Reading Between the Lines: Comprehension Strategies for Non-Native Speakers
Reading in a second language often begins as a polite and orderly affair. Sentences are neat, vocabulary lists are helpful, and comprehension questions wait patiently at the end of the page like attentive examiners. For the English language learner, early reading exercises tend to resemble tidy gardens: every path is marked, every word has been carefully chosen, and the reader rarely encounters a linguistic surprise. Then one day the learner opens a newspaper, a novel, or even a mildly opinionated restaurant review, and suddenly the garden becomes a jungle. The difficulty lies not only in unfamiliar words but in something far more elusive: meaning that exists between the words rather than inside them. Native speakers, often without realising it, rely on context, tone, cultural references, and implication to understand what a writer truly intends. For non-native readers, this can feel a little like being invited to a dinner party where everyone else knows the private jokes. ...
