There are two approaches: one that sacrifices efficiency in order to maximize reading speed, and one that sacrifices speed in favor of efficiency.
In the first approach, instead of checking a dictionary for every word, you adopt the translation that best fits the word based on the overall translation of the sentence.
The drawback is that there’s no guarantee the meaning in that context matches the most common meaning of the word.
However, by reading large volumes of text, you gradually start to understand the word probabilistically.
In this approach, the AI-generated translations provided by LingQ can be useful.
(This is similar to how we naturally learn new words in our native language.)
In the second approach, you carefully check the dictionary and confirm the core meaning of each word.
This method takes tens of seconds to a full minute for each unknown word, but it’s more efficient in terms of learning the word itself. I personally prefer this approach.
When I can’t fully understand even after checking the dictionary, I sometimes ask an AI. That often leads to discussions that last several tens of minutes, but I enjoy that process.
I believe that digging deeply into the meaning and usage of a single word can be more effective than simply consuming a large amount of input.
Choosing the right dictionary is also important. In Japan, people often say, “A large dictionary does not replace a small one.”
In other words, you should use a dictionary appropriate for your level.
At the beginner level, you use beginner-level dictionaries, which contain only the most essential words and meanings.
If a word or meaning you’re looking for is not listed, you can assume it’s not necessary to learn at your current stage.
Since I use dictionaries written in Japanese, I’m not in a position to recommend specific ones for learners of other languages.
However, many of the dictionaries I use are physical rather than web-based.
Comparing yourself with others is usually not very helpful.
People have different standards for what it means to “know” a word.
Some might consider a word known if they can guess its meaning when reading,
while others might feel they don’t truly know it unless they can use it accurately, conjugations and all, while writing.
