How to read in the original, remember words and train your ear — step by step.
Looking a word up is not learning it. What makes a word stick: the sentence it came from, spaced repetition, and recall you produce rather than recognise.
The honest answer is B1, not B2 — and the test is simpler than a certificate: count the unknown words on one page. What each range actually means.
Three ways to handle unknown words while reading: dictionary, parallel text, tap-to-translate. What each costs you in pace, and which to start with.
Listening lags behind reading because you do not control the pace. Dual subtitles give it back — and here is how to use them without only reading.
The first book decides whether there is a second. Four filters that matter more than level: length, a familiar plot, sentence rhythm, and your reason.