The Importance of Vocabulary in Language Learning Plus 5 Helpful Study Tips.

Vocabulary refers to the words we must understand to communicate effectively. Educators often consider four types of vocabulary: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we hear. Speaking vocabulary consists of the words we use when we speak. Reading vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we read. Writing vocabulary consists of the words we use in writing.

Vocabulary is a set of words within a language that are familiar to a particular person. Every person’s vocabulary is unique and often not given much thought or attention as it tends to develop with age, level, and years of study. It is ordinarily defined as ‘all of the words known and used by a particular person although ‘knowing’ a word is not as simple as you may think.

Vocabulary also represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a second language as it is the basis for the development of all of the other skills: reading and listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling, and pronunciation.

Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use in their attempt to use English effectively. When confronted with a native English speaker, when watching a movie without subtitles or when listening to a favorite English song, when reading a text, or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words.

1. It Improves Reading Comprehension. Research has shown that students need to understand 98% of the words they read to understand what they are reading. Improving vocabulary skills will improve their understanding of novels and textbooks.

2. It’s Important for Language Development. Students who develop a rich vocabulary tend to be deeper thinkers, express themselves better and read more. Improving language and literacy skills early in life will help them be more successful academically and communicatively.

3. Communicating Ideas. Successful communication or “saying what you mean” is dependent upon a good vocabulary base. Using the right words when talking, makes you a more effective communicator.

4. Writing. Having a good vocabulary to draw from can help you write more effectively. Students need to use a more formal tone when writing – not conversational language – and to do that, they need a richer vocabulary to tap into those words we don’t use when we speak.

5. Professional Success. In today's globalized world, and its the abundance of international companies, it is almost impossible for any professional to be able to work effectively without a suitable minimum level of English. When you check the employment pages, it is clear to see that the majority of employers seeking skilled or professional employees request a minimum level of English, and for people without it, their employment prospects are limited.

Vocabulary opens up doors to new worlds and makes learning fun and satisfying.

But expanding the range of words that you know is like being on a diet: You have to put in some effort and there’s neither a magic trick nor a secret to doing it. Everyone has to find what works for them; but being patient, setting realistic goals, and rewarding yourself if you reach them is a good strategy.

1. Create a comfortable learning environment

When you’re studying, you will hear and read the language as part of your studies. To slowly increase the number of words that you know, you need to create an inspiring and study-friendly environment. Buy magazines or books in English, connect to Netflix, Prime, Disney etc and watch movies, television series, or documentaries, Karaoke in English and even try creative activities such as studying and cooking food from different English-speaking countries.

2. Using words in context

A good idea to learn more words faster is to put them in context: Instead of just writing endless lists of random words that you forget or neglect, try to put them in sentences. That way, you know how the word is used in real life.

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3. Learn from real-life context

Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, or songs are not only a great source for the most common words, they can also help you memorize the vocabulary because they always come associated with a scene, a person, or a real-life event. So, try to read books, watch movies, documentaries, or series in the original language (with subtitles) and figure out what the words mean. If you see or hear a phrase or sentence that you don’t understand, write it down, look it up, and start memorizing it.

4. Take it up a notch

If you want to take language learning to a more advanced level, leave enough time for studying associated words, synonyms or antonyms. Also, try not to translate the words into your native language, but instead, explain and describe them in English.

5. Find what's best for you.

Everyone learns differently, so if you don’t already know what works for you, try as many different ways as possible: Flashcards, apps, games, memory systems, lists, or post-it notes, are great ways to memorize vocabulary. The same goes for finding the right time: Some people want to set apart a specific time, others learn more spontaneously. No matter which approaches you choose, be sure to get into some kind of rhythm – practice makes perfect, after all.

40 of the Most Important Expressions for Achieving an Advanced level of English

English is full of various forms of common expressions, be it idioms, phrasal verbs, metaphors, similes, slang etc and is basically a phrase or saying that is commonly used in everyday English to express certain ideas or opinions. Understanding English expressions is important for two reasons, firstly because they require a deeper familiarity of the English language to comprehend what someone means when they use them in conversation, and secondly, for those who live, work or study in an English speaking society, they reinforce your ability to understand the world in which you are living. Expressions may seem complicated at first, but they can actually be a lot of fun to learn. Common Expressions: A New Way to Express Yourself in the English Language The meaning of an expression generally depends on the specific context in which it is used. When someone tells you to ‘break a leg’, for example, they aren’t saying that in a literal sense, but instead are wishing you...

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