Word meaning to learn english

Learning a foreign language isn’t always easy, especially when it comes to vocabulary. (I’ve been studying Japanese for years and still have trouble remembering words!) Luckily, there are many ways you can learn English vocabulary—and some of them are even a little fun!

In this guide, we go over the top five methods you can use to learn English words and give you a few tips on how to find English words to study.

Feature image: Nicolas Raymond/freestock.ca

Method 1: Make Flashcards

One of the most popular (and arguably best) ways to learn English vocabulary is to use flashcards. Each flashcard will have one English word written on the front and the word’s translation or definition on the back.

To study them, you’ll look at one side of a card and say the word on it in the opposite language before you look at the other side of the card (so if you were looking at the English side, for example, you’d say the word in your native language).

Flashcards are excellent resources because they help you memorize vocabulary words both quickly and effectively. They’re also customizable and reusable. Both paper and digital cards are available, and you can make your own cards, buy a pre-made deck, or download a deck online.

Pros

• Flashcards are easy to make. If you’re making paper cards, all you need are note cards (or small pieces of paper), a pencil or pen, and a list of the words you want to study. For digital cards, all you need is a computer and some software or a website to make them with.

• They’re interactive, especially if you make them yourself. With paper flashcards, you must write down all of the words you want to study as well as physically thumb through the cards, helping you concentrate on what each word means.

• Flashcard decks are easy to expand if you find new vocabulary you want to study. All you need to do is make a new flashcard and then add it to your deck—that’s it!

• They’re easy to randomize. Mixing up the order in which you study is essential to ensuring that you fully understand the meanings of the words you’re learning.

Cons

• Making flashcards is time consuming. Though not particularly difficult to make, flashcards can take a long time to create (regardless of whether you’re making paper or digital cards). Therefore, make sure you have ample time to set aside when making them.

• Paper flashcards are bulky and take up a lot of space. As a result, they’re often difficult to take places and use for on-the-go reviewing. If you’re hoping to brush up on your English vocabulary at places other than home, consider bringing only some of your cards with you or using a more compact resource such as a list (see method 2 below).

How to Use This Method Effectively

Flashcards must be used in specific ways in order to be effective for English-language learning. These methods differ depending on whether you’re studying with paper or digital flashcards.

Paper Flashcards

Paper flashcards are best for those who prefer more traditional study methods and want a break from computers and smartphones.

You can use any blank note cards to make your flashcards. Once you have some, start making your cards: with each card, write an English word (spelled correctly!) on the front and its translation in your native language (or an image of the word) on the back. You may also include on the front the word’s part of speech and/or a sample English sentence.

When finished, begin studying your flashcards using the «waterfall» method. With this method, you’ll study cards in subsets (smaller stacks of cards) and get to review harder English words more often than words you already know.

We explain the waterfall method in more detail in our guide to TOEFL vocabulary flashcards. However, to summarize briefly, here’s how it works:

#1: Go through all of your flashcards and make two piles: a «Know It» pile (with words you know) and a «Struggled» pile (with words you don’t know). Put the «Struggled» pile to the right of the «Know It» pile:

#2: Next, go through the cards in your «Struggled» pile one at a time. As you do this, make a second «Know It» pile for words you know (put this pile to the right of your original «Know It» pile). For words you don’t know, put them back in your «Struggled» pile.

#3: Continue this process of going through your «Struggled» pile and making new «Know It» piles until you only have four to five cards left in your «Struggled» pile. Here’s what your cards should look like:

#4: Now, work your way back up your «waterfall» of cards, starting with your «Struggled» pile. Go through this stack of cards until you know all of the words in it. You might have to go through it several times before you can remember all of the words.

#5: Combine the «Struggled» pile with the «Know It» pile directly to the left of it. Now, you’ll go through all of the words in both piles (combined as one) until you know all of these words.

#6: Repeat step 5 until you’ve gone through all of the cards in your deck, from right to left. You should now know the meanings of all of the English words on your flashcards!

Digital Flashcards

Some people (myself included!) prefer studying foreign languages with digital, or computerized, flashcards. These types of flashcards are accessible through software applications, websites, and/or apps.

While there are many free flashcard-making websites and programs available, my personal favorites are Anki and Memrise.

Anki is a free downloadable software through which you can make your own flashcards or download pre-made decks submitted by users. It uses spaced-repetition software (SRS) to show you difficult cards more often—similar to the waterfall method described above—making it convenient and easy to use.

Memrise, on the other hand, is a free language-learning website that offers tons of pre-made decks. It’s a little flashier and more game-like than Anki, so if you’d prefer a more «fun» way to learn English words, this is a great website (and app!) to try out.

Method 2: Make a Study List

Another helpful method is to make a list of all of the English-vocabulary words you want to learn. A list is different from flashcards in that it has all of the words you need to know in one place (instead of on separate cards). If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of using note cards, a study list is a solid option.

Pros

• The biggest benefit is that lists are easy to expand as you come across new words you want to know. For example, if you saw an English word you didn’t know on a sign at a restaurant, you can simply take out your list and write it down.

• You can use your list as a base for other study methods. Lists are helpful resources for identifying specific words to put on flashcards and use in vocabulary quizzes (see method 4).

• A list is less bulky than flashcards. With a list, you can keep track of dozens of words on a single sheet of paper, taking up far less space than hundreds of flashcards.

• It’s easy to make. All you need to do is write out each word, its part of speech (optional), and its meaning in your native language—nothing more!

Cons

• They’re pretty tedious and boring to work with. Unlike flashcards, which are highly interactive (you can make cards, flip through them, shuffle them, etc.), lists are static resources with few stimulating features.

• They make it difficult to randomize words. You’ll learn English words faster by sporadically mixing up the order in which you study them, but it’s a challenge to randomize words on lists since you can’t physically rearrange them as you can with flashcards.

How to Use This Method Effectively

Write your English words on the left side of a piece of paper, from top to bottom. I suggest numbering the words and adding their parts of speech, too (this is helpful because it teaches you how to use the words).

Then, on the right side of the paper, write the translation of each word in your native language (again, from top to bottom so that each translation aligns horizontally with its English equivalent). Here’s an example:

When you’re ready to start studying, get a separate sheet of paper (or your hand) to cover up the words on the right. You’ll then move this sheet down as you read and define each English word on the left. Make sure to say each word aloud in English before translating it into your native language.

Once you’ve defined a word, move your sheet of paper down to check that you’ve translated it correctly:

As you go through your list, consider marking any words you’re having trouble remembering. This way you’ll know right away which words you need to spend a little more time on than others.

Here are some additional ways you can use your list to learn English vocabulary:

• Study words in reverse. With this method, you’ll start at the bottom of your list and reveal words one at a time by moving your sheet up instead of down. This prevents you from simply memorizing the list in one particular order.

• Cover up the English side so that you must read the words in your native language and then translate them into English. Studying like this ensures you can come up with English equivalents for words all on your own.

These are both great methods to use after you’ve used the main method described above and are more familiar with the English vocabulary on your list.

Method 3: Write Out Words Repeatedly

If you want to practice spelling English words and like doing something physical as you study, writing out words is a solid option to try. With this method, you’ll write out each English word several times as you say it aloud.

If you’ve taken English courses in the past, you’ve probably had homework similar to this (I had to write out new words all the time for Japanese class in junior high and high school!). Although rote memorization isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it can still be a highly effective way to learn English words.

Pros

• It’s interactive. Unlike flashcards and lists, which you merely look at to study, you’re always doing something when writing out words. If you’re the type who gets easily antsy and likes having something to do with your hands as you study, this is a good method to try.

• It helps you remember how to spell words. Flashcards and lists mainly teach you what a word means, but writing out a word (rather than looking at it briefly) makes it far easier to remember how it’s spelled.

Cons

• Writing out words repeatedly can feel monotonous. Despite being an effective method, rote memorization isn’t a particularly fun way to learn a language and gets tiresome fast.

• You can easily lose focus on a word as you write it again and again. To truly benefit from this method, you need to focus on what each word means and how it’s spelled. Unfortunately, the repetitive motions make it easy to fall into a zombie-like stupor.

How to Use This Method Effectively

The best way to write out words is to have a set number of times you’re going to write them out. Usually, 10 to 20 times is sufficient. Just make sure you’re actively thinking about each word as you write it out: look at the letters and how they’re arranged, pronounce it, and then define it.

I find that it’s helpful to note the translation of each word (in your native language) above your repetitions so that you don’t forget the meanings of any words and can more readily make associations between words in your language and in English.

Finally, I strongly suggest using this method with one of the two methods above (flashcards or a study list) to keep you from getting bored with your studies. Personally, I think the flashcard method is better as it’s more fun and doesn’t require you to make another long list of words.

Method 4: Take Vocabulary Quizzes

If you’re tired of flashcards and lists, vocabulary quizzes are a great way to test what you’ve learned and ensure you truly understand the meanings of English words.

Many English-word quizzes are available for free online. While some are traditional tests, others are more game-like; for example, you might find a matching game in which you have to match English words with their meanings (also in English!).

You can also make your own vocabulary quizzes using any of the resources above (flashcards, lists, etc.).

Pros

• They check your English progress by testing what you’ve learned. Quizzes let you see whether you truly know the English words you’ve studied and can use them fluently. If you fail a quiz, you’ll know exactly which words to work on more.

• Most online vocabulary quizzes are free. You can find tons of free, high-quality English-language quizzes and games on websites geared toward students, ESL learners, and general language learners.

Cons

• You can’t really learn words from scratch using quizzes alone. In other words, you’ll need to combine quizzes with one or more of the methods above so you can learn English vocabulary before testing out what you know.

• Some online vocabulary quizzes aren’t super high quality, so make sure you’re choosing ones that have words you are familiar with and no glitches or inaccuracies.

How to Use This Method Effectively

You have two options when it comes to English-vocabulary quizzes: look for pre-made quizzes online, or make your own.

Online Quizzes

If looking for quizzes online, I recommend starting with popular learning websites.

One option is Free Rice, whose «English Vocabulary» mode tests your knowledge of various high-level English words. Each question gives you one English word and four possible synonyms; the answer choices are also in English, so you’ll need to have a high English level in order to do well. For each question you get right, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to help end world hunger. So this is an excellent resource to use if you like the idea of helping others as you study!

