What do you think of rereading?
And when do you reread your language learning materials? 📚🤓
In 2023, I reached a personal milestone in reading 100 books in Japanese. Out of these, five books have made a powerful impression on me, and here they are, listed with no specific ranking:
エミリの小さな包丁 (森沢 明夫) ・Emily’s Little Knife (Akio Morisawa)
そして、バトンは渡された (瀬尾 まいこ)・And So the Baton is Passed (Maiko Seo)
かがみの孤城 (辻村 深月)・Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Mizuki Tsujimura)
また、同じ夢を見ていた (住野 よる)・I Had That Same Dream Again (Yoru Sumino)
My connection with “Kitchen” by Banana Yoshimoto runs deeper than with the other titles, as it was a book I first encountered during high school. My English teacher described it as a powerful story told in an intensely beautiful style. However, they also expressed a sentiment that has stayed with me: the translation, while competent, struggled to capture the full elegance of Yoshimoto’s work.
I often think about the subtle details and cultural references I might have missed with each read—things that probably stand out more to someone who has always spoken the language. My experience with these stories is shaped by this gap in understanding, which makes me wonder just how much deeper the authors’ messages might go. Additionally, I’m curious when would be the best time to reread these books?
🤔📚 Evaluating the Need to Reread
I’ve spent a significant amount of time looking through academic papers but can’t seem to find a rule of thumb that will help indicate whether it is worthwhile to repeat an extensive read or move on to the next one. Instead, here are a few guiding questions I put together:
Reading Goals: Are you aiming for depth (mastery of content) or breadth (exposure to varied content)?
Comprehension: Have you understood the material at a satisfactory level?
Retention: How well have you retained what you’ve read?
Frequency of Encounter: How often do you encounter similar material?
Interest and Engagement: Are you still engaged with the current material, or would a new read increase motivation?
Time Constraints: Do you have a deadline or is the learning pace self-determined?
If your goal is to deepen your understanding and mastery, and you find that you've not fully grasped the material, it might be worth repeating. However, if exposure to new structures and vocabulary is the priority, moving on to new materials could be more beneficial. As with everything in language learning, finding balance based on your personal objectives is key.
📖⏰ Rereading Timing on Texts and Test-taking
Something interesting I’ve come across is an experiment by Rawson and Kintsch in 2005 showed that rereading had no significant difference for short retention intervals. However, distributed rereading was more effective than immediate rereading for long retention intervals. This suggests that the timing of the retention interval affects the effectiveness of rereading, with distributed rereading being better in the long term.1
🎧📚More on Reading in Your Target Language
If reading more in your target language is one of your goals this year, please check out my previous articles on the benefits of extensive reading and listening while reading!
Rawson, K. A., & Kintsch, W. (2005). Rereading Effects Depend on Time of Test. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.97.1.70
Children seem to do a lot of re-reading and rewatching material seemingly without getting bored. But adults are more easily bored with repetition. I often re-read shorter stuff like articles, but rarely re-read a full-length book.
Personally, I don't mind rereading and relistening- I can't say I give it 100% of my attention on reruns, but there's something cosy about familiarity with the material.