Hello,
I would like to get some input on how to manage reading books in a language that is not your native one.
I would say I am proficient enough in my second language english (because of school, the internet etc.) to have in depth conversations on various topics (B2-C1), so the issue is not that I don't generally understand the language or that I get stuck reading.
I actually have read several books in english, but it's not quite the same as in my native language. The biggest problem for me is probably vocabulary. The vocabulary used in books is always very expansive and includes many words that don't get used often or at all during normal conversation. Despite this, I obviously get the gist of the sentence and can conclude what a word probably means because of the context, but I still don't know how to manage it properly. Do I stop at every unknown word and look it up? After all I am here to learn the language, but it would hinder the enjoyment of reading the book. If I don't look up any words, I don't miss anything major but I can't fully embrace the atmosphere of the book because I might not fully understand the specific meaning or I miss smaller details. If I decide to buy a new book I mostly resort to buying it in my native language because it's easier and I know that I can appreciate every small detail and know that I will understand everything.
I also barely speak a third language (I could speak it better when I was a child), this one at a level much worse. I can understand probably 95% of normal conversations and can have a little talk, but I couldn't have deep conversations on any topic. Should I read very easy written books or should I just start with anything I want and look up a lot of words? Will I actually be able to enjoy the book if I have to look up everything or risk that I won't get a sentence at all. Of course reading doesn't replace learning the language by itself.
It's basically a question of reading enjoyment vs. language learning. How much do I want to sacrifice from either of them? I usually just want to enjoy the book 100%, so I resort to reading it in my native tongue, which I want to change, at least a little bit. How do you manage it?
Thank you.