For many learners of English, learning vocabulary can mean learning long lists of words by heart. Although this technique can help you remember words, how can you learn vocabulary so that you can use the words you learn?
In this extract from Going Global, Paul Roberts of the University of Hertfordshire in England talks to his students about how they can plan their vocabulary learning by choosing what to remember.
Before you read the extract Think about how you choose words to learn. Do you try to learn all the new words you find in a text? If not, what are your criteria for choosing the words you learn? Are they there same as those which Paul suggests?
We have some words for weather here. All the phrases mean the same thing: It’s raining cats and dogs; it’s pouring with rain; it’s raining stair rods; there is torrential rain; the rain is terrible. Now which ones are best for you to remember? Well, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’ is a nice expression – it’s very funny and so it is easy to remember – but many people wouldn’t understand you if you said this. Even in England, where this idiom comes from, people don’t usually say this. If you’re thinking of talking to different people – and not just people from England – perhaps it’s better to say ‘torrential rain’ or ‘the rain is terrible’ because they are easier for other people to understand.’
In this extract from Going Global, Paul Roberts of the University of Hertfordshire in England talks to his students about how they can plan their vocabulary learning by choosing what to remember.
Before you read the extract Think about how you choose words to learn. Do you try to learn all the new words you find in a text? If not, what are your criteria for choosing the words you learn? Are they there same as those which Paul suggests?
We have some words for weather here. All the phrases mean the same thing: It’s raining cats and dogs; it’s pouring with rain; it’s raining stair rods; there is torrential rain; the rain is terrible. Now which ones are best for you to remember? Well, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’ is a nice expression – it’s very funny and so it is easy to remember – but many people wouldn’t understand you if you said this. Even in England, where this idiom comes from, people don’t usually say this. If you’re thinking of talking to different people – and not just people from England – perhaps it’s better to say ‘torrential rain’ or ‘the rain is terrible’ because they are easier for other people to understand.’
- How many ways of saying ‘It’s raining very hard’ can you find in the text?
- Find two reasons why ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’ isn’t the most useful expression to learn.
- What criterion does Paul suggest for making decisions about which new vocabulary you learn?
Answer
- 5: It’s raining cats and dogs; it’s pouring with rain; it’s raining stair rods; there is torrential rain; the rain is terrible.
- Many people wouldn’t understand this if they heard it; it’s old-fashioned – people in Britain don’t usually say this.
- Choose words which other people will understand when you use them.
Choosing words to learn
Paul suggests you need to consider your listener when you choose vocabulary.Will the person listening to me be able to understand this word or phrase? There are some other criteria which can help you choose vocabulary that is worth learning.
Frequency Do you hear or read this word often? If you find that a word or phrase crops up a lot, then it is probably a useful word for you to learn and remember.
Range Does this word cover one very specific idea or is it more general? Remember that if a word is very specific, you may not ever have the chance to use it. For example, a catamaran is a type of boat.We can use the word ‘boat’ in most situations when we talk about rivers, the sea and sailing. But, because ‘catamaran’ is a specific type of boat, we cannot use it so often.
Usefulness to you If you are interested in a particular subject, then the vocabulary used to talk about that subject will be useful to you. For example, doctors find vocabulary about illness and medicine useful.
English has too many words for you to learn all of them – so you need to decide which words you want or need to learn.Try to avoid simply memorising lists. Instead, think about the context or the sentence in which you heard the word or phrase.This will help you remember how to use it accurately.
TASK
Look at the glossary page. Choose five words or phrases which you feel meet your criteria for ‘useful vocabulary’.Think about how you could use these words to talk about something you are interested in.
Frequency Do you hear or read this word often? If you find that a word or phrase crops up a lot, then it is probably a useful word for you to learn and remember.
Range Does this word cover one very specific idea or is it more general? Remember that if a word is very specific, you may not ever have the chance to use it. For example, a catamaran is a type of boat.We can use the word ‘boat’ in most situations when we talk about rivers, the sea and sailing. But, because ‘catamaran’ is a specific type of boat, we cannot use it so often.
Usefulness to you If you are interested in a particular subject, then the vocabulary used to talk about that subject will be useful to you. For example, doctors find vocabulary about illness and medicine useful.
English has too many words for you to learn all of them – so you need to decide which words you want or need to learn.Try to avoid simply memorising lists. Instead, think about the context or the sentence in which you heard the word or phrase.This will help you remember how to use it accurately.
TASK
Look at the glossary page. Choose five words or phrases which you feel meet your criteria for ‘useful vocabulary’.Think about how you could use these words to talk about something you are interested in.
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