Learning vocabulary is a very important part of learning a language. The more words you know, the more you will be able to understand what you hear and read; and the better you will be able to say what you want to when speaking or writing.

Which words to learn

Every day you hear or read many new English words. You also find them in your dictionary when you are translating from your own language. You can’t possibly learn all these new words, so your first problem is to decide which ones to concentrate on. Here are some suggestions:

learn the words that are important to the subjects you are studying learn the words that you read or hear again and again learn the words that you know you will often want to use yourself do not learn words that are rare or not useful (your teacher can help you with this)

How to learn words

Once you have chosen which words to learn, you next have to decide how you are going to learn them. Here are a few ideas:

write the words in a notebook (with their translations or definitions) write the words and definitions on small cards
(advice on how to do this) say the words many times (if you have an electronic dictionary you can hear how the word is pronounced) put the words into different groups (you could use a graphic organiser) write them in a file for use with a computer program (such as Quizlet or the one on this site) make associations (in pictures or with other words) ask someone to test you use the words in your own speaking or writing

Some students put a tick or cross in their dictionary next to every word they look up. The next time they turn to a page with a marked word, they quickly check to see if they remember the meaning of that word.

In all of the above ways, you are doing something with the words. It’s usually not enough to just read through a list of words with their definitions or translations and try to remember them. Most students find that they memorise words better if they do something with them. Even better is to try and learn the word in a typical combination with other words. Learning that to apologizemeans to say sorry is a good start, but it's much better to learn a whole expression containing the word, e.g. He apologized for being late. Not only is this often easier to remember, but you are also learning some very important information on how the word is used.

Learning for vocabulary tests

The previous section on this page gives general advice on how to learn the words that you have chosen as important for you. Often, however, you will be given a set of words by your teacher and told to learn them for a vocabulary test. In this case you need to be sure exactly how you will be tested, because this will influence how you learn the words. There are several ways that the teacher might test your vocabulary learning, but the ways are broadly divided into two categories:

You will be given the word and have to: write a definition use it in an example sentence translate it into your language You will be given: a definition a gapped example sentence the translation in your language and you have to write the English word.

If you do a vocabulary test from the second group above, then in most cases you will need to learn the exact spelling of the word and will lose marks if you misspell it. As with all tests, be sure to ask the teacher exactly how you will be tested and exactly how you will be graded. You will then avoid wasting time studying something that you will be not be tested on.

Learning vocabulary by reading

The way you learned very many of the words in your own language was by meeting them in the books and magazines you read. The context of a new word in a sentence or story was often enough for you to guess the meaning. Meeting the word again and again in your reading helped you learn it for use in your own speaking and writing. Doing lots of extra reading for pleasure - both fiction and non-fiction - is an excellent way to learn new English words, too. But choose books that you find quite easy to read. Difficult stories or texts that you struggle to understand will not help you to develop your vocabulary the natural way. But remember: to learn new words from reading you have to read A LOT!

More on the importance of reading.

More information about learning words

The vocabulary you know can be divided into two groups - passive vocabulary and active vocabulary. Passive vocabulary contains all the words that you understand when you read or listen, but which you do not use (or cannot remember) in your own writing and speaking. Active vocabulary is all the words you understand, plus all the words that you can use yourself. Your active vocabulary, in English and your own language, is probably much smaller than your passive vocabulary.

The more you work on learning a word, as suggested above, the more likely it is that it will become part of your active vocabulary.

Things to know about the words you learn

Usually the first things you learn about a new English word are what it means and its translation in your own language. But there are other things you need to find out before you can say that you know a word like a native speaker does. For example, you have to learn:

how it is spelled how it is pronounced how it is inflected (i.e. how it changes if it is a verb, noun or adjective) other grammar information about it how it collocates (i.e. what other words are often used with it)
More on collocation if it has a particular style or register the context in which it is most likely to be used [ Types of Vocabulary ]

Native speakers learn these things about words by hearing them and reading them again and again. This is the best way for you to learn them, too.

Go to this site's vocabulary files

Read a Japanese translation of this page.

very day you hear or read many new English words. You also find them in your dictionary when you are translating from your own language. You can’t possibly learn all these new words, so your first problem is to decide which ones to concentrate on. Here are some suggestions:

learn the words that are important to the subjects you are studyinglearn the words that you read or hear again and againlearn the words that you know you will often want to use yourselfdo not learn words that are rare or not useful (your teacher can help you with this)

How to learn words

Once you have chosen which words to learn, you next have to decide how you are going to learn them. Here are a few ideas:

write the words in a notebook (with their translations or definitions)write the words and definitions on small cards 
(advice on how to do this)say the words many times (if you have an electronic dictionary you can hear how the word is pronounced)put the words into different groups (you could use a graphic organiser)write them in a file for use with a computer program (such as Quizlet or the one on this site)make associations (in pictures or with other words)ask someone to test youuse the words in your own speaking or writing

Some students put a k or cross in their dictionary next to every word they look up. The next time they turn to a page with a marked word, they quickly check to see if they remember the meaning of that word.

