LingoflyHow I learn the language
A text in Ukrainian at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. At first I learned words in lists and kept nothing in my head. Now I learn them in sentences: one word, one phrase.…
Text
- Спершу я вчив слова списками, і нічого не тримав у голові. Тепер вчу реченнями: одне слово — одна фраза. Вимова далася легше, ніж граматика, бо букви майже ті самі. Найважче — розуміти на слух: люди говорять швидко й ковтають закінчення. Але щоразу краще, і я не збираюся кидати на півдорозі.Spershu ya vchyv slova spyskamy, i nichoho ne trymav u holovi. Teper vchu rechenniamy: odne slovo — odna fraza. Vymova dalasia lehshe, nizh hramatyka, bo bukvy maizhe ti sami. Naivazhche — rozumity na slukh: liudy hovoriat shvydko y kovtaiut zakinchennia. Ale shchorazu krashche, i ya ne zbyraiusia kydaty na pivdorozi.At first I learned words in lists and kept nothing in my head. Now I learn them in sentences: one word, one phrase. Pronunciation came easier than grammar, because the letters are almost the same. The hardest is listening: people speak fast and swallow the endings. But it gets better each time, and I do not intend to quit halfway.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- How does the narrator learn words now?
- What came easier?
- What is the hardest?
- What does he think about the future?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Ukrainian?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.