Quizlet and Cram are two other websites you can use for free. Both offer flashcards, vocabulary lists, quizzes, and games. All you do is choose an English-vocabulary deck (or make your own) and then test yourself using the site’s «Test» feature.

Both websites’ «Test» features are similar to an actual language test: you get a variety of question types, from fill-in-the-blank and matching to multiple choice and true or false. With Cram, however, you can also choose how the system grades your answers. For example, you can make it so you don’t lose any points for errors in punctuation or capitalization.

Making Your Own Quizzes

The best way to make your own English-vocabulary quiz is to use flashcards (see method 1). With flashcards, you can easily randomize the words you’ll get and can’t predict which words will come up.

To make a quiz, get out a sheet of paper and number it 1-20 (or however many questions you want to have). Then, choose a flashcard at random. On your paper, write down the English word shown and (without flipping the card over) its translation or meaning in your native language.

Don’t check your answers right away by flipping the cards over—rather, wait until you’ve finished your entire quiz and then flip over the flashcards to score your test.

Method 5: Use Vocabulary Words in Conversation and Writing

Although the methods above are extremely useful for memorizing English words, you’ll never retain the words you learn unless you actually use them in conversation and writing. In short, context is key!

Pros

• You’ll learn more quickly how to use and say words you’ve studied. Although you should always say words aloud when you first learn them, using them in conversation (especially with native English speakers) is by far the best way to ensure you’re actually pronouncing and using them correctly.

• You’ll remember words better by using them in sentences, so always look for opportunities to use words you learn in both conversation and writing.

• You can get feedback when conversing with or writing to native English speakers. If you’re not sure whether you’re using a word correctly, you can ask others to give you feedback or explain how they themselves use specific words in English.

Cons

• It’s not always easy to find people to use English with. If you don’t live in an English-speaking country, native speakers can be hard to find, making it difficult to actively use the words you learn in conversation and writing.

• You need someone to check that you’re using the words correctly. If you’re using a word in writing, for example, but aren’t sure whether you’re using it correctly, you’ll need to ask a native speaker to check it for you. This can be tough to do, though, if you don’t have access to any native speakers.

• It can be intimidating to use new words with others. When speaking another language, we tend to rely on using only the words we know so we can avoid making any obvious mistakes. Unfortunately, this fear can ultimately hinder your ability to learn new words and use them with confidence.

How to Use This Method Effectively

If you’d like to use new English words in conversation, you’ll first need to find native English speakers or other English-language learners to practice speaking with. If you don’t live in an English-speaking country, try looking for English-language groups or clubs you can join in your area. Meetup, for example, is a handy website you can use to search for language groups around you (you can even create one yourself!).

Another option for English-speaking practice is to pay for video chat language lessons. Fees vary depending on the company you use and how many hours you want to practice. Some of the best websites to try include Live Lingua, Verbalplanet, and italki.

But what about writing in English? If you want to practice using words in writing, start keeping a journal and then have other people (preferably native English speakers) read your work to check that you’re correctly using new vocabulary.

My personal recommendation is a free website called Lang-8 on which you write various posts (such as journal entries, questions, stories, etc.) in your target language. Once you make a post, native English speakers then correct your entries and offer feedback. I’ve used this website many times before while studying Japanese, and it’s always been an extremely helpful resource!

You can also find a pen pal to write to in English—ideally, one who is a native English speaker and will write to you in your native language in return. This way you can have someone you know correct your English as you also correct his or her writing in your language!

How to Find English Vocabulary to Study: 3 Options

Now that we’ve given you a handful of methods you can use for learning English vocabulary, here are a few tips on where to actually find new English words to study.

#1: Write Down Words You Hear and Read

This is perhaps one of the most practical methods for learning English vocabulary, and one I often used while living in Japan. Basically, you’ll keep a running list of any unfamiliar English words you hear or read in both your day-to-day life and studies.

For listening, some of the best resources to use for finding new words are as follows:

• Everyday conversation: Ideally, you’ll converse mostly with native English speakers; that said, it’s better to practice speaking with other English-language learners than with nobody at all!

• English movies and TV shows: Avoid turning on the subtitles for your native language. Instead, if you’re having trouble picking out key words, turn on the English subtitles; this will help you identify new words more quickly and let you see how they’re spelled.

• English podcasts: Start by browsing this excellent list of English podcasts for language learners. Then, find the ones that sound most interesting to you and start listening!

• YouTube: Find English videos on topics you’re interested in (and turn on English subtitles if needed).

For reading, try looking for new English words to practice in these resources:

• Newspapers: There are tons of high-quality English-language newspapers online. Intermediate speakers can start with easier English-news websites such as VOA Learning English and BBC Learning English, whereas advanced learners can dive right into popular news outlets such as CNN and The New York Times.

• Websites: Look for websites and blogs dealing with any topic of interest to you. I suggest looking for prominent websites with lots of followers to ensure that the English they use is high quality.

• Books and stories: What better way to learn new words than through your favorite fairy tales? Intermediate learners can start with children’s books and short stories, while advanced learners can jump to novellas and novels. Graphic novels are also excellent resources!

Once you’ve found vocabulary words you want to study, open a Word document on your computer and start making a list. You can then add words to this list whenever you come across ones you don’t know in your listening and reading practice.

Make sure to include most or all of the following elements on your vocabulary list:

• The word in English (spelled correctly!)
• Its part of speech
• The translation/meaning of the word in your native language
• An example sentence using the word

You can then use this list as your primary study list or to help you make flashcards and quizzes.

#2: Look for Free Word Lists Online

Another helpful option is to seek out pre-made English word lists. Waiting to hear or read new English vocabulary isn’t always practical for language learners, but you can luckily find many free English-word lists online using the websites mentioned above (e.g., Quizlet, Cram, Memrise, etc.).

If you want to study upper-level academic vocabulary, try looking specifically for vocabulary lists targeting popular college-admission tests, such as the TOEFL, GRE, SAT, and ACT. At PrepScholar, we’ve gathered all high-frequency words for these exams and even created free downloadable flashcards for the TOEFL and GRE.

#3: Use a Textbook

If you like having structure in your vocabulary studies, consider buying an English-language textbook or workbook. These books should give you plenty of new vocabulary words to study as well as lots of relevant exercises to help you memorize and retain them. Oftentimes, textbooks come with a built-in dictionary, too!

Make sure you’re choosing a book that’s highly reviewed and geared toward your English level. You can also try looking at books that specifically target the TOEFL. Unfortunately, English-language textbooks cater mostly to beginner and intermediate learners, so if you’re an advanced English speaker, you’ll likely benefit more from the two options above.

There are many different ways to learn English vocabulary, from rote memorization and repetition to flashcards and quizzes. But in the end, it’s up to you to figure out which methods will work best for your learning style.

Here are some final pieces of advice to remember when studying English vocabulary:

• Don’t try to memorize every single word. English is believed to have the most words of any language, and I guarantee you won’t be able to learn all of them (even native English speakers don’t know every word!). Therefore, focus on memorizing the words you encounter most often. For everything else, use a dictionary!

• Ask for help if you get stuck. If you can’t remember the meaning of a particular word and don’t have a dictionary on hand, don’t be afraid to ask someone to define it for you. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and it’s certainly nothing to feel embarrassed about!

• Make studying English a habit. For a lot of people, it can be hard to find time to study English. But you’ll need a routine if you want to learn English words and actually remember them, so try to set aside at least 30 minutes every day to go through your study materials.

Good luck with your English studies!

What’s Next?

Need English-vocabulary words to study? Take a look at our list of 300+ high-frequency TOEFL words today! We also have created a free TOEFL vocabulary flashcards PDF here.

Want more tips on how to learn English? Start with our guide to learning English and figuring out your language goals. Then, move on to our article on the best English-language games you can play, with others or by yourself!

Planning to take the TOEFL? Then you’ll definitely want to read our expert tips on how to prepare for this tricky English test.

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

An overview of new words in English

Statistics by the Global Language Monitor (GLM) have revealed that there are approximately 1,019,729 words in the English language. The GLM also estimates that a new word is created almost every 98 minutes around the world! Being well-informed on the new words in English that have been added to recent editions of dictionaries can help you strengthen your vocabulary. Educators around the world classify vocabulary into four key types – listening vocabulary, speaking vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary.  

Importance of new words in English

The need to be able to communicate as clearly, concisely, and efficiently as possible has only been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a significant portion of our daily life shifted online, having a remarkable collection of words to use in English can help create excellent language skills.

If you have decided to update your current vocabulary, here are 60 new words in English with meanings to help you refine your language skills! 

	WORD	MEANING
1.	Abnegation	Denial; renunciation of a doctrine or belief.
2.	Ambigue	An ambiguous expression or statement.
3.	Athleisure	Comfortable and casual footwear & clothing designed for exercise and rigorous activity.
4.	Broigus	Angry or irritated.
5.	By-Catch	A catch of fish that cannot be put to commercial use.
6.	Blert	A cowardly person, someone who is weak.
7.	Comp	Providing products or services free of charge as a token of appreciation, a favor.
8.	Cryptocurrency	Virtual or digital currency used on the internet. (This is among the new words in English that have emerged as a result of technological advancements in the industry of finance.)
9.	Cringe	To feel ashamed or embarrassed by what someone else is doing or saying.
10.	Deepfake	A recording or image that has been altered convincingly to misinterpret what someone is doing or saying. (This is among the new words in English that have emerged as a result of technological advancements in the industry of finance.)
11.	Delicense	To deprive a vehicle, business, or person of their license (official permission to operate).
12.	Destigmatizing	The process of removing social stigma or negative connotations associated with someone or something.
13.	Eradicate	To destroy something completely down to its roots.
14.	Ebullient	Unrestrained joyously.
15.	Efface	To remove, typically by erasing or rubbing.