In all of the above ways, you are doing something with the words. It’s usually not enough to just read through a list of words with their definitions or translations and try to remember them. Most students find that they memorise words better if they do something with them. Even better is to try and learn the word in a typical combination with other words. Learning that to apologize means to say sorry is a good start, but it's much better to learn a whole expression containing the word, e.g. He apologized for being late. Not only is this often easier to remember, but you are also learning some very important information on how the word is used.

Learning for vocabulary tests

The previous section on this page gives general advice on how to learn the words that you have chosen as important for you. Often, however, you will be given a set of words by your teacher and told to learn them for a vocabulary test. In this case you need to be sure exactly how you will be tested, because this will influence how you learn the words. There are several ways that the teacher might test your vocabulary learning, but the ways are broadly divided into two categories:

You will be given the word and have to:write a definitionuse it in an example sentencetranslate it into your languageYou will be given:a definitiona gapped example sentencethe translation in your languageand you have to write the English word.

If you do a vocabulary test from the second group above, then in most cases you will need to learn the exact spelling of the word and will lose marks if you misspell it. As with all tests, be sure to ask the teacher exactly how you will be tested and exactly how you will be graded. You will then avoid wasting time studying something that you will be not be tested on.

Learning vocabulary by reading

The way you learned very many of the words in your own language was by meeting them in the books and magazines you read. The context of a new word in a sentence or story was often enough for you to guess the meaning. Meeting the word again and again in your reading helped you learn it for use in your own speaking and writing. Doing lots of extra reading for pleasure - both fiction and non-fiction - is an excellent way to learn new English words, too. But choose books that you find quite easy to read. Difficult stories or texts that you struggle to understand will not help you to develop your vocabulary the natural way. But remember: to learn new words from reading you have to read A LOT!

More on the importance of reading.

More information about learning words

The vocabulary you know can be divided into two groups - passive vocabulary and active vocabulary. Passive vocabulary contains all the words that you understand when you read or listen, but which you do not use (or cannot remember) in your own writing and speaking. Active vocabulary is all the words you understand, plus all the words that you can use yourself. Your active vocabulary, in English and your own language, is probably much smaller than your passive vocabulary.

The more you work on learning a word, as suggested above, the more ly it is that it will become part of your active vocabulary.

Things to know about the words you learn

Usually the first things you learn about a new English word are what it means and its translation in your own language. But there are other things you need to find out before you can say that you know a word a native speaker does. For example, you have to learn:

how it is spelledhow it is pronouncedhow it is inflected (i.e. how it changes if it is a verb, noun or adjective)other grammar information about ithow it collocates (i.e. what other words are often used with it)
More on collocationif it has a parular style or registerthe context in which it is most ly to be used [ Types of Vocabulary ]

Native speakers learn these things about words by hearing them and reading them again and again. This is the best way for you to learn them, too.

Go to this site's vocabulary files

Read a Japanese translation of this page.

 

"Most students find that they memorise words better if they do something with them. Even better is to try and learn the word in a typical combination with other words."

Learning vocabulary is a very important part of learning a language. The more words you know, the more you will be able to understand what you hear and read; and the better you will be able to say what you want to when speaking or writing.Every day you hear or read many new English words. You also find them in your dictionary when you are translating from your own language. You can’t possibly learn all these new words, so your first problem is to decide which ones to concentrate on. Here are some suggestions:

