a good book on Leo's booklist. Although it is quite tedious to get through the book. 

I don't read much currently. I consume a lot of audiobooks... 

Mostly it is the way we have been taught to read. There are a ton of tips on Youtube. The advice given in the book, is also congruent to a degree with the advice given by Scott Young. 

Otherwise there are other speedreading books and coaches. On YouTube etc. 

Yet, the format of the book is quite good. Because of the exercises it entails. 

It is also gives you an overview of how many words per minute. Or wpm you can read currently and at the end of the book. Some of the techniques are intuitive or contra-intuitiv, some are common sense. 

 

[CreamCat]

@ValiantSalvatore What's Leo's book? What is the article written by Scott Young? Any other specific recommendations?

[ValiantSalvatore]

@CreamCat At best buy a speed reading book or the booklist.

There is so much advice on YouTube. I will sound like a hypocrite.

For instance, stop subliminally speaking yourself words internally and start thinking in images, pictures and more visually. Hence, you can process more information, since you are not hindering yourself by speaking the words out loud in your mind. 
 

 

[CreamCat]

Just now, ValiantSalvatore said:

@CreamCat At best buy a speed reading book or the booklist.

Does leo ban you for revealing a book among a few hundreds in his list?

[ValiantSalvatore]

No, but it does feel inauthentic and fake.

[CreamCat]

1 minute ago, ValiantSalvatore said:

No, but it does feel inauthentic and fake.

The book feels inauthentic and fake?

[ValiantSalvatore]

You can check Goodreads, there are plenty of books. 

Skimming is good, taking notes also, or drawing a mind-map. Using your finger to read, to increase comprehension is a common tip + a technique used.

No, the answer was related to the question.

11 minutes ago, CreamCat said:

Does leo ban you for revealing a book among a few hundreds in his list?

 

[iTommy]

10 hours ago, CreamCat said:

English is not my first language. On average, I read about 6~10 pages an hour. I cannot read much unless I dedicate hours a day to reading.

I cannot dedicate that much time to reading in the long term. In the long term, an hour a day is the maximum I can think of.

My reading is not that fast in my first language, either. My listening comprehesion is similarly mediocre.

How can I improve my reading speed? I don't think I have reached my personal upper limit of reading speed.

I want to be able to read at least 20 pages an hour.

How's your reading comprehension? Do you need to re-read words and sentences often? You could learn how to speed-read, there are tuts on YouTube about that. Although speed reading is kinda cool, it might not be so beneficial for your reading comprehension if you struggle with that (I notice that within myself. I get lost in thought at times, and need to re-read stuff. Reading faster wouldn't be much useful in that case).

But nevertheless, you could try speed-reading and see how things turn out for you.

[CreamCat]

3 hours ago, iTommy said:

Do you need to re-read words and sentences often?

I do. But, that's not because words and sentences are difficult.

When I stop reciting the words verbally in my mind, I cannot understand a word. I cannot understand words as images.

For now, I can only understand words as sounds in my mind.

[hyruga]

It's all up to you.

You read them slowly because you chose to ponder and think over the words mentioned.

If you choose to read faster instead of pondering, you will read faster.

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by hyruga

[ValiantSalvatore]

@CreamCat Check out goodreads there are books with exercises to overcome this problem and have a solution. Not seeing words as images. 

The Book from Leo is also listed there + others which have a higher rating. From the users there.

 

[CreamCat]

7 hours ago, ValiantSalvatore said:

@CreamCat Check out goodreads there are books with exercises to overcome this problem and have a solution. Not seeing words as images. 

The Book from Leo is also listed there + others which have a higher rating. From the users there.

 

Is the search keyword speedreading?

[ValiantSalvatore]

@CreamCat There are plenty, I checked the book again since IIRC, they recommended a specific book. Yet, it will take me to long to find it.

Here is the list of Goodreads (Used Google, not the GoodReads website to search)

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/speed-reading

These links also look fine.

https://bookauthority.org/books/best-speed-reading-books 
https://myspeedreading.com/best-speed-reading-books/


They, also have higher ratings from user than the book recommended by Leo. Even on Amazon. By checking again, I would stay with the top rated books or the ones recommend from Goodreads. Possibly there are greater books than the one Leo recommended. I wanted to buy also a specific one, but I don't think I will find it anymore...

Have fun and "to success"/ good fortune etc.

Edited May 25, 2019 by ValiantSalvatore

[sgn]

On 5/23/2019 at 1:53 PM, ValiantSalvatore said:

There is a good book on Leo's booklist. Although it is quite tedious to get through the book. 

Lol, I actually bought that one but I don't think I read even one whole page.
It looked kinda scary when I skimmed through it and I realize I don't really learn anything when reading fast anyway.

[ValiantSalvatore]

It is possible a lot of reputable sources claim that. 

If not see the world fastest reader. 

[sgn]

@ValiantSalvatore u talking to me?

[ValiantSalvatore]

Yes