Vocabulary Learning Strategies II

In my last post about vocabulary learning strategies I provided information about how to look up, store and memorize new words and phrases effectively. I also outlined five characteristics which, according to me, define a successful language learner. In this post I am going to tell you about some further ideas I have taken from other students' posts which seem to be very helpful. Combining the information from this post with the information from my previous post about vocabulary learning strategies should allow you to improve and expand your vocabulary the most effective way possible. So, if you are still not sure how to tackle the numerous Porter words, keep on reading and you won't have to worry about passing the vocabulary part of PC2 anymore! :)

By looking at numerous vocab blog posts by other students, I have come to realize that learning vocabulary is a very personal matter and is linked to one's preferred learning style. That is to say, whereas some students stick Post-it notes on places where they pass by regularly (for instance, on a door or on the bathroom mirror) to memorize vocabulary they have a hard time remembering, others prefer to learn self-written glossaries providing additional information, such as synonyms, antonyms, frequent collocations and example sentences, and going through them until they memorize every single word. Whereas some students are thrilled about flash cards, either hand-written or digital (Anki, gFlahs+) ones, others prefer vocabulary.com, which basically provides all the information necessary to learn a new word or phrase, from definitions and synonyms to frequent collocations and numerous up-to-date example sentences. Whereas some students imagine the most absurd scenario to make the information memorable, others read newspaper articles actively with paper and pencil to hand and make note of academic words and phrases that seem to be particularly useful and try and learn them. As you can see, numerous vocabulary learning strategies exist and everyone has his or her own preferences. In order to improve and expand your vocabulary the most efficient way possible, all you need to do is find the vocabulary learning strategy that suits you best!

The best ideas I have taken from other vocab blog posts are the following ones:

• Vocabulary game: One student has created her own vocabulary game in order to improve and expand her vocabulary in a more fun way. Every now and then she invites some friends over. They then ask each other vocabulary questions. That is to say, they ask for a definition, for common phrases or collocations, etc. Whoever knows the answer is rewarded with a cookie or some chocolate. I think this is just a great idea. I have never thought of this before, but I am pretty sure I will try out this vocabulary game some time before PC2!

• Digital flashcards: Creating vocabulary lists using a flashcard program, such as Anki or gFlash+, is a time-saving way of studying new words and phrases. Most importantly, you can study your vocabulary lists wherever and whenever you want. 

 

 I have also been taking a closer look at the website http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/globalpad/openhouse/academicenglishskills/vocabulary/academic_words/. It provides information about how to learn vocabulary quickly and focuses on how to improve one's use of academic vocabulary. The website reminded me of some aspects of learning vocabulary that I completely forgot to mention in my previous post. For instance, when I study vocabulary I usually walk around as I am trying to remember new words. It seems to me that I memorize new words and phrases more easily when I move than when I sit at my desk. Moreover, I usually write new words and phrases I just cannot seem to remember in different colours. That is to say, I highlight the words and phrases I can't remember which tells me that I have to look at those words and phrases more often than at all the other unmarked words and phrases. I strongly recommend you to check out the website as well. :)

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Vocabulary Learning Strategies

In times of the internet a language student might feel a bit overwhelmed because there are simply too many options for vocabulary learning to choose from. However, as an advanced learner of English, I have managed to develop some effective methods and techniques for expanding my trove of English lexical items. Some of them might be helpful for you too, so keep on reading if you are not quite sure how to improve and expand your vocabulary.

To begin with, I would like to give you an overview of my most effective strategies and tools to…

…look up new words and phrases: I have to admit that for my initial research I usually use the online dictionary of Pons whenever I encounter a word or a phrase I am not familiar with. However, in order to get a deeper understanding of the word or phrase I then turn to the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). Out of all the corpora we had a look at with Ursula, COCA is definitely my favorite one. It seems to me that this corpus is very helpful for language learners, because it allows you, for instance, to sort the results in various ways, to look for all kinds of collocations, to compare words and to look for different kinds of language, for example spoken or academic language. What I like most about COCA is the fact that it provides so many example sentences. Currently, the corpus contains 450 million words of text. 