-learn the words that are important to the subjects you are studying

-learn the words that you read or hear again and again

-learn the words that you know you will often want to use yourself

-do not learn words that are rare or not useful Once you have chosen which words to learn, you next have to decide how you are going to learn them. Some students put a tick or cross in their dictionary next to every word they look up. The next time they turn to a page with a marked word, they quickly check to see if they remember the meaning of that word.In all of the above ways, you are doing something with the words. It’s usually not enough to just read through a list of words with their definitions or translations and try to remember them. Most students find that they memorise words better if they do something with them. Even better is to try and learn the word in a typical combination with other words. Learning that to apologize means to say sorry is a good start, but it's much better to learn a whole expression containing the word. Not only is this often easier to remember, but you are also learning some very important information on how the word is used.The previous section on this page gives general advice on how to learn the words that you have chosen as important for you. Often, however, you will be given a set of words by your teacher and told to learn them for a vocabulary test. In this case you need to be sure exactly how you will be tested, because this will influence how you learn the words.If you do a vocabulary test from the second group above, then in most cases you will need to learn the exact spelling of the word and will lose marks if you misspell it. As with all tests, be sure to ask the teacher exactly how you will be tested and exactly how you will be graded. You will then avoid wasting time studying something that you will be not be tested on.The way you learned very many of the words in your own language was by meeting them in the books and magazines you read. The context of a new word in a sentence or story was often enough for you to guess the meaning. Meeting the word again and again in your reading helped you learn it for use in your own speaking and writing. Doing lots of extra reading for pleasure - both fiction and non-fiction - is an excellent way to learn new English words, too. But choose books that you find quite easy to read. Difficult stories or texts that you struggle to understand will not help you to develop your vocabulary the natural way. But remember: to learn new words from reading you have to read a lot !The vocabulary you know can be divided into two groups - passive vocabulary and active vocabulary. Passive vocabulary contains all the words that you understand when you read or listen, but which you do not use in your own writing and speaking. Active vocabulary is all the words you understand, plus all the words that you can use yourself. Your active vocabulary, in English and your own language, is probably much smaller than your passive vocabulary.The more you work on learning a word, as suggested above, the more likely it is that it will become part of your active vocabulary.Usually the first things you learn about a new English word are what it means and its translation in your own language. But there are other things you need to find out before you can say that you know a word like a native speaker does. Native speakers learn these things about words by hearing them and reading them again and again. This is the best way for you to learn them, too."Most students find that they memorise words better if they do something with them. Even better is to try and learn the word in a typical combination with other words."

a c d b b a

1a

2c

3d

4b

5b

6a

two thousand years later is still advertíing

1.him a dictionary/at the end of/the conversation/Tim's mother/gave.

=>Tim's mother gave him a dictionary at the end of the conversation

2.do not/Many languare learners/try to learn/they come across/all new words.

=>Many languare learners do not try to learn all new words they come across

3.also different ways/number of words/There are/of learning/the same.

=>There are also different ways of learning the same number of words
4.received/a few days ago/We/our fist/semester report.

=>We received our fist semester report a few days ago
5.his mother/in the living room/Tim was/called him/when

=>Tim was in the living room when his mother called him

6.very hard this year/I'm pleased to tell/are very good/you that Nga has worked/and her grades.

=>I'm pleased to tell you that Nga has worked very hard this year and her grades are very good

7.5 days of school/She/missed/sickness/due to

=>She missed 5 days of school due to sickness

8.Both/satisfactory/her participation/are/and cooperation.

=>Both her participation and cooperation are satisfactory

9.is good/and reading/Her speaking/are excellent/and her writing.

=>Her speaking and reading are excellent and her writing is good

10.her writing skills,she/If she works/would get an A/a bit harder on/for writing next term.

=>If she works a bit harder on her writing skills,she  would get an A for writing next term

11.Some learners/of new words/write the meaning/mother tongue/in their.

=>Some learners write the meaning of new words in their mother tongue

12.to hear that/I'm happy/you had/Mother's Day/a nice.

=>I'm happy to hear that you had a nice Mother's Day

13.example sentences with/how to use the word/new words to remember/Some learners write/in the right way.

=>Some learners write example sentences with new words to remember how to use the word  in the right way

I.Complete the passage about the ways to learn language, then answer the

It(1)... is..necessary(2)...to learn.....a foreign language. Learners can learn in diffrent ways. You should practice regularly(3)..with...partners.At home,you learn words as much as possible. You can(4)..stick....the words on the wall in your house so as to learn it at any time. You can learn underline or(5)......highlight...the words you need(6)...to.....learn.You can(7)...take...example sentences(8)....in..new words.

You want to speak English fluently, you have to improve more(9).....your English pronunciation. You should practice speaking regularly. You should read magazines by English. You should(10).do....exercises in the exercise books to improve the grammar.

Questions

1. Is it necessary to learn a foreign language?

Yes, it is

2. Do the learners have the same og different ways to learn a foreign language?

No, they don 't

3.What can you do to learn new words at any time?

We can.stick.the words on the wall in your house so as to learn it at any time

4. What do you do to speak english well?

We should practice speaking regularly.

5. Should you do exercises more?

Yes, we should

Instead of learning a single word discrete, if you know the group in the same topic, it will make learning much simpler.
Having a vocabulary on the subject, when doing the speaking test or writing on a certain topic you will promote maximum vocabulary. Make your speech and writing flow smoothly and many ideas. Therefore, learning a word by topic is like a double-hit arrow, which will help us learn more new vocabulary and better vocabulary and ideas for the test.