New words in English (F-J)

	WORD	MEANING
16.	Fantoosh	Showy; flashy; stylish; exotic; sophisticated. Used often to imply pretentiousness & ostentation.
17.	Functional	Capable of or designed for a particular purpose.
18.	Fatuous	Devoid of intelligence.
19.	Gratuitous	Unwarranted or uncalled for.
20.	Gaffe	A tactless or socially-awkward act.
21.	Galvanize	To stimulate action.
22.	Hench	A person with strong musculature; an individual with a remarkable physique.
23.	Hir	A gender-neutral adjective is used to indicate possession.
24.	Hair Doughnut	A doughnut-shaped sponge used to support a specific hair-do.
25.	Influencer	An individual who changes or affects the way a larger group of people behave.
26.	Infirm	Lack of vitality, or bodily & muscular strength.
27.	Incessant	Without any interruption.
28.	Jovial	Displaying high-spirit merriment.
29.	Jaunt	A journey taken typically for pleasure.
30.	Jaded	Apathetic or bored after experiencing an excess of something.

New words in English (K-O)

	WORD	MEANING
31.	Kwell	To talk proudly, admiringly, or enthusiastically about something.
32.	Knell	The sound of a bell rung very slowly; a toll.
33.	Kip	Informal word for ‘sleep’.
34.	LOL	Abbreviated form for ‘Laugh Out Loud’. Used commonly for communicating informally on social media platforms.
35.	Lethargy	To display an unusual lack of energy or inactivity.
36.	Largesse	Generosity or kindness in bestowing money or gifts.
37.	Multifarious	Diverse, or multifaceted.
38.	Municipal	Related to a self-governing district.
39.	Microfinance	Financial services that are provided to individuals & communities in rural & developing areas.
40.	Nomophobia	Anxiety about lack of access to a smartphone or mobile phone services.
41.	Naivete	Lack of worldliness & sophistication.
42.	Nascent	The beginning; being born.
43.	Onboarding	The process of integrating a new employee into a team or organization.
44.	Oat-Milk	Milk prepared from oats; used commonly in cooking and in drinks.
45.	Onset	The early stages, or beginning of.

New words in English (P-T)

	WORDS	MEANING
46.	Pronoid	A person who is convinced of others’ goodwill towards themselves.
47.	Puggle	A young platypus or echidna.
48.	Pertinacious	Someone who is stubborn & unyielding.
49.	Quotidian	An event or task that is of daily occurrence.
50.	Quisling	A traitor. (This word is also among the list of 50 difficult words in the English language!)
51.	Quaff	To swallow greedily or hurriedly in a single draught.
52.	Rat-Tamer	Informal for a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
53.	Recalcitrant	Resistant to authority or force.
54.	Raconteur	A person who is skilled in telling anecdotes.
55.	Sandboxing	The restriction of a code or piece of software to a specific environment on a computer system that can be run securely.
56.	Self-isolate	To deliberately isolate oneself from others; to undertake a period of self-imposed isolation.
57.	Shero	A heroine; a hero of the female gender.
58.	Topophilia	An emotional connection to a physical environment or a particular place.
59.	Truthiness	Something of a seemingly truthful quality that is not supported by evidence or facts.
60.	Tract	An area of land that is extended.

Bonus words

1. Abrogate– To revoke something formally.
2. Abstruse– Difficult to understand.
3. Accede- Yield to anothers’ wish or opinion.
4. Blandishment– Flattery intended to persuade.
5. Calumny– A false accusation of an offense.
6. Circumlocution– An indirect way of expressing something
7. Demagogue– A leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions
8. Enervate– Weaken physically, emotionally, or morally.
9. Sesquipedalian– A foot and a half long.
10. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious– Something that is extraordinarily good.

Key Takeaways 

• There is a constant introduction of new words in English added to dictionaries every year. 
• Updating your vocabulary is an excellent way to communicate effectively. 
• Vocabulary is recognized as of four types – reading, speaking, listening, and writing. 
• The above list of words is a great way to improve your all-rounded vocabulary and knowledge of new English words!

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. In case of any queries, reach out to us or drop a comment below!

Liked this blog? Read 5 English learning books to boost your language skills

FAQs 

Q1. How can I learn new words daily? 

Answer – Reading different kinds of material and literature is an excellent way to learn new words. Keep a dictionary handy, so you can refer to the meanings of the words. This can also help you remember them easily.  

Q2. Why has there been a surge in the new words added to dictionaries every year? 

Answer – Technology has played a significant role in promoting the spontaneous coining of new words. This is largely due to the need to communicate quickly and efficiently. 

Q3. What are ‘portmanteau’ words? 

Answer – ‘Portmanteau’ words or ‘blended’ words are words that combine the meaning of two discrete terms. For example – the word ‘bromance’ is a blend of the words ‘brother’ and ‘romance.’

This article is for beginner and advanced learners of English and for those who are wondering how to approach the language. We have compiled tips and resources for every level of learning from Beginner to Advanced.

Features of the English language

• Fixed word order. English belongs to the group of analytical languages. It has many parts of speech and a clear word order: subject, predicate, and one or more objects. Paraphrasing is acceptable, but rarely^[1].
• Phrasal verbs. These are expressions consisting of a verb and a preposition or adverb: put up with, slow down, get lost. There are similar constructions in other Germanic languages, but only in English are they used with such love, whether it be in everyday life, work, study, politics, or science.
• Genderless nouns. English nouns have no gender. The advantage here is that you need to coordinate parts of speech only by number.
• Special pronunciation. The rule «as it is heard, so it is written» does not work in English. The writing of this language is based not on a phonetic, but a historical principle. For example, the word daughter is read as [dɔːtə].
• One word — different parts of speech. Another phenomenon of the English language. Some words change their part of speech, tense, and stress, but not their appearance. For example:
  • Read — present tense, read — past tense
  • Present — a gift, present — to give
  • Close — near; close — shut
• A multifaceted language. English has long ceased to be uniform. There are American, British, Australian, and even Singaporean versions of the language. Within each country, there are many dialects and slang expressionssocial and ethnic groupings. This is especially noticeable in the UK, where there are four varieties of English in London alone. And not all of them are «royal».
• Smart borrowing. There are many loanwords in English. Everyday speech and basic concepts come from the Germanic and Scandinavian languages. And English owes its «beautiful» expressions to French. Compare: freedom (English) — liberty (French); love (English) — affection (French); friendship (English) — amity (French). Science is dominated by Latin and ancient Greek: substance, thesis, metaphor, conjunction, etc. Knowledge and use of these words is an indicator of education^[2].

How to learn English on your own

In this block, we will give you some tips on how to learn English.

1. Begin learning the language as a whole. Don’t focus on any one skill. All elements of English are interconnected. Without reading, you will not replenish your vocabulary and will not be able to communicate competently. Without listening to foreign speech, you will not understand accents and pronounce words correctly. Focusing on a specific skill is suitable for those who already have a strong base of English. Let’s say you’re studying for the IELTS exam, and know that you’re not very good at listening. In that case, it is logical to devote more time to this aspect. But at the initial stage of learning, it is better to study the language in its entirety.
2. Learn the language with fun. Make the process interesting for you. It’s easy to catch the enthusiasm for learning English because it’s so popular. But staying motivated is harder. Try to diversify your learning: apply the acquired knowledge of English to what you like. Are you a computer game lover? Play and chat with foreigners. Love fashion? Read American or British Vogue. Find your niche where you will use the language with pleasure.
3. Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to look stupid. If you are not a BBC announcer, no one will notice your accent and style of presentation. Native English speakers are very loyal to how you pronounce words. The main thing is to convey meaning.
4. Practice every day for at least half an hour. Lack of practice kills even the most advanced level of English. And all aspects of the language are important. If you only watch Netflix, your writing and speaking skills will noticeably drop.

Vocabulary

15-25 thousand words make up the vocabulary of a native English speakerdepending on his level of education. For foreigners, 10 thousand is sufficient. With that amount, you can say that you are fluent in English. For understanding and communicating in everyday life, 3000 words are enough (without complex structures)^[3].

How far you are willing to delve into learning English depends on your goal. But you still need to learn vocabulary, at least the first 100 words. Even with such a small margin, you will be able to express simple thoughts, «want, drink, shop, me, juice.» Simple and clear. If your goal is to expand your vocabulary, use different techniques.

Learn words from flash cards

Return to childhood. Memorizing foreign words with flash cards is a well-known method. Its essence lies in spaced repetition. On one side of the card is a word written in English, and on the other — its translation. Learn words by laying out cards from several piles. Did you memorize the word? Put it in a far pile. Forgot it? Return it to a closer deck and repeat it again.

Such cards are sold at bookstores, but you can also make your own. If you compile them on your own, you will already remember the word, its translation, and spelling. At a higher level, you can specify its meaning in English. Another option: write not only the word, but a small phrase to go along with it. In doing so, you will immediately remember how to use it in a sentence.

Organize words into groups

Another way to learn new vocabulary is to organize words into groups. These can be:

• Thematic groups (kitchen: knife, bowl, cup, fork, etc.)
• Root words (able, ability, disability, enable, etc.)
• Similar words (beautiful, charming, splendid, pretty, fine, etc.)
• Expressions with one phrasal verb (put aside, put on, put out, etc.)

This method is good to use in combination with flash cards: distribute them among different topics.

Learn words in context

Learning a language in context means to immediately make sentences from new vocabulary. And be sure to say them out loud. This way you will learn how to use new words in conversation.

Resources

Grammar

Two opinions exist about the importance of grammar at an elementary level.

• First: you need to focus on vocabulary, and grammar will follow later. You can communicate with a native English speaker without coherent wording — you will still be understood.
• Second: grammatical constructions are a must. They allow you to understand the meaning of the phrase even without knowing individual words.

The choice of approach to learning grammar is up to you. If you need English for work or study, grammar is indispensable. If you are learning it for traveling, a basic grammar base is sufficient. Determine a set of constructions that you will definitely need. For example, simple tenses, singular vs. plural constructions (there is/there are), several phrasal verbs, and modal verbs (can/be). This is enough for the beginning.

