Today, Marcos and I spoke about how important is to read in Spanish. I explained: Reading in Spanish is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the language. This is because when you read, you are contextualizing all the vocabulary and grammar you have already learned. Also, reading allows you to subconsciously learn and retain new words and phrases. It is a fast way to improve your vocabulary use in both speaking and writing.
Reading allows you to learn anytime you want throughout the day. You can read before bed, on the way to work or during your lunch break. And you don’t just have to read books either! If you are crunched for time, you can pick up a newspaper or a magazine, or even read labels(shampoo bottles or other household goods). Without even realizing it, you will start to learn new words.
Another reason reading when learning a language is so important is because it helps you to learn cultural expressions and idioms. If you only learn language from a textbook, you are going to sound like a textbook when you talk! This is certainly not something you want- you want to be able to show personality and engage in comfortable conversations. Then Marcos read aloud from Perdido- Chapter 3. We then completed his reading log.