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If there is one thing kids love to do is to make fun of one another, and, more often than not, the target of these mockeries ends up being someone’s body or physique, a phenomenon that we now know as…
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Vocabulary
By vocabulary we mean single words but also phrasal verbs, idioms and collocations.
You need to widen your vocabulary range if:
- You tend to always use the same words when writing or speaking
- When you can’t think of a word you have in mind, you get stuck
- You make frequent errors when choosing a word
- You find it hard to paraphrase
How To Widen Your Vocabulary Range
What you need:
- One of the following: an article, a video (with subtitles), a podcast (with the transcript), a movie or a TV series
- A notebook or a language journal
- A monolingual dictionary
Phase 1 - Watch / Listen
1. Watch / listen to the material you selected. Focus on the general meaning, don’t worry about any specific words for now.
2. Watch it / listen to it again. This time make a note of the sentences that contain the expressions you are not familiar with. Only choose the words that you think might use in the future.
Phase 2 - Analyze
1. Look up the meaning of the words you selected using a monolingual dictionary. Some words may have multiple meanings, make sure you are looking at the right one.
2. The devil is in the details. Reading the definition is not enough. Focus on things like prepositions and collocations as well as any other interesting information you can find about this word.
Phase 3 - Write
1. Write down the word in a notebook or in your language journal. Write down the meaning next to it as well as any other information that will help you use this word correctly in the future.
2. Create a sentence for each new expression. Make these sentences as personal as possible because this will help you make sure you can use the new word correctly as well as help you memorize it more easily.
Phase 4 - Review
1. Watch the video / listen to the recording again paying attention to how the new expressions are used.
2. Come back in a few days to review the new expressions. Test yourself and study the ones that you don’t remember.
Tips
- Don’t study every single new expression you come across. Focus on the ones you are more likely to need in the future.
- Make a note of the new expressions somewhere.
- Write down the whole sentence that contains the new word, not just the word.
- Review the new words every now and then to make sure you memorize them long term.