Learn to understand the structure of the language

We advise beginners to first understand the structure of the language: how phrases are built, what parts of speech and simple tenses are. Don’t jump right into the Present Perfect and irregular verbs. Learn grammar gradually. At a basic level, you just need to understand what parts of speech look like and their order in a sentence. Here is an example from Alice in Wonderland: «All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe.» Those who know the language already see the structure: pronoun, adjective, verb, noun, and so on. The meanings of the words are not clear to us, but we feel the general meaning of the sentence. This is because we understand the grammatical structure of the phrase.

Practice

Knowing grammar rules and using them in real life are two different things. It makes no sense to cram them from morning to evening. It’s both boring and useless. Grammar constructions need to be practiced, both in writing and out loud.

Resources

Listening

Live English speech is different from a textbook disc recording. To understand how native speakers communicate in real life, listen to current radio shows and podcasts, and watch TV shows. That way, you will learn to recognize words by ear, understanding intonations and accents. The latter is especially important in English. If you are used to American English, you will not understand British posh in the right way: loo instead of toilet, cab instead of taxi, and the eternal word bloody. New Zealand and Australian accents are infamous even among native speakers.

Listen to the radio and podcasts

This is a great way to «feel» the language in real life. For beginners, educational podcasts are suitable. For example, the BBC regularly posts three-minute recordings on various topics — especially for those who study English. Interesting podcast series can be found on the British Council website. And the Podcast in English resource allows you to select audio files by language level. If you want to achieve an American accent, look for podcasts on American English Podcast and Voice of America.

Gradually increase the difficulty of what you are listening to. Listen not only to podcasts, but also to the radio. Try to diversify the materials with programs from different countries, such as ABC Radio Australia or Virgin Radio UK. The general rule when listening is to understand at least 80% of the words. If half of the spoken phrases are incomprehensible, try an easier podcast.

Watch TV-shows and series

Learning English by watching TV series sounds tempting. But this method is only suitable for improving skills. It will not work without a certain amount of knowledge. If you are itching to turn to this method, watch special educational series, like Extra. This is a British sitcom that teaches foreign languages. The dialogues of the characters are simple and understandable, designed specifically for basic proficiency.

When you attain a good amount of vocabulary, move on to more serious things, but with subtitles. First in your native language, then in English, and eventually turn them off for good. If you’re already at an Advanced level, be sure to turn on comedy shows. Understanding English humor is the pinnacle of language proficiency.

You can watch TV shows and movies in the original formats on streaming services: Hulu, Netflix, HBO. The main idea is to watch what you like. Love Friends? Excellent. Prefer documentaries about whales? That’s great too. The only disadvantage to this method is that after watching films in English, dubbing in your native language becomes unbearable.

Listen to lectures and audiobooks

Another option for listening — lectures in English. This is especially useful for those who plan to study abroad, given that it provides the means of listening to and memorizing academic English. There are many lectures on Coursera and university websites such as Oxford, Harvard, and MIT.

If you love fiction, try audiobooks in English. Beginners can start with children’s books, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There are even audiobooks voiced by famous actors. How do you like this combination of pleasure and practicality? The downside is that many audiobooks aren’t free. However, you can always try a free month trial on Audible or look for affordable options on Digital Book.

Resources

Reading

Reading is an essential skill for anyone who learns English, especially when it comes to studies and work. Through reading, you replenish your vocabulary and consolidate your knowledge of grammar with vocabulary. Granted, such a question arises — what should you read?

Adapted books

An adapted book is a simplified version of a known work. They are suitable for those who have just begun to understand the English language. If you don’t want to buy a book, look online — for example, on English e-Reader. If you are still learning how to read, practice with small texts, like those offered on Rong-Chang. Adapted books provide a list of new words for each chapter. They are clear and simple. An interesting option is The Cat in the Hat. This children’s book consists of only 220 words and is suitable for the Elementary level. Every book you read motivates you to further learn English.

Parallel texts

This is a method in which you read a text and its translation, literary or literal. You have two languages ​​in front of your eyes: English and your native language. As a rule, they are located on adjacent pages: on the left is the English version, and on the right is the translation. There is another option in which translations are opened by clicking. This way, you can see the translation of only the phrases you are interested in. Parallel reading is not for everyone. Firstly, you need to have already mastered the basic rules and skills of English. Secondly, it may be unusual for you to read a text on two pages. There are a number of resources on the Internet with parallel texts: the Smart Book and Parallel Books applications, etc.

Fiction

When you have moved on to the Intermediate level, proceed to the «real» literature. Start with those books that you have already read in your native language. This way, you will know in advance the essence of the work and the translation of some phrases. Raise the level slowly. It makes no sense to tackle Jane Eyre immediately after the Kipling stories. When reading a book, pay attention to grammatical constructions: how the author builds phrases and uses parts of speech.

Choose novels carefully. There are many beautiful words and correct grammar in the classics, but there is no actual vocabulary. Spice up your reading with contemporary books. They have slang and trendy themes that will be useful today, rather than the 19th century.

If you are learning English for work, focus on professional literature and the news. And future students should pay attention to academic publications: National Geographic, The Economist, Scientific American, etc.

Resources

Writing

First, determine how important this skill is for you. If you are learning English for the purpose of tourism, it is not particularly useful. But for international exams and education abroad, spelling and knowledge of different text styles are vital.

Find a proofreader

To develop your writing skills, you need to find someone who is willing to proofread your writing. You can ask native speakers for help. For example, HiNative is a convenient service built in a question and answer format between foreigners. If you are not yet ready to communicate with English speakers, use literacy testing applications: Grammarly or Sentence Checker. However, these applications only check for actual spelling, punctuation, and style errors. Thus, it is better to contact someone who speaks English.

Correspond in English

Find yourself a pen pal, preferably among native speakers. You can find one on Interpals, Conversation Exchange, Hello Talk, Ablo, and others. By communicating with a native speaker, you improve your writing skills. But remember that the «native speaker» label does not mean perfect language proficiency. Think about how often speakers of your own language make mistakes. The same occurs with the British and Americans. This method is ideal for practicing and developing an existing base, but not for learning from scratch. In the latter case, it is better to turn to similar platforms that are aimed specifically at education like Italki. There, you will find not just a pen pal, but an English teacher.

Keep a diary or blog in English

The key to developing writing skills is practice. To make this process interesting, try journaling in English. Another entertaining form of writing practice is keeping a blog. Start leaving comments on social media networks and get an English-language account on Twitter or TikTok. Doing so is good for developing language skills and overcoming shyness.

Resources

Speaking

For beginners, speaking is the most attractive part of the learning process. In fact, for many, it is the main goal. They don’t need grammar and spelling rules. The main thing is to learn to understand and be understood. How do you begin speaking English?

Speak words out loud

Newbie advice couldn’t be easier — say your first words out loud. Learned the pronoun I, the verb eat, and the noun soup? Put them into a sentence and verbalize them. Congratulations — you have just started speaking English! It’s far from perfect, but the first step has been taken. Now, repeat the same thing with all of your learned words, immediately putting them into practice. This is how you develop the habit of speaking English. You need to deal with speaking right away. Otherwise, the moment will come when you have a large vocabulary and knowledge of all 12 tenses, but you’re incapable of putting them into words. You should get used to using the language and feel comfortable.

Expand your vocabulary

It is necessary to correctly replenish vocabulary, which is both active and passive. Active vocabulary are those words that we use regularly. Passive vocabulary are less used words that are collected in our heads. We know these words, but we do not use them in colloquial speech. To understand the difference between active and passive vocabulary, compare your reading and speaking skills. Let’s say you read in English and understand the words ubiquitous, tremendous, and aberration. But when you want to use these words in speech, you just can’t seem to remember them. The only way to fix this is with practice. Make up sentences from these words, be sure to speak aloud and repeat them in variations. This is how you can incorporate them into your speech.

Communicate in English

The most effective and interesting method of communication is with a native English speaker. There are several applications where you can find a speaking buddy: Tandem, Easy Language Exchange, and others. If you are a travel lover, use the Couch Surfing service. Through it, you can find a person who is willing to give you shelter in another country. But even if there isn’t a native speaker nearby, don’t be discouraged. Go to conversation clubs and have game nights in English with friends.

Immerse yourself in the language environment

The best way to learn a language is to move to a country where it is spoken. This way, a person enters an environment where everything is in English. Most of the time he listens, reads, and lives in this language. If you don’t have the opportunity to travel to London or New York, create a language environment at home. Watch TV, listen to the radio, read, play, and think only in English. Use it in the little things. For example, translate your phone layout and all social media networks into English.

Resources

Pronunciation

We all want to speak English without an accent. But is it possible? English has so many dialects that one can forget about any single form. There is, of course, RP — Received Pronunciation — the standard of the royal family and BBC announcers. But in reality, only 2% of the British population uses it[-]. Therefore, in the case of pronunciation, our first advice is to humble yourself. You will never speak with a perfect English accent because it simply doesn’t exist. Choose the version of the language that you like and focus on it. Do you dream of speaking like a Bostonian? If you are determined to perfect your pronunciation, here are a few recommendations.

Learn phonetic transcriptions

At first glance, phonetic transcriptions seem like a relic of the past — an echo of old school methods. In fact, knowledge of transcription allows you to understand the pronunciation of words. Yes, this is not the first thing many people start with to learn English. However, for good pronunciation, you need to understand how words are written phonetically.

Work with a professional

To develop proper pronunciation, you can’t do without the help of a specialist. This is what linguists do. They explain special techniques, the position of the tongue and teeth, among other subtleties. You should contact a linguist if you are striving for RP or want to keep your native accent to a minimum so that no one suspects that you are a foreigner. The downside is that their work is expensive. The method is suitable for those who already have an excellent command of the language.

Learn pronunciation by listening

You can get rid of a strong accent on your own. The main thing is to remember that there is no way of escaping it in the beginning of the learning process. Listen to as much English speech as you can and repeat after the speaker. Do it out loud or quietly, moving your lips. It will take a lot of time and practice, but the results will soon follow. Watch a series of videos from the BBC where they show the correct pronunciation.

Don’t forget to work on intonation. In English, it is markedly different. No matter how rich your vocabulary or good your accent is, you will not sound like a native speaker without proper intonation. Listen to the radio, podcasts, and repeat after the speakers. You can even repeat lines from your favorite movies. For example, «Say hello to my little friend!«Scarface, 1983. And don’t forget to add more expression.

