[Here](https://i.imgur.com/qt20JJH.png) is what I’m thinking of doing to try and get more extensive reading in.
I know translations aren’t always one to one so I’ll take them with a grain of salt, but feel like they are helpful to try and fill in the gaps without looking up every word I don’t know.
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I don’t have a scientific opinion on this, but anecdotally, I found that it’s pretty helpful for me. I’ll read something in English, and then I’ll go back and read the same one in Japanese, and I can kind of make associations with what I know it “says” (in English) and then later how those things are expressed in Japanese. It may also be helpful to read it first in Japanese, see what you do and don’t understand, then reread in English, and then come back and revise in Japanese again.
Otherwise, I would say the major benefit comes from the fact that I stay interested in it, both because I’m able to engage with it more fully and because the content is something I would already be interested in. I don’t see anything wrong with engaging with your favorite content in a way that makes it familiar to you, and then again in a way that bolsters your understanding.
If you can keep it up and not burn out, it can definitely help your Japanese reading ability and increase your Japanese level in general.
It is not, however, “extensive reading”. Extensive reading is when you can just read it in Japanese, looking up few words and not getting tired after reading it for a prolonged period of time.
Sure but you might be surprised that you possibly don’t need the English.
Learn some grammar, and then look up the words you don’t know, and since there are pictures in it, it can further correct any confusion, so should be ok.
i’ve found it extremely helpful to read a chapter of a book in japanese, and then read it in english afterwards. not only does it reinforce what i read and help fill the occasional gap so that i can continue on with the story unimpeded, but it provides insight in that most devilish of problems: unknown unknowns. when you read something, you don’t realize when you miss things sometimes. but by using this method, you can tell if you completely didn’t realize something, and then return to that section afterwards to figure out what happened and learn from it.
The problem with reading them side by side is that you will strengthen the habit of translating stuff in your head while reading Japanese instead of working on natural comprehension.
However, I think it is helpful to read the English version after you read a chapter or volume in Japanese to check your comprehension level.
An important part of extensive reading is to train your brain to deal with not knowing everything and to keep moving through text without stopping to doublecheck everything.
So as much as possible, you want the English to be a last resort. Try to extend how long you can go without falling back on it.
Generally speaking, this would be most beneficial for short, intensive reading sessions, breaking down grammar points and comparing and contrasting how different languages express the same meaning.
If you are reading extensively, Japanese only is the better option. You want to practice getting the overall main points and ideas from the Japanese text, which can only be done by reading larger chunks of text at a time. Keep in mind that when reading extensively, it isn’t necessary to understand absolutely everything. The English version could then be read after you’ve completed it in Japanese if you feel like you’ve missed some things.