Learning a Language by Reading: Your Questions Answered

What level do you need to start learning a language by reading?

An A2/B1 level is enough to start, as long as you pick a suitable text, like a graded reader or a simplified classic. Below that level, missing basic vocabulary makes even simple sentences unreadable without constant help.

What matters isn't hitting a specific level before you begin, it's finding a text where you already understand 90 to 95% of the content without a dictionary (Krashen, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition, 1982). A true beginner (A1) can already read very short stories designed for their level, with simple sentences and limited vocabulary.

If you're more advanced, at B2 or C1, you can jump straight into contemporary novels or unsimplified classics. That's actually where reading becomes especially rewarding, since the original text keeps its full stylistic richness.

How much time should you read each day to make progress?

Twenty to thirty minutes a day is enough to see measurable progress within a few months. Consistency matters more than the length of any single session, a principle well documented in research on language acquisition and long-term memory.

A short but daily session builds a habit that's easier to sustain than an ambitious two-hour goal that gets abandoned after a few weeks. If you're short on time some days, ten minutes still beats zero minutes.

The key is keeping daily contact with the language, even briefly, rather than long sessions spread days apart.

Do you need to understand every word in a text to make progress?

No, and trying to understand everything is actually counterproductive. The generally accepted rule in extensive reading is to aim for 90-95% comprehension, which deliberately leaves 5 to 10% of words unknown per page (Wikipedia, Extensive reading).

Looking up every unknown word in a dictionary breaks your reading flow and turns a moment of natural acquisition into an exhausting decoding exercise. The brain retains vocabulary better when it's encountered repeatedly in context than when it's learned in isolation through a single translation.

Save word lookups for the ones that actually block comprehension of the sentence, and let the rest go. Overall meaning is usually enough to keep the reading useful and enjoyable.

How do you choose a text at the right level?

The best indicator is simple: open a random page and count the unknown words in a roughly 100-word paragraph. If you find more than 8 to 10, the text is probably too hard for smooth extensive reading right now.

Topic matters as much as linguistic difficulty. A text on a subject that bores you, even if perfectly calibrated for your level, won't hold your motivation over time. Pick a topic you genuinely care about first, then check that the language level stays accessible.

Public domain classics, available free through platforms like Project Gutenberg (Project Gutenberg), offer a wide selection across several European languages, ranging from intermediate to advanced level.

Is it better to read on paper or on a screen?

Both work, but digital reading offers one concrete advantage for learners: tapping a word for an instant translation without interrupting your reading. Comparisons between paper and screen reading haven't shown a consistent, significant difference in overall comprehension across studies (Association for Psychological Science, results vary by study).

On paper, looking up an unknown word takes time and interrupts reading, which often leads to skipping it entirely or reaching for a separate dictionary. On a reading app built for learners, like Lira, a single tap shows the translation in context without leaving the page.

The real deciding factor is your own comfort. If paper motivates you to read more consistently, stick with it, and keep your phone nearby for the occasional lookup.

What's the difference compared to an app like Duolingo?

Duolingo relies on short, gamified exercises (sentence translation, word matching, quizzes), while reading in a foreign language exposes you to a long, coherent text with an actual narrative thread. The two approaches target different skills.

Gamified exercises are effective for memorizing isolated vocabulary and basic grammar patterns, especially early on. But they rarely expose you to complex sentences or real writing style, unlike a novel or a news article.

Extensive reading builds broader reading comprehension and grammatical intuition, useful for reading books, articles, or subtitles without translation. Combining both, short drills for fundamentals and long-form reading for fluency, usually beats relying on either method alone. For more on this, see our piece on the Duolingo plateau.

Is reading alone enough, or should you combine it with something else?

Reading alone mainly builds reading comprehension and vocabulary, but it doesn't train pronunciation or speaking, which need dedicated practice. Combining reading with conversation remains the most complete way to progress across every skill.

For listening comprehension, podcasts, subtitled shows in your target language, or other audio content pairs well with reading. For speaking, nothing replaces regular practice with a native speaker or a language exchange partner.

If your main goal is reading books, articles, or content in the original language without relying on translation, extensive reading alone can be enough in the medium term. If your goal is traveling or speaking fluently, it needs to be paired with regular spoken practice.

How do you manage vocabulary you encounter while reading?

Words that show up multiple times in a text are worth noting and reviewing, unlike rare words that appear only once. Spaced repetition, through an algorithm like FSRS, optimizes when each word gets reviewed based on your actual memory (FSRS, documentation).

Writing words down manually in a notebook works, but it takes discipline and often breaks your reading rhythm. Apps like Lira automate this step: the word you tap while reading gets added directly to a review list, without interrupting the flow.

What matters is reviewing vocabulary regularly, even 5 minutes a day, rather than letting it pile up without ever revisiting it.

How do you measure your reading progress?

The most reliable signal is comfortable reading speed: the number of words you can read per minute without decoding effort should increase gradually with consistent practice. Track this number every few weeks to see your progress.

Another useful indicator is the number of unknown words per page. If it drops over the weeks on similar texts, that's a clear sign your active vocabulary is expanding. Some reading apps track this kind of statistic automatically.

Finally, the ability to read without translation texts you found difficult a few months earlier remains the best qualitative sign of progress, more telling than any single number.

Should you reread the same book multiple times?

Rereading a book you've already finished, or even just a difficult chapter, reinforces the vocabulary and grammar patterns you encountered the first time. Repetition within a single text works on the same principle as spaced repetition of vocabulary.

It isn't required, but it's a particularly useful strategy if you're a beginner looking for a slightly easier text to consolidate what you've learned before moving up a level. For a complete method, see our extensive reading guide.