8.How
to improve your vocabulary in English.
Some people
prefer to make vocabulary lists. Others prefer to write words repeatedly. On
the other hand, some learners like to read. Which is the best way for you to
learn and increase your vocabulary in English?
Expressions
Giving
advice
You should…
Glossary
Advice
How to Improve your
English vocabulary.
Adapted from
myBEonline.com – Tim Simmons.
Many students of English have the
feeling that they have learned pretty much all the grammar they need. Many also
feel that they can understand fairly well and speak and write at an acceptable
level. But these same people sometimes feel that they’re missing something, and
that they say the same things in the same way all the time.
In fact, once you have reached an intermediate level,
vocabulary becomes more important than ever. You need to add more and more
words and expressions to your stock of language so that you can take the next
step up in proficiency. So how can you learn new words? What are the secrets of
expanding your language ability?
First, let’s talk about materials, or
what you use to learn English. You need to find good sources of English that
will include words and expressions that will be useful to you. I strongly
recommend you use both listening and reading materials. If you focus only on
reading, as many students do, you won’t learn how language sounds and feels in
your mouth. If you focus only on listening, you won’t know how it’s written.
So then what
should you be listening to and reading? I have the answer, you want: resources
that are relevant to your purpose, both in terms of context and topic. Let me
explain what I mean. If your purpose is to improve your conversation and
presentations skills to do your job as a salesperson, then use resources that
teach you conversational English and the language of presentations. That’s the
correct match for the context of your English development. And if
your work as a salesperson is in the hi-tech sector, then find resources that
include vocabulary related to technology. That’s the correct match for the topic of your studies.
I don’t mean that you should limit
yourself to only the kinds of language that you’ll meet every day. Variety is
important too, and you need to read and listen to things that are interesting
to you, not just practical. There are not so many hours in a day, and if you’re
like most people in business, you need to find what gives you the best results.
Now, I’ve mentioned what kind of
resources you should look for, and you’ll notice that I didn’t mention anything
that is specifically about vocabulary. I mean like a vocabulary book, or word
lists. That’s because it’s best to study vocabulary in
context. You might have memorized words and definitions for language tests in
high school or university. But did that really teach you how to use those words?
Did you really understand the kinds of situations that those words can be used
in? Probably not, so instead of memorizing lists, study vocabulary in its
natural environment, and it’ll be easier to incorporate new words into your own
speaking and writing.
So, you have found some good resources,
and you understand the importance of context, but when you read and listen,
which words and expressions should you be learning? How do you choose the
vocabulary that you should study? Well, a lot of good study materials will
identify the useful vocabulary for you. And they might give you definitions and
examples. So with the context and this added info, you’ve got something to work
with.
But if you’re trying to choose
vocabulary on your own, you should focus on two ideas: relevance and frequency.
Put another way: words that suit your purpose and words that are common. Words
that suit your purpose are those that are related to your work and your English
output. If you never write formally in English, then a word like “hence” might
not really be relevant to you. And if you work in finance, then a marketing
term like “segmentation” might not be relevant. Words that are common are
important, because you’ll hear them more often and they’ll be more useful. So
although you might encounter the word “pip” and think it’s interesting, it’s
very uncommon, and so you shouldn’t spent your mental energy trying to remember
it. There are thousands of more common and more useful words that you should
learn first.
The fact is, we can’t learn every word
we meet. We need to pick and choose carefully, and that means focusing on what
is relevant and common. And we’ll find what is relevant and common in reading
and listening resources that have the right topic and language context.
Be critical.
What
methods do you particularly use to learn a new word?
What are
the main ideas presented in the text?
Do you
agree with all methods presented in the text? Why?
What usual
or unusual sources could be useful to learn new vocabulary in your opinion?
What
advices would you give to a beginner English student?