Be consistent

A common mistake of those who learn English on their own is to grab accents from different sources. Try to be consistent. At first, beginners don’t see the difference between dialects and remember everything they come across. The result is porridge. You can start with American, put in Australian slang, and end on a high Irish note. This will definitely expose you as a foreigner. Are you planning to live in England? Listen to and learn a British accent.

Resources

You have a wide range of ways and places to learn English. They can be divided into four categories:

• Language schools (group lessons)
• Individual lessons with a tutor
• Language courses abroad
• Independent study of English

Read more about the pros and cons of these methods in separate articles.

Sites for finding an English tutor

Language courses abroad

Resources for an independent study of English

Why learn English?

English is the most popular language in the world^[4]. 1.35 billion people speak itnative and non-native speakers — one seventh of the world’s population. Only Chinese comes close to it^[4]. But while the latter holds an official status in only two countriesChina, Singapore, English is the official language of 55 nations. In that sense, it fully justifies the title of a global language.

English for studying

Knowing English gives you many opportunities to study abroad. However, your choice is not limited to the UK, USA, Canada or Australia. Universities around the world are opening programs in English: this is how they attract more foreign students^[5]. You can study English programs in Germany, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc. But pay attention to the price difference. In many countries, education in the national language is cheaper or completely free, but English-language programs are the most expensive.

Moreover, in order to study in English, you must have a proficient language level — not lower than B2-C1. For language courses and short-term programs, the requirements are lower — A1-B1 is sufficient. Universities accept IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge Exams. TOEFL is more popular in America, while IELTS is common in England. For universities in non-English speaking countries, the required exam is indicated in the requirements. As a rule, this is the same trio: IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge.

English is a monopolist in the field of science and education. It is the language of most academic journals. If you want to conduct scientific research at the international level, you need to know the language.

English for work

Knowing English is a valuable skill. CELACambridge English Language Assessment research has shown that employers offer better conditions to candidates who know English. They move up in the company twice as fast and receive promotions^[6]. But, «English for work» is an abstract concept. To narrow it down, you need to start from your specialty and place of employment. If you aspire to work at a company abroad, you will need a language level of B2for the medical field — С2.

When learning English, focus on professional vocabulary. You can’t learn certain aspects of the language separately, but you can focus on «essential» skills. For example, pay more attention to business correspondence or communication with foreign clients.

English for immigration

Another reason to learn English is for immigration. The US, UK, Canada, and Australia are among the top ten most popular migration destinations. In America, which ranks first, the share of migrants is 15% of the local population^[7].

Those wishing to move to an English-speaking country must speak the language at a decent level. This is necessary for the adaptation into a new society. But not all immigrants are required to know English at C1. For children, spouses, and other family members, it is sufficient to have beginner knowledge of the language. To confirm your level of English, you will need an IELTS or Cambridge Exam certificate.

There are a number of intricacies in learning English for immigration. First, focus on everyday vocabulary. Your main goal is to learn the language so that you can communicate in life situations: hospitals, hairdressers, migration offices. Much of this will come with time, but it’s best to have a head start. A second point is to study the cultural aspects of the country you are planning to move to. Some language schools offer special English immersion courses. Finally, you can take a chance and come without any knowledge of English at all. In America, for example, many migrants live in isolated communities where they speak only their native language^[8]. But think about it — is that really the purpose of your move?

English for travel

Due to its prevalence, English has become the first language for travelers. It seems that there are people who speak English in every country of the world. This is partly true — the question is how many. For example, in Russia, 63% of the population is «familiar» with English, but only 5% speak it fluently. It would be easier for foreigners to learn a couple of words in Russian — this way they will be understood faster. English is mostly spoken by residents of European countries. Thus, it is not necessary to learn all of the languages of the European Union to travel around the continent. But in Asia and South America, English isn’t at all prevalent^[9].

A tourist does not need to know complex grammatical constructions. Therefore, if your goal is to learn English for travel purposes, you can study it yourself. Plus, you do not need knowledge of writing: only conversation and the ability to understand your interlocutor. Who knows, maybe you will start learning English for travel, and eventually reach the Advanced level!

English for yourself

English can be learned without a big goal in the form of study or work. Often, people are fond of learning English «for themselves». The reasons can be very different: to watch movies in the original language, read Jane Austen, understand teammates in MMORPGs, etc. By learning something new, you train your brain — neural connections are created. It has been scientifically proven that foreign languages develop memory, improve concentration, and simply broaden one’s horizons^[10].

English proficiency exams

International English exams are taken for various reasons:

• Certificate required for admission to a foreign university
• Language proof required for a work or immigration visa
• Proficiency check for personal reasons
• Confirm English skills for work

It is suggested to prepare for English exams in advance. The main thing in any of them is to study the structure. As a rule, they consist of four blocks: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. In fact, all of these exams are standardized tests. Therefore, the key rule in preparation is practice. Try to finish the tasks as fast as you can and practice skills for each part of the exam.

List of international English exams

International exams

Fortunately, you don’t have to learn them all to become fluent in English. Americans use around 2500 – 3000 of the most common words in their daily lives. If you know these 3000 most common words, you can understand at least 95% of all conversations, e-mails, newspapers, and books.

Sounds great! But what is the most effective way to learn these words?

Focus on example sentences when learning vocabulary. Here’s why?

When it comes to learning English vocabulary, the most important thing
you need to focus on are
example sentences because they help you to improve all your English skills — including vocabulary, listening, speaking, and writing.

If you want to speak English fluently, learn with your ears, not with your eyes

Learning English can be broken down into two parts: input and output.  Input consists of reading and listening while output consists of writing and speaking. The more input you get, the more output you can produce. It’s that simple.

Here’s the little secret you probably don’t know yet:

Repetition is the secret to English fluency

If you want to quickly achieve fluency level — to speak English easily, fluently and automatically, you’ll need to do one more thing:

Learn deeply through lots of repetition. 

It means that you will need to listen to every example sentence many, many times, until you MASTER it. Don’t listen just one time or a few times. It’s not enough. You will forget it very soon.

You may know how to use a word to make a correct sentence, but here’s the thing: Can you use it quickly, easily, and automatically? 

If the answer is no, you need to repeat more. You must listen to that example sentence again and again. 

Don’t ignore this simple secret. This is how you will achieve automatically fast speaking.

FREE English Lessons — 3000 Most Frequently Used Words in English

In the following section, you will find around 3000 free lessons for the 3000 most commonly used words in English. Each lesson consists of the definition (meaning) of the word, the audio pronunciation, and many example sentences with high-quality audio.

Listen to (and repeat) each lesson many times — and watch how fast your English speaking improves!

Enjoy the lessons!

P/S: Check out the Resources page for our recommended courses and lessons.

When teaching a foreign language, one of the key things that we stumble upon is the introduction of new lexical patterns, new phrases and idiomatic expressions. Ensuring constant vocabulary enrichment with the learners is the key principle to achieve language fluency and coherence. Hence, helping the learners to acquire and grow their word stock in a stress free environment and have fun at the same time is a challenge all of us — educators deal with.

There are different theories and practices about what the best way of vocabulary presentation is. All of them come not merely from theory but from practice as well. Hence, there is no definite truth here. All we need to know is that if it works for the learner then WELL DONE!

Existing Theories

CELTA course gives us a very nice and structured way of vocabulary presentation — meaning, pronunciation, form (MPF). This is explained in the following way — teaching meaning is the first obligatory thing, as the learners should first understand what the word means and then deal with the form and polish its pronunciation. Pronunciation comes next as the word should be articulated properly to be understood by the interlocutors, and the form is the last one in the list, as seeing the word written might hijack its pronunciation, considering the students are not well versed in word stress and the pronunciation of certain letter combinations. This order, however, can be varied according to the language level of the learners, the material presented and the aim of the task. For instance, when working with B2 and higher level of learners we can have the presentation stages in the following order: form, pronunciation, meaning. At this level of language comprehension learners are less likely to make pronunciation mistakes and we can actually show the form and reinstate the pronunciation without working on the meaning first. This technique however, is risky with low level learners, as they might pronounce the word incorrectly or get lost in the form, thus, prolonging the assimilation stage.

Another theory suggests that having a context for vocabulary presentation is always a must, as a lesson should not be divided into different sections like vocabulary, grammar, listening, reading, writing, but it rather should be a unity where all language skill are intertwined with each other. This, being true, does not negate the fact that sometimes we hold mere vocabulary sessions where having all the aspects included is not a must.

As we know, there are different types of learners — visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Though it is impossible to meet everyone’s needs all the time, we are trying to make sure each session contains material for each type of learner. It is worth mentioning here, that learners don’t have to be of a specific type, but can have certain aspects of each with one dominant type.

Let’s have a closer look at some practical points and choose the ones that will work well with the type of learners we are currently dealing with.

• Realia

Using realia in class when possible increases the chance of students remembering the targeted phrases with more ease and more vividly. This works better with lower level vocabulary where we are working with non abstract notions. Topics like ‘food, everyday objects, etc.’ go well with this method. We can go further and get more creative by using realia to revise/recycle vocabulary by asking the students to name the objects, or bring the objects they want to know how to call in English to class, and mingle. This can get very noisy, fun and educational.

• Picture

In case realia is hard to organize, pictures are always there to help thanks to the wide variety of Internet resources available nowadays. What I love pulling off during classes is trying to elicit an abstract phrase/idiom through a situational picture. It gives the students a chance to think longer, use their creativity and result in very interesting phrases.Below there is one of the idiomatic phrases I introduced during the class and students still remember it — Don’t cry over spilt milk.

First, the students brainstormed different phrases by looking at the picture. The only thing they knew was that it represents an idiomatic expression in English and they had to try to guess it. After the students mentioned the key words the phrase was revealed to them. After that, they started working with the meaning and finding synonymous idiomatic expressions in their L1.

Similarly, posters and flashcards can be very useful when working with visual learners. We can have a set of words to introduce with picture flash cards (either printed or using slides).

