Vocabulary for English in 6 easy steps

It is difficult to know which English vocabulary words to learn.

We have two kinds of words. One lot are called High Frequency Words and the other are called Low Frequency Words. There are between 5,000 and 7,000 high frequency words that you need to learn. You do not need to learn low frequency words unless they are specialized words related to your work, profession or reading preferences.

This hub will give you a step by step guide to using your electronic translator to best learn the English you need to learn.

If you have not got an electronic translator, the first step is to buy one. In my experience, students with electronic translators look up more words than other students. The more words you look up, the more words you learn. Basically, students without translators do not look up words at all.

Electronic translators do range in price, and generally speaking the more money you can afford, the better your language translator will be. However, there are three main things to keep in mind:

First - Make sure that it will show the phonemic script so you can see the pronunciation.

Second - Ensure that it has voice pronunciation so you can hear the word.

Third - Make sure it gives the meaning so you can use the word.

You will need to buy a notebook - any size will do, but not too small. If you want to carry it to class, you may want it small enough to carry in your bag, or big enough to hold a lot of words.

Go through the book and, using a double-page spread write a letter of the alphabet it the top right hand corner of each double-spread-page beginning from A to Z. 

On each page, draw a margin about 1 centimeter wide, a bit less if your notebook is very small.

Then another column about double that width to write your words in. The rest of the page will be for writing the meanings. You can label the columns with "stars", "word" and "meaning" if you like.

Your notebook should look like the one in the photo!

Every time you look up a word on your electronic translator, listen to the pronunciation several times, and say it out loud yourself. Read the meaning then return to the text where you found the word. Try to understand it in the context of the text.

Now, write the word into the second column on the correct alphabet page. At this stage, do not write in the meaning, look again at the text and keep working.

Within 12 hours, go to the Macmillan Dictionary website. Use this website to look up all the words you wrote into your notebook.

When you look up the word, it will either be printed in black or red.

If the word is red, then it is a high frequency word and it is really important that you learn it. Use your first column to copy down how many stars are next to the word. Use the last column to write the meaning.

If there are 3 stars that means it is a very basic (high frequency) word and you must learn it.

If there are 2 stars that means it is quite frequent and is important to learn.

If there is 1 star that means it is fairly frequent and you should spend time learning it.

If it is a black word, put a black dot next to it so you know that you have looked it up

Now you have prioritized the words for learning. Get or make some cards, about the size of a business card. Write the words onto the card with the number of stars. Write the meaning on the back of the card.

Underneath the word, write the phonemic pronunciation to help you say the word. These then become your "Daily" words to learn.

As often as you can, (on the bus, train, ferry) (during lunch, recess) (while watching TV, waiting for your teacher) etc look at each word in turn. Say it out loud, check the meaning.

Three times a day, look up the words on your electronic translator and listen to the pronunciation and repeat it.

When you think you know a word, put it aside in a special place.

Once a week, pick up all the words in that special place. If you can look at the word, say it, and know the meaning, put it back in the special place.

If you are not sure how to say it, or not sure of the meaning, put it back into your daily pile and learn it again.

If you look up a word on your electronic translator then find it is already in your notebook as a black word, put another black mark against it.

When a word has three black marks, then it is probably important for you to learn that word. This will happen often for students who are studying. Make a card for it and add it to your daily pile of words, with three black dots because this will remind you that this word is very important for you to learn.

When Macmillan Dictionary says a word is a red word, then it is really important for you to learn this word.

Black words are only important to learn if you look them up often.

Now you know how to decide which words to learn, I wish you all the best in building your vocabulary.