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Mon 20 Jun, 2005 04:16 am
Hello, I am a new member on this website. I didn't know such forum existed but it seems like the right place to ask my question.
Specifically, I really want to improve my vocabulary in english, not just learn new words from the dictionary but apply them in my daily life, while thinking and on paper.
I have begun University and my University requires some english proficiency tests. English was never my strong point in HS, maybe because I'm fluent in 3 languages, but also because I was just better at the sciences courses. I took a practice test for myself and failed! I realized that my english is not at University level, and might of actually regressed since High School. I was unable to come up with any new words in my head when formulating an idea on a chosen topic besides the ones on the paper(which constitutes a failure if you use them exclusively)
Anyway, the only thing that I have right now is picking up the dictionary and learning a new word every 3 days or so, writing it down(key for me) and hopefully remembering it. So how does one do it? I need some general advice on improving vocabulary, memorizing techniques and incorporating new words in my language. Thanks.
Welcome to A2K, Cerin. Randomly looking up words is of limited effectiveness. There is no substitute for reading and writing to improve your vocabulary. Context is not only critical to full understanding, it is helpful for memorizing.
That said, though, random reading can be have its limits as well. If you have an abundant amount of time, reading a variety of media (newspapers, magazines, textbooks, and literature) will improve your vocabulary immensely. Since most of us have time constraints, though, reading selectively is as important to productive learning as reading often. With textbooks and literature, currency can be important as older volumes may have outdated usage. A good language reader (a textbook with reading passages) can be an excellent source as it often has a glossary of the words used in the reading material and is consistent in its level of difficulty.
Writing is exceptionally good for vocabulary building, however, it should be accompanied by some means of review and correction. This forum is a good place to start. There are many knowledgeable posters here who can help evaluate your efforts. So, Cerin, stop looking up words randomly, start reading and post your writing on this forum. Good luck.
When learning to speak French well (i used to speak it very, very badly), i read a great many plays. I found this useful, even with plays written many years ago, because it gives a sense of the rhythm of the langauge, and how commonly any particular long-standing expressions are used. I would recommend reading plays as an effective means of building your vocabulary, because you might then learn such things as that Americans are more likely to call someone "talkative," rather than "verbose."
Re: Improving one's vocabulary.
Cerin,
I assume that you are a native English speaker. Am I correct?
There is an excellent "dictionary" that was published a number of years ago by Longman, in the US & Canada it's put out by "Addison Wesley Longman".
It's called, "The Longman Language Activator" and it was designed to help mostly ESLs activate their language.
This means that this source helps you pick the right word for the circumstances. This has always been a major problem for ESLs, picking the right word to express the right nuance.
It's available from Amazon.com used for $23, new from $41. See,
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=stripbooks:relevance-above&field-keywords=longman%252520language%252520activator&search-type=ss&bq=1&store-name=books/ref=xs_ap_sai3_xgl14/104-5805240-8912717
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Here's a review of the book that describes how it works and what it can do to improve both passive and especially active vocabulary.
Quote:
A must have for the advanced learner, August 2, 2001
Reviewer: Chris Elvin (Kanagawa, Japan) - See all my reviews
The Longman Language Activator is a new kind of dictionary - it is a dictionary that enables language students to selectively encode what they want to state in English to a degree of linguistic accuracy that had hitherto been impossible using conventional dictionaries.
Basically speaking, the Longman Language Activator is a dictionary of ideas. These ideas are the1052 key words that have been distilled from a spoken corpus of 10 million words and a written corpus of 30 million words. From these key words, the student is presented with options to help guide her in homing in on the most semantically relevant word for a particular context or situation.
All the options are common, and are shown in order of frequency. The great strength of this dictionary is that it gives clear guidance on how words are normally used, and in which context they are appropriate, whether it be spoken or written, formal or informal, child or adult, or American or British.
I particularly liked the dozen or so illustrations that demonstrate how proper use of the dictionary can train the learner to select words and phrases that a native-speaker would use, and perhaps I would have liked to see more of them. The Longman Language Activator is an excellent reference guide for teachers, and simply a must have for any advanced learner hoping to turn passive knowledge into active use.
good dictionary! But Amazon cannot deliver it to China. What a pity!
alexmeng wrote:good dictionary! But Amazon cannot deliver it to China. What a pity!
What about this site, Alex?
http://www.joyo.com/?source=amazon-usjum
There is no such dictionary too.
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