• Guessing the word from the context

This has been a great vocabulary introduction practice for quite a long time with different age groups, levels of target language comprehension and interests. One of the ways is to present a text to the students where the context leads to the understanding of the key word. Most textbooks use this technique. Another way, is to show the target word in different sentences to enable the students grasp the meaning. Checking whether the students have actually understood the meaning of the word or not is quite easy, by either asking them to make their own sentences using the target word or elicit the translation of the word if everyone shares the same L1.

For example:

“Audi is a luxurious car.”

“Gucci is a more luxurious brand than Guess.”

“They entered the elegant, newly decorated, and luxurious dining room.”

This technique works nice with reading/writing type of learners. It can also work with the auditory type if we decide to read the sentences out loud instead of presenting the learners with the written one.

• Definitions

This is another well-versed way of introducing new vocabulary. One challenge that we, teachers, might have with this, is making sure that the definition is actually comprehensible. Sometimes dictionaries provide definitions that include a lot of unknown words, hence confusing the learners even more. So, it is our job to choose/adapt the definitions according to the level of the learners to achieve a successful result.

An example of this I have come across when teaching B1 level students was the phrase “to cut down on something”:

To cut down on something — to start using something less extensive than previously

I adapted it like this — to start using something less than before

This technique can be quite nice for both reading/writing and auditory type of the learner depending on the way of its presentation.

• Personalization

It is a fact that learners remember things better when we give them strong associations. This can be examples from the real world around us (politics, celebrities, etc.), as well as personalized examples on students or the teacher.

Let’s say, you want to teach the phrase “to get on well with someone”. Something like this can definitely work:

“My sister and I understand each other very easily. We have the same interests, the same hobbies, the same opinion about different things and we never fight. We get on well with each other.”

We can either use the target phrase like it was in the example and ask the students to guess the meaning, or leave the space blank and let the students guess the phrase itself. The second way works better in revision sessions though.

• Find the word

This one is my personal favourite.

Let’s say we are going to introduce 4 words: reliable, arrogant, showy, trustworthy

We can create a grid with the words, cut them in half, and give to the students:

The students should try to find the correct beginnings and endings for the words knowing that there are only 4 words to compile.

This can be a little time consuming, but it gives the students a chance to compile the words on their own, hence, they work with word structure, exercise their background knowledge and having so much exposure to the target words enables them to remember them better.

• Graphs

This approach is a very nice way to help assimilate the target word/phrase easier and in a full package. Four categories are used to help the learner grasp the meaning of the word and its usage: synonym, antonym, example, non-example. The graph below represents it more clearly.

This is a full and exhaustive way of dealing with the word at hand. To make it more challenging, we can upgrade the students’ language and introduce the part of speech differences of the word as well.

Let’s say we are teaching the word ‘interesting’. The rank will go as follows

Noun — an interest (n.)

Verb — to interest (v.)

Adjective — interesting, interested (adj.)

Adverb — Interestingly (adv.)

At the same time, context and/or example sentences can be provided with these 4 words which will result in the students’ assimilating 4 words instead of 1.

• Ranking

This is another way of introducing sets of words. As we know, learning different shades of meaning is an effective way to enrich the students word-stock faster and help them understand the usage of each in a respective context. Though ranking is known to be a toll for vocabulary practice, it can also be used to challenge the students background knowledge and language feeling in general. Of course, here the level of the students is crucial, as we cannot demand A1 or A2 levels to have the that linguistic feeling.

Ranks work well with adjectives and adverbs quite nicely. Adverbs, however, can also be introduced with percentages as it is done in most textbooks (always — 100%, never — 0%).

Always-often-sometimes-occasionally-seldom/hardly ever-never

Happy-excited-delighted-ecstatic

• Classification

This is another way of introducing new language in Test-Teach-Test format. It can be as simple as asking the learners to classify the target words into respective columns (means of transport, food, clothes, etc.), to parts of speech.

This also requires a lot of exposure to the language where the students have a chance to look at the target words/phrases more than once, try to pronounce them correctly, use their background knowledge, their guy feeling. As mentioned, things which people achieve themselves and are not handed, stick in the long-term memory.

• Translation

Foreign language specialists, trainers, educators, instructors will agree that translation is not the best idea when working with a group of people trying to learn a target language. However, to me, it is not such a bad thing after all. Quite the opposite, when used moderately and to the point, it can be quite helpful in the teaching process.

Sometimes there are ideas and abstract notions which are hard to explain in a target language and near to impossible when dealing with low level learners. Here the L1 comes to help.

This being true, we should not forget, that translation is to be resorted only after we have tried all the possible ways to convey the meaning of the word and failed. It can be used to clarify the understanding rather than reveal it from the beginning.

Anyways, in general, it’s not a shame to have a good dictionary at hand and check the meaning of the words we, as teachers might not have come across yet. It creates a healthy learning environment if it’s done moderately and once again highlights the truth that learning is a lifelong process.

Alternatively, we can tell the students that we will check the word and get back to them. We should not be surprised that the  students will take our word for it and wait for the clarification next class. So, it is important to keep our promises and get back to the students to answer their questions.

All of these said, it is worth pointing out that not all the techniques and methods will work with all types of groups and learners. Things that should be taken into account are age of the learners, interests, previous exposure to the language, background knowledge in general (this being a powerful tool when teaching in general, not just a language), their mother tongue, type of the learner and the means available at hand (technology, resources).

Let’s get creative and share more tools and techniques to facilitate vocabulary introduction. Looking forward to your comments!

By Robby

If you are new here please read this first.

Here’s how to improve your spoken English when reading this article: read it out loud, then read out loud the collocations highlighted in red 10 times each to memorize them, then look away from the monitor and try and say 3 sample sentences for each of those collocations! For best results record your speech so that you can go back, spot any mistakes you might have made, and then do some more spoken English practice by correcting yourself!

May I ask you a question – what do you do when seeing an unfamiliar English word?

Here’s what people normally do:

• Look up the new word in a dictionary
• Ask someone what it means
• Forget about it and only look it up if seeing it for the second or third time

But have you ever tried to GUESS the meaning of the unfamiliar word?

Well, not that many people try to do that, but it’s worth to give it a shot!

Don’t be immediately looking up the meaning of the new word, try and think a little bit if you can find any connection between the new word and some other English word that you’re already familiar with!

Let’s imagine for second that you’re not familiar with the following word – “enclosure”.

If you just tell yourself – “I haven’t got a clue what “enclosure” is!” – it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and you’re not going to figure out what it means simply because you’re not even trying to do it.

If, on the other hand, you’re thinking along the following lines: “Hold on, “enclosure” – it might have something to do with the word “close”, right? So there’s a good chance it defines something that is closed…” – you’re opening your mind and tapping into your brain resources.

This type of thinking will develop a more thorough understanding of the English language and its vocabulary and will provide a small boost in all areas of your English development – comprehension, reading, and speaking.

And on top of that, I truly hope that this article will serve as an eye-opener and make you realize that a lot of English words are related! 😉

Compound Words – The Easiest Words to Guess

Surely you’re familiar with the compound word concept – you take two words such as “foot” and “ball”, and you stick them together forming a new word – “football”.

There’s hundreds of such and similar words out there, and I’m pretty sure that if you were to come across a new compound word you hadn’t seen before, you’d stand a fair chance of figuring out its meaning.

I mean – if the word “undercover” is a new English word for you, you would most likely figure out its meaning – especially considering that in reality there would be some context to help you – such as “undercover agent”.

It’s not always that obvious though – there a lot of compound English words that have taken on new meanings and become words in their own right, such as the word “underdog”, for example. The meaning of this word has got nothing to do with dogs, it describes someone who’s expected to lose a contest and finds themselves at disadvantage.

By and large, however, you would be much better off trying to guess the meaning of a new compound word first and then look it up – just like I told you before, it’s going to sharpen your English comprehension skills and train your “gut feeling” for new English words.

Now Let’s Step It Up a Notch

For instance, if the word “audible” is new to you, analyze it just a little bit.

Are there ANY familiar patterns in it? What about “audi”? Are there any words you know that contain “audi” (and no, I don’t mean the German car manufacturer here!)?

“Audio”, right? So, the word “audio” has something to do with sound, and it could very well be that “audible” is also related to the concept of sound, right?

Now, think about the ending “-ible”. Do you know any other words ending with “-ible” or something similar? “Possible”, “edible”, “doable”, “manageable”- what’s the common denominator in all these words?

Yes, that’s right! It’s the aspect of “ability”, basically the ending “-ible” or “-able” validates the main word, makes it possible – after all, the very word “able” describes that concept!

Now, going back to the original word “audible”, you can make an educated guess that it describes a sound that can be heard, and then you can verify that by looking the word up in a dictionary (and don’t forget to use English to English dictionary, NEVER translate new English words into your native language because that way you’ll create wrong vocabulary associations in your brain!)

Be Careful – Sometimes You’ll Find Something That’s Not There!

It’s also worth mentioning that it’s possible to find false vocabulary connections, so in reality you should always verify if your own findings reflect the reality.

Let’s take the word “together”. If you break it down, you’d think that it’s made up from three words “to”, “get” and “her”, right?

Well, it’s not really the case because that wouldn’t make any sense. I mean – what would the concept of being together have anything to do with getting “her”, right? In reality this word originates from the words “to” and “gather” in which case it makes complete sense – to gather “together”, and you’ll learn about this connection within milliseconds when doing a simple lookup on one of the dictionary websites.

Another example – take the word “angel” and break it down into “an” and “gel”. You don’t really think that there’s a connection between an “angel” and “gel”, do you? And you’re right – there’s no connection at all! In reality the word “gel” derives from “gelatin”, and it’s only coincidental that the two words “gel” and “angel” contain the same syllable.

New Words ALWAYS Come in Context Which Makes the Guesswork Much Easier!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that CONTEXT is the king.

Everything is contextual – the way we speak (we speak using word groups, the so-called collocations), the way we perceive the English language (when we read or listen to something, we don’t really perceive individual words, it’s all about phrases and sentences) and also the way we learn new vocabulary.

We rarely come across new English vocabulary words taken out of context. They’re usually part of a phrase or a sentence, and what’s great about it is that it makes it a whole lot easier for you to guess what it means!

