So as context, I am a part of a small proto cadre organization, with around a dozen members. We study theory together, and are heavily involved in organizing in our local area. Some of my comrades really struggle with reading comprehension, to the point they really struggle to understand even essay length texts-- and not for lack of trying, these people genuinely do want to learn and study. They are just people who have been severely failed by the American education system. I am in a strange position; I am looked to for help as I read a lot and have more of a background in theory than most of them. But I don’t really know how to help. I was a terrible student and I barely graduated high school. Reading is just something I’ve done a lot of for as long as I can remember. Does anyone have any advice on how I can better support my comrades?
English is 4 languages in a trench coat that hangs out in dark alleys where it shakes down other languages for loose change and grammar.
Something that helps is knowing where words come from. Greek and Latin roots are easy to spot in words like “photography,” where “photo” means light and “graph” means to draw or write. “Bourgeois” is French and has French pronunciation, which is very different than “buoyancy,” a Germanic word.
Recognizing when a word comes from Latin, Germanic, French, or some other language as a loanword (for example: patio, tsunami, and robot) can help learn definitions of words you don’t already know, along with pronunciation. Almost all compound words (cannot, backyard, grapefruit) come from Old English prior to the Battle of Hastings. Words with silent letters are usually French.