Learning English vocabulary effectively (Hong Thi)

LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY EFFECTIVELY

— Le Tong Hong Thi, the leader of English and Literature department–

English is a common language, and it is the language which is used in global communication. English is the official language of the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, the European Free Trade Association and many other international league as well as organizations. Nowadays, English is considered as the second language that every young person in Vietnam needs to learn, and thus learning English becomes more and more necessary. When we are proficient in English, we can have more options to work in industries that require staffs to be fluent in that language such as aviation, travel, economics, computing etc.However, remembering vocabulary is a very important part in learning a new language. As an English teacher in Dak Song upper secondary school, I realise that English vocabulary is very important for upper secondary school students. During this period, they have to study a lot  to prepare for their exams and to orientate their future learning at the university level. However, many students still have difficulty learning vocabulary, even though it has tried many ways but it has not brought much effect.

Today, I want to share with you some good tips that help you  learn English vocabulary more easily and interestingly.

1. Reading

This is a very necessary activity because reading is the best way to help us access to a big variety of vocabulary.

Remember: you can read anything you want! You can read literature books if it’s your favorite genre; if not, try reading comics or magazines. You can buy a cookbook to read, or read stories for your kids. There are thousands of articles onlines, websites with lots of useful information … your choices are limitless. So, read the things you are interested in.

2. Understanding the context

Great! So you’ve learned a lot of new words, but if you don’t understand how and when to use them, you’re still not quite supposed to have learned them yet.

This is a reason why reading is so important because words are placed in a context that helps us understand their meaning and usage.

For example: In the sentence “This soup is horrible, it tastes so bitter!” You may not know the meaning of the word “bitter”, but by putting it in the whole sentence, you can understand its meaning as “not delicious”.

Context helps us understand a word used in formal or formal writing, that word can be used when talking with friends, or is often used in writing instead of spoken.

3. Learning related words

If you are learning the word “care”, don’t stop there. Use a dictionary or the Internet to find more words that arise from that word, and its expressions.

For example, you can find related words like careful, carefree, careless, take care!

See that. You started with one word, but quickly learned another 4 words. And because the meanings of the words are related each other, it is easier to understand and remember each word.

4. Setting sentences

Sentencing is a way to help us turn what we have learned into action. Because even though you have learned and understood how to use a new word, but it is the best way to use it right away for the brain to remember that word in the future.

Put 10 sentences, use different meanings of the word you want to learn, or if it’s a verb, you can use different tenses.

For example, if you want to remember the verb “to tidy up”, put some sentences like:

“Maria, you must tidy your room up”, “I have to tidy up before my friends come”, “Paul will watch TV after he finishes tidying up the kitchen”.

Have you ever heard this saying of Benjamin Franklin’s: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involving me and I learn“?

Provisional translation: “Tell me and I will forget. Teach me and I will remember. Let me do it and I will learn it. ”

5. Playing the game

When you feel happy, you will learn more easily. So playing a number of games like crossword puzzles and word puzzles. They will help you test your creativity and stimulate your thoughts beyond the framework.

6. Repeating

The Spanish has a saying: “la repetición es la madre del éxito“, which means “training (repetition) is the key to success“. This is absolutely right. To learn anything, you need to practice, practice and practice.

Each day, set a period of time to study vocabulary. It doesn’t matter how you do it, the problem is that you need to practice every day. This will help you create good habits for yourself.

7. Being patient

And finally: be patient with yourself.

Learning English is a great achievement, and you should be proud of yourself every time you learn a new word.