…store new words and phrases: When it comes to storing new words and phrases I might just be a little old-fashioned. I like creating glossaries either on the computer or by hand, which provide the translation of a word or phrase as well as additional information, such as synonyms, antonyms, frequent collocations and example sentences. Although this is quite time-consuming, glossaries are a great way of storing information and the process of creating a glossary allows me to memorize most of the new words and phrases right away.

Besides glossaries, I also frequently use vocabulary.com, which is the quickest and most intelligent way of improving one’s vocabulary I have encountered so far. In a few seconds it basically provides all the information necessary to learn a new word or phrase, from definitions and synonyms to frequent collocations and numerous up-to-date example sentences. What is more, you can create your own vocabulary lists and learn them in varied ways.

…memorize new words and phrases: Again, this might seem a little "old-school", but I memorize new words and phrases best when I have a printed version of a glossary or list containing all the new vocabulary and go through the words one by one. In the first round I usually go through all of the words ticking off the ones I remembered and marking all the ones I did not remember with a cross in pencil. In the second round I exclusively focus on the words with a cross next to them and I basically keep going through them until there are no crosses left, because I have erased them all and chaged them all to ticks. What really helps me to quickly memorize new words and phrases is seeing them in context. So, good example sentences are essential.

The reason I prefer learning new vocabulary from a printed version and not from my laptop is that looking up and storing new words and phrases on the laptop takes so much time that once I have finished, I am really glad I can finally turn off it off. I am also not keen on using apps for studying vocabulary, because I do not want to stare into my phone for hours and hours.

Last but not least, I would say there are five characteristics which define a successful language learner. First of all, he or she is usually an independent and eager learner, who is always keen on improving his language skills and constantly seeking new knowledge. Furthermore, he or she tries to include his or her foreign language(s) in his or her daily activities as much as possible, for example by reading foreign newspapers, watching movies or the news in the original version, listening to podcasts, chatting or skyping with friends from abroad on a regular basis. Thirdly, a good language learner works very hard at improving his or her accent in order to sound more and more like a native speaker. Finally, he or she is preferably a life-long learner, who values the regular written and spoken use of the foreign language(s). The most important characteristic a good language learner should have is a certain passion for languages in general, which will be the driving force behind his language acquisition. I try to always keep these five characteristics in mind in order to improve and expand my English vocabulary on a regular basis and not just when the next exam is getting closer and closer. 

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EngVid.com - A great way of learning useful food vocabulary (and much more)

Hey guys! :)

I just came across this really awesome website called http://www.engvid.com/. You probably haven't heard about it before so I am going to tell you what it is all about. 
Basically, it is a website aimed to help everybody who wants to learn English, especially in preparation for the TOEFL or the TOEIC. Several professors videotape their lessons where they explain various chapters of grammar, subject areas of all kinds or simply give you some advice concerning oral presentations, job interviews etc. All in all, they cover grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and much more. 
What I like most about the website is the fact that the video lessons are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced. So, you can choose whichever level you think is adequate for improving your language skills. What's more, depending from the professor (for example James), the lessons can be quite entertaining. But hey, go see for yourself if you want to find out more about it :)

I actually wanted to show you this video I found where Ronnie teaches the differences between American and British food vocabulary. In my opinion she explains the differences very well and you probably won't forget the new words you are going to learn too quickly. 

 

I also found two other videos that are very well done and offer some useful information. 

In this (entertaining) video you are going to learn the meaning of the following expressions:

• to stew in your own juices
• sandwiched
• to sugar-coat something
• sugar daddy
• gravy train
  

In this video you are going to learn the meaning of the following expressions:

• couch potato
• out to lunch
• piece of cake
• bottoms up
• sweet tooth  

 

I hope you enjoyed the videos! Have a nice day!! :)