Let’s take the word “enclosure” again. You have to agree that chances of you just seeing that word on its own are really slim. Most likely you’ll come across a phrase such as “animal enclosure” or “dog enclosure” in which case it becomes so much easier to guess its meaning.

There’s at least 2 clues in this instance – one is the root word “close” and the second one is the word “animal” or “dog”. You really don’t have to be a genius to put two and two together and infer the word’s meaning from the information that’s available to you.

And let’s not forget that typically you’d be also having some visual clue as well – so in real life what you’ll be having is at least 3 clues – the root word “close”, some other context such as “animal”, and the actual enclosure you’ll be looking at in a zoo, for instance.

So you really have to try hard NOT TO guess what that word means, right? 😉

Let’s take another example.

The word “to evolve”.

Do you know what it means? Well, chances are that you don’t!

But remember – in reality you’ll always get some clues, so here’s a sentence for you: “Darwin is the first known scientist who proposed a theory that plants and animals evolve and change over hundreds and thousands of years.”

Now, isn’t it pretty clear now?

The context alone gives you plenty of clues that the word evolve has got something to do with evolution, and when you look at the two words – “evolve” and “evolution” – it becomes apparent that the verb “to evolve” simply means to undergo evolution, to develop.

I hope that reading this article is going to plant the seed into your head, and that from here on out you’ll be trying to bring the guesswork into the equation of building your English vocabulary!

Cheers,

Robby

P.S. Would you like to find out why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? Read this article and you’ll learn why it’s so important to learn idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to improve your spoken English!

P.S.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System HERE!

P.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out the English Harmony System HERE!

2. air – the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth and that we breathe.

3. amount – a collection or mass, especially of something that cannot be counted.

4. animal – something that lives and moves, but is not a human, bird, insect or fish.

5. answer – the receipt and response to a letter, question or phone call.

6. approval – the feeling of having a positive opinion of someone or something.

7. art – the activity of making objects, drawings, music, paintings, sculptures etc that are beautiful or that express feelings.

8. attack – to try to hurt or defeat (mainly referred to physical violence but can also be used to describe verbal or emotional outbursts).

9. attention – notice, thought or interest.

10. back – (adverb) in return, into, towards a previous place or condition, or an earlier time; (noun) the part of your body that is opposite to the front, from your shoulder to your bottom.

11. base – the bottom part of an object, on which it rests, or the lowest part of something.

12. behavior – the way that someone behaves.

13. belief – the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true, something that you believe.

14. birth – the time when a young baby, or young animal comes out of its mother’s body.

15. blood – the red liquid that is sent around the body by the heart.

16. blow – to move and make currents of air, or to make a sound by forcing air out of your mouth.

17. body – the whole physical structure that forms a person or animal.

18. bread – a food made from flour, water and usually yeast, mixed together and baked.

19. breath – the air that goes into and out of your lungs.

20. brother – a man or boy with the same parents as another person.

21. building – a structure with walls and a roof, such as a house or a factory.

22. burn – to be hurt, damaged or destroyed by fire or extreme heat, or to cause this to happen.

23. business – the activity of buying and selling goods and services.

24. butter – a pale yellow food containing a lot of fat that is made from cream, usually spread on bread or used in cooking.

25. care – the process of protecting someone or something, and providing what they need.

26. cause – the reason why something, especially something bad, happens.

27. chance – an occasion that allows something to be done.

28. change – to exchange one thing for another thing, or to make or become different.

29. cloth – a type of woven material, usually used in cleaning to remove dirt, dust or liquid.

30. color/colour – red, blue, green, yellow, red, orange etc.

31. comfort – a pleasant feeling of being relaxed and free from pain.

32. company – an organization that sells goods or services in order to make money.

33. comparison – the act of comparing two or more people or things.

34. competition – a situation in which someone is trying to win something or be more successful than someone else.

35. connection – the state of being related to someone or something.

36. cook – (verb) when you prepare food to be eaten by heating it until it is ready, or (noun) a person who prepares and cooks food.

37. country – an area of land that has its own government, army etc.

38. cover – to put or spread something over something, or to lie on the surface of something.

39. credit – praise, approval or honour.

40. cry – to produce tears as the result of a strong emotion, such as sadness, fear, happiness or pain.

41. current – of the present time.

42. damage – to harm or spoil something.

43. danger – the possibility of harm or death to someone.

44. daughter – your female child.

45. day – a period of 24 hours.

46. death – the end of life.

47. decision – a choice that you make about something after thinking about all the possible options.

48. detail – a single piece of information or fact about something.

49. development – the process in which someone or something grows or changes and becomes more advanced.

50. direction – the position towards which someone or something moves or faces.51. discovery – the process of finding information, a place or an object, especially for the first time.

52. discussion – the activity in which people talk about something and tell each other their ideas or opinions.

53. disease – an illness of people, animals or plants caused by infection or a lack of health.

54. distance – the amount of space between two places.

55. doubt – (a feeling of) not being certain about something, especially how good or true it is.

56. drink – (noun) liquid that is taken into the body through the mouth, or (verb) to take liquid into the body through the mouth.

57. driving – the ability to drive a car, the activity of driving, or the way someone drives.

58. dust – dry dirt in the form of powder that covers surfaces inside a building, or very small dry pieces of soil etc.

59. earth – our planet, the third in order from the sun, between Venus and Mars, the world on which we live. Also another term for soil on the ground.

60. education – the process of teaching or learning in a school or college, or the knowledge that you get from this.

61. effect – the result of a particular influence.

62. end – the part of a place or thing that is the furthest away from the start, or the final part of something such as a period of time, activity or story.

63. error – a mistake.

64. example – a way of helping someone to understand something by showing them how it is used.

65. experience – (the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing or feeling things, or something that happens to you which affects how you feel.

66. expert – a person with a high level of knowledge or skill relating to a particular subject or activity.

67. fact – something that is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists.

68. fall – to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to, or by accident.

69. family – a group of people who are related to each other such as a mother, father and their children.

70. father – a male parent.

71. fear – an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are worried or frightened by something dangerous, painful or bad that is happening or may happen.

72. feeling – the fact of feeling something physical, or an emotion.

73. fire – the state of burning that produces flames that send out heat and light, and might produce smoke.

74. flight – a journey in an aircraft.

75. flower – the part of a plant that is often brightly coloured and has a pleasant smell.

76. food – something that people and animals eat or plants absorb, to keep them alive.

77. friend – a person who you know well and like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family.

78. front – the part of a person’s body, building or object that faces forward, or is most often seen or used.

79. fruit – the soft part containing seeds that is produced by a plant. Many types of fruit are sweet and can be eaten.

80. glass – a hard transparent material used to make windows bottles and other objects.

81. gold – a chemical element that is a valuable, shiny, yellow metal used to make coins and jewellery.

82. government – the group of people that officially control a country.

83. grain – a seed or seeds from a plant, especially a plant like a grass such as rice or wheat.

84. grass – a low, green plant that grows naturally from soil on the Earth’s surface.

85. growth – the growth of a person, animal or plant is its process of increasing in size.

86. guide – written information or a person that gives you the history of, or most important facts about, a particular or subject.

87. harbor/harbour – an area of water next to the coast, often protected from the sea by a thick wall, where ships and boats can shelter.

88. hate – to dislike someone or something very much.

89. hearing – the ability to hear, or an official meeting that is held to collect the facts about an event or problem.

90. heat – the quality of being hot or warm, or the temperature of something.

91. help – to make it possible or easier for someone to do something, by doing part of the work yourself.

92. history – (the study or record of) past events considered together, especially events of a particular period, country or subject.

93. hole – an empty space in an object, usually with an opening to the object’s surface, or an opening that goes completely through an object.

94. hope – to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might.

95. hour – a period of 60 minutes.

96. ice – water that has frozen and become solid, or pieces of this.

97. idea – a suggestion or plan for doing something.

98. increase – to (make something) become larger in amount or size.

99. industry – the companies and activities involved in the process of producing goods for sale, especially in a factory or special area.

102. interest – the feeling of wanting to give your attention to something or someone, or wanting to be involved with and to discover more about something.

103. iron – a chemical element that is a common greyish-coloured metal. It is strong, used in making steel, and exists in very small amounts in blood.

104. join – to connect or fasten things together.

105. journey – the act of travelling from one place to another, especially in a vehicle.

106. jump – to push yourself suddenly off the ground and into the air using your legs.

107. kick – to hit someone or something with the foot, or to move the feet and legs suddenly and violently.

108. kiss – to touch another person’s cheek or hand with your lips, especially as a greeting, or to press your mouth onto another person’s mouth in a sexual way.

109. knowledge – understanding of, or information about, a subject that you get by experience or study.

110. land – the surface of the Earth that is not covered by water.

111. language – a system of communication consisting of sounds, words and grammar.

112. laugh – to smile when making sounds with your voice that show you think something is funny or that you are happy.

113. low – not measuring much from the base to the top, close to the ground or the bottom of something.

114. lead – to control a group of people, a country or situation.

115. learning – the activity of obtaining knowledge, or knowledge obtained by study.

116. letter – a written message from one person to another, usually put in an envelope and sent by post.

117. level – the height of something, or the amount or number of something.

118. light – the brightness that comes from the sun, fire and some electrical devices, and that allows things to be seen.

119. limit – the greatest amount, number or level of something that is either possible or allowed.

120. liquid – a substance, such as water, that is not solid or a gas and that can be poured easily.

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121. look – to direct your eyes in order to see.

122. loss – the fact that you no longer have something, or have less of something.

123. love – to like another adult very much and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to have strong feelings of liking a friend or person in your family in a non-sexual way.

124. machine – a piece of equipment with several moving parts that uses power to do a particular type of work.

125. man – an adult male human being.

126. market – the people who might want to buy something, or a part of the world where something is sold, or the business or trade in a particular product.

127. mass – (adjective) having an effect on or involving a large number of people, or forming a large amount. (noun) a large amount of something that has no particular shape or arrangement.

128. meal – an occasion when food is eaten, or the food that is eaten on such an occasion.

129. measure – to discover the exact size or amount of something, or to be of a particular size.

132. memory – the ability to remember information, experiences and people.

