tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post4456163495340014273..comments2023-07-24T03:55:02.978-07:00Comments on Greg's Reflections: Summary of Devices for Reading Foreign NovelsGreg Hullenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16720604327299886491noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post-85781327371148734502016-08-31T19:36:56.467-07:002016-08-31T19:36:56.467-07:00As a data point, I can say that using the Kindle a...As a data point, I can say that using the Kindle app on my Android device gives no dictionary support at all.<br /><br />I'll have to try reading with a Kindle one of these days. I'm not sure I would like having a dictionary so handy. It seems a bit too quick for actual learning.<br /><br />In general, I seem to have good results in just reading without looking up every word. I'm not sure if that's a skill or perhaps a state of mind that let's me live in uncertainty for a while. Often by the end of the paragraph, or a few paragraphs, I will have figured it out, just as one does in a conversation.<br /><br />To be honest, this approach goes against a lot that I was taught in the university as well as in my professional life, but it seems to work for me and I find it quite freeing.<br /><br />Perhaps I'm only pretending to understand and enjoy what I read. :-) When I was getting started with Italian, I used to say "Faccio finta di parlare italiano e gli italiani fingono di capire." So long as we're all happy!Charliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103313133746754788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post-17742724474101615952015-09-10T22:05:12.425-07:002015-09-10T22:05:12.425-07:00To follow up on my previous comment: On the Nook y...To follow up on my previous comment: On the Nook you can select the built-in monolingual dictionary for English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Dutch. You are limited to the built-in dictionaries and cannot download or use other dictionaries.<br />~~SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136992980452667870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post-37466393824322032842015-09-09T21:47:33.008-07:002015-09-09T21:47:33.008-07:00Thanks for the useful info. One correction: my Noo...Thanks for the useful info. One correction: my Nook 4.1 (on a Samsung Tab4) allows you to select the monolingual dictionary of your choice, under 'settings'. However, I don't yet know if you can use a bilingual dictionary, and it seems there is no way to quickly choose between 2 dictionaries.<br />~~SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136992980452667870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post-53398080684748601722015-08-18T09:12:01.334-07:002015-08-18T09:12:01.334-07:00Useful feedback nevertheless. I'll probably up...Useful feedback nevertheless. I'll probably update this article in September or October around the time new devices come out for Christmas.<br /><br />Still, it really does look like Kindle is the only game in town for dedicated e-readers. That's a pity because I think Amazon would benefit from some competition.Greg Hullenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720604327299886491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8116153.post-15575829445281389992015-08-18T06:00:57.367-07:002015-08-18T06:00:57.367-07:00"(I wonder how they ever managed with paper b..."(I wonder how they ever managed with paper books.)"<br /><br />I haven't used the current base-model Kindle, but I own an older light-less Nook. Even in very good light the contrast was so low that I found it deeply unpleasant to read for extended periods of time. In low light it was totally useless, and a clip-on book light caused bad glare on a large portion of the screen.<br /><br />I just got a Paperweight and that's much, much better, so that's what I'd recommend (albeit several months in the future from the perspective of this post). :)cunningjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12368453922334925393noreply@blogger.com