Intensive Reading

Starting L’étranger and learning new words

📅 Week 18/53 | Study Log 2026

🥐 French

Over the weekend, I started reading L’étranger. It was a bit spontaneous, especially considering I still have three graphic novels from the library waiting to be read. I came across a readalong for the English translation (The Stranger) starting in June, and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to read it in French first.

Most of the time, when I read in my target language, it’s usually through English translations. So I’m curious to see what it feels like to experience the story in French first, and then come back to it in English later.

Migaku reader

I’m reading intensively with the help of Migaku. After going through the first chapter, I ended up saving 190 new words and achieving a comprehension level of 89%.

It’s been a while since I’ve done intensive reading in French, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I don’t have any plans to review the words just yet, but I might revisit them after finishing the book. I’m hoping repeated exposure throughout the text will do most of the work.

🍜 Japanese

I got to see the cherry blossoms during my Japanese class this week. Since they don’t last long, and the cold seems to drag on forever in Canada, the timing felt lucky. It was nice seeing so many people gathered to take photos.

Inside the classroom, things felt a little different. I’ve mostly been relying on class for my Japanese lately. It’s the only study I really have energy for right now, so I’m thankful to have it for consistency.

During conversation practice, my teacher stopped by our table. She glanced at my worksheet and saw that I had already finished the verb conjugation sheet and complimented my handwriting. Instead of continuing with the current lesson, I was reviewing the days of the week, since I had forgotten them.

That ended up leading to a conversation about vocabulary. I mentioned how much harder it feels to remember words in Japanese, especially since our textbook doesn’t use kanji. I shared that my background in Mandarin helps when I do see kanji, since there’s something familiar to recognize.

She mentioned that she’s also been learning Mandarin, but finds it challenging. I always find it interesting learning about the languages other people are studying. There’s something about seeing who chooses to take on something as challenging as learning a language.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Completed my first intensive reading session of L’étranger (Chapter 1) at 89% comprehension

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue reading L’étranger + finish the remaining graphic novels from the library

Thanks for being here. See you later this week for my April language learning recap!