133. middle – the central point, position or part.

134. milk – the white liquid produced by cows, goats, sheep, and used by humans as a drink or for making butter and cheese.

135. mind – the part of a person that makes it possible for him or her to think, feel emotions and understand things.

136. mine – the one(s) belonging to or connected with me (the speaker).

137. minute – one of the 60 parts that an hour is divided into, consisting of 60 seconds.

138. mist – thin fog produced by very small drops of water collecting in the air just above an area of ground or water.

139. money – coins or notes that are used to buy things, or the amount of these that one person has.

140. month – a period of about 4 weeks, especially one of the 12 periods into which a year is divided.

141. morning – the part of the day from the time the sun rises or you wake up, until the middle of the day or lunch time.

142. mother – a female parent.

143. mountain – a raised part of the Earth’s surface, much larger than a hill.

144. move – to (cause to) change position.

145. music – a pattern of sounds made by musical instruments, voices or computers, intended to give pleasure to people listening to it.

146. name – the word or words that a person, thing or place is known by.

147. nation – a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.

148. need – the urge to have something, or want something very much.

149. news – information or reports about recent events.

150. night – the part of every 24-hour period when it is dark, because there is very little light from the sun.

151. noise – a sound or sounds, especially when it is unwanted, unpleasant or loud.

152. number – a unit that forms part of the system of counting or calculating.

153. offer – to ask someone if they would like to have something, or they would like you to do something.

154. oil – a thick liquid that comes from petroleum, used as a fuel, and for making parts of machines move easily.

155. opinion – a thought, belief or judgement about someone or something.

156. order – a request to make, supply or deliver food or goods.

157. organization – a group of people who work together in an organized way for a shared purpose.

158. owner – someone who owns something.

159. page – a side of one of the pieces of paper in a book, magazine or newspaper.

160. pain – a feeling of physical, emotional or mental suffering.

161. paint – a coloured liquid that is put on a surface, such as a wall, to decorate it.

162. paper – thin, flat material made from crushed wood or cloth, used for writing, printing or drawing on.

163. part – some, but not all of a thing.

164. paste – a think, soft, sticky substance made by crushing or mixing things such as fish, fruit or vegetables for food, or a liquid with powder for glue.

165. payment – an amount of money paid or the process of giving money owed to another.

166. peace – free from war and violence, especially when people live and work together happily, without disagreements.

167. person – a man, woman or child.

168. place – an area, town or building.

169. plant – a living thing that grows in earth, or water, usually has a stem, leaves and roots, and produces seeds.

170. play – spending time doing an enjoyable and/or entertaining activity.

171. pleasure – enjoyment, happiness and satisfaction, or something that gives this.

172. position – the place where something or someone is, often in relation to other things.

173. power – ability to control people and events.

174. price – the amount of money for which something is sold.

175. process – a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result.

176. produce – (verb) to make something or bring something into existence. (noun) food or any other substance that is grown or obtained through farming.

177. profit – money that is earned in trade or business, after paying any costs related to producing selling goods.

178. property – an object/objects, building or land that belong to someone.

179. pull – to move something towards yourself, sometimes with great physical effort.

180. punishment – the act of punishing someone.

181. purpose – why you do something, or why something exists.

182. push – to use physical pressure or force, especially with your hands, in order to move something into a position that is further away from you.

183. quality – how good or bad something is.

184. question – a sentence or phrase used to find out information.

185. rain – drops of water from clouds.

186. reaction – behaviour, a feeling or an action that is the direct result of something.

187. reading – the skill or activity of getting information from books.

188. reason – the cause of an event or situation, something that provides an excuse or explanation.

189. record – (verb) to store sounds or moving pictures using electronic equipment. (noun) the best or fastest ever done. (noun) a flat plastic disc on which music is recorded.

190. regret – a feeling of sadness about something sad or wrong, or about a mistake that you have made.

191. relation – the way in which two people or groups of people feel and behave towards each other.

192. religion – the belief in, and worship of, a god or gods.

193. request – the act of politely or officially asking for something.

194. respect – admiration felt or shown for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities.

195. rest – to stop doing a particular activity in order to relax and regain your strength.

196. reward – something given in exchange for good behaviour or good work.

197. rice – the small seeds of a particular type of grass, cooked and eaten as food.

198. river – a natural wide flow of fresh water across the land into the sea, a lake or another river.

199. road – a long hard man-made surface built for vehicles to travel along.

202. run – to move along, faster than walking, by taking quick steps.

203. salt – a common white substance found in sea water and in the ground, used especially to flavour food or to preserve it.

204. sand – a substance that consists of very small grains of rock, found on beaches and deserts.

205. sea – the salty water that covers a large surface of the Earth.

206. seat – a piece of furniture in a building or vehicle, that has been designed for someone to sit on.

207. secretary – someone who works in an office, writing letters, making phone calls and arranging meetings.

208. selection – the act of choosing someone or something.

209. sense – an ability to understand, recognize, value, or react to something, especially any of the five abilities to see, hear, smell, feel and taste.

210. shade – slight darkness caused by something blocking the direct light from the sun.

211. shake – to move or make something or someone move, backwards and forwards or up and down in short quick movements.

212. shame – an uncomfortable feeling of guilt or of being ashamed, because of your own or someone else’s bad behaviour.

213. shock – the emotional or physical reaction to a sudden unexpected and usually unpleasant event or experience.

214. side – a flat outer surface of an object, especially one that is not the top, bottom, the front nor the back.

215. sign – to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, to show that you agree with its contents.

216. silver – a chemical element that is a valuable shiny white metal, used for making cutlery, jewellery, coins or decorative objects.

217. sister – a girl or woman who has the same parents as another person.

218. size – how large or small someone or something is.

219. sky – the area above the earth, in which clouds, the sun, moon and stars can be seen.

220. sleep – the resting state in which the body is not active and the mind is unconscious.

221. slip – to slide without intending to, or to move out of the correct position.

222. smash – to cause something to break noisily into a lot of small pieces.

223. smell – to have a particular quality that others can notice with their noses.

224. smile – a happy or friendly expression on the face in which the ends of the mouth curve up slightly, often with lips parted so that teeth can be seen.

225. smoke – the mixture of gas and very small pieces of carbon that is produced when something burns.

226. sneeze – when you sneeze, air and often small drops of liquid suddenly come out of your mouth and nose in a way that you cannot control.

227. snow – the small soft, white pieces of ice that sometimes fall from the sky when it is extremely cold.

228. soap – a substance used for washing the body, that is usually hard, often has a pleasant smell and produces a mass of bubbles when rubbed with water.

229. society – a large group of people who live together in an organized way. All the people in a country, or in several similar countries, could be referred to as a society.

230. son – someone’s male child.

231. song – a usually short piece of music where words are sung.

232. sort – (noun) a group of things that are of the same type, or that share similar qualities. (verb) to put a number of things in an order, or to separate them into groups.

233. sound – something that you can hear or that can be heard.

234. soup – a usually hot liquid food made from meat, vegetables or fish.

235. space – an empty area that is available to be used. The area around everything that exists, continuing in all directions.

236. start – to begin doing something.

237. step – to move by lifting your foot, and putting it down in a different place, or to put your foot in or on something.

238. stone – a piece of the hard solid substance that is found in the ground, and that is often used for building.

239. stop – to not continue to operate, to not move anymore, or to make someone or something not move anymore.

240. story – a description either true or imagined, of a connected series of events.

241. structure – the way in which the parts of a system or object are arranged or organized, or a system arranged in this way.

242. sugar – a sweet substance especially from the plants sugar cane and sugar beet, used to make food and drinks sweet.

243. suggestion – an idea, plan or action that is suggested, or the act of suggesting it.

244. summer – the season of the year between spring and autumn when the weather is the warmest, lasting from June to September in the UK.

245. surprise – an unexpected event.

246. swim – to move through water by moving parts of your body.

247. talk – to say words aloud; to speak to someone.

248. taste – the flavour of something, or the ability of a person or animal to recognize different flavours.

249. tax – money paid to the government that is based on your income or the cost of goods or services you have bought.

250. teaching – the job of being a teacher; the role/act of educating another person in any particular subject.

251. thing – used to refer in an approximate way to an object or to avoid naming it.

252. thought – the act of thinking about or considering something, an idea or opinion, or a set of ideas about a particular subject.

253. time – the part of existence that is measured in minutes, days or years, or this process considered as a whole.

254. touch – to put your hand or another part of your body lightly onto and off something or someone.

255. trade – the activity of buying and selling or exchanging goods and/or services between people or countries.

256. transport – the movement of people or goods from one place to another.

257. trouble – problems or difficulties, or a negative characteristic of someone.

258. turn – to (cause to) move in a circle round a fixed point or line.

259. use – to put something such as a tool, skill or building to a particular purpose.

260. value – the amount of money that can be received for something.

261. view – an opinion, belief or idea, or a way of thinking about something; what someone can see in their peripheral vision.

262. voice – the sounds that are made when people speak or sing.

263. walk – to move along by putting one foot in front of the other.

264. war – armed fighting between two or more countries or groups, or a particular example of this.

265. wash – to clean something using water and usually soap.

266. waste – an unnecessary or wrong use of things such as money, substances, time, energy or abilities.

267. water – a clear liquid, without colour or taste, that falls from the sky as rain, and is necessary for animal and plant life.

268. way – a route, direction or path.

269. weather – the conditions in the air above the earth such as wind, rain or temperature, especially at a particular time or over a particular area.

270. week – a period of seven days, usually from Monday to Sunday.

271. weight – the amount that someone or something weighs.

272. wind – a current of air moving approximately horizontally, especially one strong enough to be felt.

273. wine – an alcoholic drink generally made from grapes but that can also be made from other fruits or flowers.

274. winter – the season between autumn and spring, when the weather is the coldest.

275. woman – an adult female human being.

276. wood – a hard substance that forms the branches and trunks of trees and can be used as a building material, for making things, or as a fuel.

277. word – a single unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written.

278. work – an activity, such as a job, that a person uses physical or mental effort to do, usually for money.

279. writing – a person’s style of writing with a pen on paper that can be recognized as their own.

280. year – a period of twelve months.

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