Have you planned to build a list of English vocabulary and start learning them? Have you also spent a lot of time investing in English flashcards? However, when speaking or writing, the English vocabulary you have learned seems to not exist in your head. So how can you improve this problem and is there a better way to learn? Let Svetlana Kandybovich - English teacher at the British Council reveal to you ten ways to help you learn English vocabulary effectively in the following article.
1. No random vocabulary
Our brains tend to remember things that are relevant to us. So, making a list or flashcards of random English vocabulary is not an effective way to learn and use those words. Therefore, the best way to remember a new word in your head is to try to associate it with something meaningful to you. That is, you will put the vocabulary in a specific context that you find interesting or related to your interests. For example, if you are a football fan, you will easily remember the word “unstoppable” in a specific sentence, such as: “Messi is unstoppable” , instead of just remembering it as a single word or in a general sentence like: "Some people are unstoppable".
A small suggestion for you is the British Council's LearnEnglish website which has many videos, games, interactive podcasts covering many different topics, you can access here and choose the topics that interest you and start learning vocabulary. In particular, this website also has discussion frames according to activities to help you share your ideas with other learners.
2. Learn vocabulary through paragraphs or scenarios
We learn vocabulary better when we learn it in chunks (small paragraphs made up of a few words) and scenarios (conversations). For example, instead of memorizing the verb phrase “ to come up with” , memorize the phrase “ to come up with an idea” . This way, you will be sure to know how to use the verb “to come up with” in at least one sentence. Similarly, instead of memorizing 33 ways to say hello, learn it in a scenario, such as: “Hello, how are you? – I'm fine, thank you”.
You can easily find scripts or short passages in videos and movies on the internet. However, if you need interaction while studying to increase your memory, you can access the British Council's English learning applications and choose for yourself interesting learning resources with many diverse learning forms such as: learning with videos, images, short stories, even listening while reading, etc.
3. Use your inner voice
Learning is essentially an internal process, so to learn new vocabulary, you need to tap into the world of your inner voice. Try this: listen to an English word or phrase once. Then, close your eyes and listen to the word in your head. Next, let the word play in your head a few more times. Finally, say the word out loud and record it.
Forvo promises to be an interesting website for you when learning English vocabulary in this way. You just need to type vocabulary into the search box, the results returned are that you can listen to many different native voices pronouncing that vocabulary, even the vocabulary you search for is placed in specific contexts so you can understand more about how to use it.
4. Visualize what the word or phrase looks like
Draw the definition of the vocabulary on paper or in your mind, this will help you recall the meaning of the vocabulary whenever you hear it. This method also works well with English idioms, for example: “ to keep one's mouth shut” , which means, “to not talk about something”. Additionally, you can combine this learning method with a dictionary to see more related words or synonyms for the vocabulary you are learning and memorize them in the same way.
5. Use your imagination to simplify vocabulary (Mnemonics)
Try creating a humorous phrase or story that will strengthen the connection between the vocabulary and its meaning (mnemonic method). You will find this technique especially effective when you need to recall difficult-to-spell English vocabulary.
Here are some funny suggestions for you:
- career – car and beer
- island – island land
Làm thế nào để nói tiếng Anh thật tự tin? - sách hướng dẫn miễn phí - Mọi thứ bạn cần để giúp con mình tự tin khi nói tiếng Anh
Tải sách hướng dẫn
6. Spaced repetition
Repeating vocabulary words hundreds of times throughout the day is not as effective as repeating them a few times over a period of days or weeks (i.e. spaced repetitions). For example, use the new vocabulary word immediately. Then, try to recall it for an hour. Review it briefly before you go to bed. Use it again the next day. Finally, review it a few days later.
7. Go deeper into the root word
Before you look up a new word in the dictionary, try to guess its meaning by looking at its root through its suffixes and prefixes. If you know several languages, you will begin to recognize new words that share common roots. Studying the roots of new words can help you remember vocabulary better.
For example:
- The prefix “Multi-” means “many” (multicultural ), the prefix “mis-” means “wrongly” (misunderstand).
- The suffix “-ian” is often used to mean person (politician), the suffix “-less” means “not” (homeless / helpless).
8. Challenge yourself with vocabulary games
Games are always the best way to learn vocabulary, no matter what age you are. Learnenglish.britishcouncil.org is a website that provides you with interesting challenges, you can explore and expand your English vocabulary.
9. Write down new vocabulary
Write down the vocabulary you need to remember or put it in a specific sentence. This will help you understand the meaning of the vocabulary better and help you memorize the spelling. You can ask a friend or teacher to help you correct your English sentences for grammar or spelling mistakes.
Instead of just writing for yourself, try playing the writing game Folding Story . This is a popular online version of English writing practice. Each player takes turns writing a line of English to create a story, rotating until the time runs out. Each person has 3 minutes to write a line and is scored based on the number of likes they receive for each line they write.
10. Speak in real situations
It is not easy to actively recall an English word or phrase while you are speaking, even if you try your best to remember it. To change this, record yourself speaking for 2-4 minutes without stopping. The topic could be describing the world around you or giving your opinion on a particular topic. Next, listen to the recording of yourself and pay attention to the words you used. Can you replace old vocabulary that you already know with new words? Ask yourself the answer and start creating a new recording with the new words.
A small suggestion for you is to register to join an online language learning community like Polyglot - where you can ask or answer questions and practice English with native speakers from all over the world. This way, you will remember new vocabulary more easily and expand your knowledge through discussions on a certain topic with foreigners.