Is binge-reading really efficient?

[Elenia]

I am not surprised people who enjoy extensive reading would find all sorts of benefits in doing it. It increases your vocabulary, it improves your grammar, it hydrates your skin. I wonder if there are people who don't enjoy extensive reading but still find extensive reading efficient and better than other methods - not necessarily intensive reading - in increasing their vocabulary, improving their grammar, hydrating their skin and whatnot.

I enjoy extensive reading, and I agree with you. I think part of the reason I find it beneficial is because I enjoy it. For German my level is very low but the only thing I ever really do is read extensively, because I can't stomach courses in German. It's not the most efficient on it's own - I've introduced clozemaster now which I think has already helped me a lot - and my German progress would be a lot more impressive if I supplement my lazy extensive reading with pretty much anything else. But I am not completely lost in short one on one interactions and I am at least doing something with my German.

That being said, I think that short periods of intensive reading followed up by longer periods of extensive reading is the best way to make use of reading time, at least at the lower levels.

EDIT: And I don't know about skin, but my teeth are very white and my hair is super moisturised. Just something to think about.

[luke]

I wonder if there are people who don't enjoy extensive reading but still find extensive reading efficient and better than other methods - not necessarily intensive reading - in increasing their vocabulary, improving their grammar, hydrating their skin and whatnot.

I enjoy extensive reading, and I agree with you.

I think that short periods of intensive reading followed up by longer periods of intensive reading is the best way to make use of reading time, at least at the lower levels.

EDIT: And I don't know about skin, but my teeth are very white and my hair is super moisturised. Just something to think about.

You deserve a vote for this. White teeth and moist hair do improve language skills, confidence, etc.

One question though, in the "short periods" statement, did you intend to use "intensive" in both parts of the sentence? I was imagining you would mean "extensive" for the second.

[s_allard]

Before we go further in the discussion, it may be useful to define what we mean by binge-reading. I think that in the OP's mind this term comes from binge-watching used to describe watching a large number of episodes of a TV series in one sitting, e.g. watching an entire season of a program in one day.

Binge-reading in my mind is not be confused with extensive reading which has been discussed or referred to many times here. Strictly speaking, binge-reading should mean reading large quantities of texts at a time. It could be for example something like 250 pages in a day.

In this sense, binge-reading can mean reading works that one can understand perfectly, just in very large quantities at a time. Unfortunately, I think what we are talking about here, and even in the OP, is extensive reading where we keep reading with limited knowledge of all the words or grammar in the works.

As I define it here I think binge-reading is a great idea. I personally would love to do it more. I would love to sit down and read for 10 hours, something I haven't done in years. But I would only do this with works that I can fully enjoy.

Not really, in terms of language learning with missing vocabulary to be learned "binge reading" is understood to mean extensive reading. Just like "close reading" can be understood to be intensive reading. This is clear in the OP. We understood what the OP meant. I don't think we are really going to discuss the differences between reading a book in a day vs over several days.

As I said myself, I think the OP meant extensive reading when using the word binge-reading. However, in the literature on language learning, I see extensive reading, extensive listening and even extensive watching but never binge-reading. I just think it is an unfortunate choice of words because there is something to be said for a reading activity that is analogous to what is called binge-watching. That's what I thought when I read the title of the thread. Not to worry, I'll start a separate thread on the subject.

[aaleks]

I don't know what exactly the OP meant by binge-reading, but previously she gave the link on her diary here -> viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5754&start=10#p71666 . Among her goals there is the ‘555 books a year (В течение года прочитать 555 книг в оригинале)’, which means more than 1 book per day.

[Ольга]

I don't know what exactly the OP meant by binge-reading, but previously she gave the link on her diary here -> viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5754&start=10#p71666 . Among her goals there is the ‘555 books a year (В течение года прочитать 555 книг в оригинале)’, which means more than 1 book per day.

Yep, I am trying to be a bookworm. I know it's impossible, but I aim high.
Extensive reading is my favorite type of reading.
That's why I asked if it could be useful for me or not because I don't like to check words in dictionaries.

[tarvos]

I don't normally do it either. It has worked just fine for me.

[zenmonkey]

Before we go further in the discussion, it may be useful to define what we mean by binge-reading. I think that in the OP's mind this term comes from binge-watching used to describe watching a large number of episodes of a TV series in one sitting, e.g. watching an entire season of a program in one day.

Binge-reading in my mind is not be confused with extensive reading which has been discussed or referred to many times here. Strictly speaking, binge-reading should mean reading large quantities of texts at a time. It could be for example something like 250 pages in a day.

In this sense, binge-reading can mean reading works that one can understand perfectly, just in very large quantities at a time. Unfortunately, I think what we are talking about here, and even in the OP, is extensive reading where we keep reading with limited knowledge of all the words or grammar in the works.

As I define it here I think binge-reading is a great idea. I personally would love to do it more. I would love to sit down and read for 10 hours, something I haven't done in years. But I would only do this with works that I can fully enjoy.

Not really, in terms of language learning with missing vocabulary to be learned "binge reading" is understood to mean extensive reading. Just like "close reading" can be understood to be intensive reading. This is clear in the OP. We understood what the OP meant. I don't think we are really going to discuss the differences between reading a book in a day vs over several days.

As I said myself, I think the OP meant extensive reading when using the word binge-reading. However, in the literature on language learning, I see extensive reading, extensive listening and even extensive watching but never binge-reading. I just think it is an unfortunate choice of words because there is something to be said for a reading activity that is analogous to what is called binge-watching. That's what I thought when I read the title of the thread. Not to worry, I'll start a separate thread on the subject.

I'm not the thread police, nor do I play one on TV so post it where you feel is effective - no complaints from me.

I do have a question - do you think, for equivalent volumes, that there is a significant difference in reading in binge mode versus a slower consumption?

In other words, if I read 10000 pages does it matter,in your eyes, if I do that in 3 months or 3 years as long as I get it done?

Is this majoring in the minors?

[rdearman]

I think s_allard has brought up a good point actually about a difference between binge reading and extensive reading as we all think of it. Is it more useful to read 5 books at a weekend, or spread out over 5 weeks. I suspect it would be better to "bunch up" your reading, although I have no proof.

[aaleks]

Extensive reading is my favorite type of reading.

I myself am in the extensive reading party too . Although I remember that at the time I was reading the 1st Harry Potter book I had about 5-10 unknown words per pages and looked up every of them in a dictionary. But since then my views on the matter changed.

[zenmonkey]

I think s_allard has brought up a good point actually about a difference between binge reading and extensive reading as we all think of it. Is it more useful to read 5 books at a weekend, or spread out over 5 weeks. I suspect it would be better to "bunch up" your reading, although I have no proof.

Why do you think this?
Assuming it isn't because you can then do more with the remaining time.

Learning also occurs when you allow the mind to adjust to repeat input - does binging really give a plus? Do you think it is significantly better to blow up one weekend vs 5 weeks of steady reading. Isn't that counter to the general "do some, every day" thinking?