What is L-R?

A recent comment from a swimmy friend of mine brought to light the fact that not all my dear readers are language geeks. Thus, it is probably best if I explain what I'm talking about when I talk about L-R.

L-R, or Listening-Reading, is a language learning method brought up in language learning forums many years ago. Not sure if user siomotteikiru invented the method, adjusted an existing method, or just relayed this method to others. No matter.

What's important is what the L-R method does. In many instances, users have described incredible improvements in proficiency. A few have even used the method to learn an entirely new languages. It takes many hours of dedicated L-R'ing, but just might be worth it.

So, in a nutshell, here's how you L-R a language you already have some knowledge of. This could mean you used to have good proficiency in the language, like my previous 3/2+ in BCS (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian), or one you've just started and have a basic understanding of:

1) Pick a book you like and won't mind reading many times. Read the book in your native language (unless you already have and know it well).

2) Read the book in your target language while listening to it in your target language. 

3) Read the book in your native language while listening to it in your target language.

4) Repeat step 3 two more times. (This is why you have to like the book!)

The only difference if the language you want to learn is new I'll call step 0:

0) Grab a basic introductory textbook in your target language, one that includes audio passages as well as basic grammar explanations. Go through at least five lessons in this textbook before starting your L-R.

The point of step 0 is to at least have some idea how the language is structured, how it sounds, and basics that are usually introduced in the first few lessons of a text: gender of nouns, indefinite/definite articles (if your target language has them), personal and demonstrative pronouns, etc. 

As discussed in a previous post, some have used the L-R method to pick up additional languages related to one they already know. For instance, Yuurei's experiment with L-R'ing Italian based on her prior proficiency in Spanish. So if you already know, for example, German, you might try L-R from step 0 for Dutch or Norwegian. Or Russian from Ukrainian. 

I've started from step 1 for Croatian and am currently reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (HP1). I'd never read it in English and am finding some differences, however small, between the book and movie. I'll probably be done with it today or tomorrow then start step 2. 

An important question to answer before you get too far in your L-R plan is: Where do I get the book/ebook and audio?

For Russian I've managed to get many audiobooks and ebooks from either Audible or Russian ebook sites. Croatian was a bit more difficult. Apparently they don't really "do" audiobooks of translated books; folks in the Balkans prefer reading the physical book. I can attest that you can find all the Harry Potter (or Artemis Fowl, or Hunger Games, or Dan Brown) you want at bookstores in Croatia, and I took advantage of that when last there. But I guess audiobooks aren't a thing.

But I managed to find some, Harry Potter among them, with the help of some friends. (If you need Croatian specifically, comment on this post and I'll email you.) You may have to ask around on FB groups (which I did), or groups in your city that are connected with a country where your target language is spoken, if you can't find online ebook stores. 

But for some of the big languages, like German and Italian, you may luck out and find the audio and ebook on Amazon! HP1 in German is Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen, which is free in audio and nine euros at Amazon.de.

So that's it. L-R in a nutshell. Comment below if you're doing L-R or considering it, and we can compare notes!