Read, translate, comprehend: three separate skills

In his words

Rabbi Morgan built his whole method on one observation: reading the words, translating them, and understanding them are three separate skills. When we're doing reading, no translating. We're doing translating, no reading. 6:29 Comprehension is the goal, the most desired skill 39:36 as he calls it, but it comes last: But you can't comprehend something that you can't read and translate. 39:39

The point is independence. He compares a page of Gemara to a highway: every single page of the Gemara is like a highway 7:05 that you can get lost on, unless someone walks you down it step by step until the skills are yours. That is why, he says, the class is different: it incorporates the skills building into the learning 0:43, and the skills are transferable skills 3:51, good for the next page, the next masechta, Chumash and halacha.

Worked example from a class

In the first real class of a new Gittin group (Mercaz HaTorah, Jan 15, 2020), he takes the opening Mishnah, המביא גט ממדינת הים, through all three skills in order: first only the vowels and reading (14:00), then only the English, word by word (30:50), and only then the question "what is it saying?" (39:39). At the end he tells them how to review at home: Always work on the skills separately. 48:31

Hear him teach it

274 moments found so far in 256 transcribed classes; more appear as transcription continues. Tap one to play from that moment.

1. Westwood · Beginner class, Nov 30, 2011 · 1:58“You have to be able to read them, you have to be able to translate them, right? That's called reading. And then there's comprehension.”He stresses that reading, translating and comprehending are separate skills, and that the first two must not be compromised for depth.
2. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 5, 2011 · 15:02“OK, Bob, let's read just the Hebrew, please.”Separate rounds of reading only the Hebrew, then Hebrew-English, then English.
3. Westwood · Advanced class, Dec 9, 2011 · 30:29“the three dots is when we go into comprehension. Comprehension means to understand what it's saying from the words if it's a literal translation”Literal translation comes first; comprehension is a separate processing stage that the three dots ease you into.
4. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 19, 2011 · 21:46“Okay, terrific. Let's just read through the Hebrew first, please.”Separates reading the Hebrew alone from the Hebrew-English translation.
5. Westwood · Beginner class, Dec 21, 2011 · 11:53“Okay, now we're going to see something amazing, but let's just start by reading the Hebrew first.”Separates the skills: first the words, then reading the Hebrew alone, then Hebrew-English.
6. Westwood · Advanced class, Dec 30, 2011 · 11:32“we want to begin by reading the words first, and then we're going to fill in the translation. Let's go through the Hebrew first.”Reading is practiced as a separate skill before translating.
7. Westwood · Beginner class, Jan 4, 2012 · 41:36“And you can read it, and you can translate. That comes before any, any understanding of what it's saying.”Reading and translating must be mastered before comprehension; skills-building is not to be sacrificed for understanding.
8. Westwood · Beginner class, Jan 11, 2012 · 27:25“Let's make sure we're pronouncing the words right. Adam, go ahead.”Reading the Hebrew alone is practiced first, before translating.
9. Westwood · Beginner class, Jan 18, 2012 · 47:46“just through the Hebrew-Hebrew, then the Hebrew-English, and just the English, and then the explanation.”Describes home review as separate stages: reading, translating, the English alone, then the explanation.
10. Westwood · Beginner class, Feb 1, 2012 · 27:19“Okay, Pinchas, let's read just the Hebrew please. Okay, very, very good. Yaakov Zee, let's read Hebrew-English.”Drills reading alone, then Hebrew-English translation, as separate passes.