Some more info by clicking here and here (two previous posts about the topic)
This site is great for vocabulary learning! It has been particularly designed for American High school students preparing to take the College Board SAT, an aptitude test. However, it’ll be of great help for those intermediate to advanced students learning English as a second/foreign language.
It is an interactive tool which allows you to interact with the words you want to learn. It offers hundreds of videos and flash cards, which include audio, to help you learn vocabulary using all your senses. Doing so, you’ll quickly realise how easy and fun learning vocabulary can be.
Some practical advice:
> You need to be able to hear the word and how it is pronounced.
> You need to be able to say the word, maybe repeating it or using it in context.
> Seeing the word in its written form is always helpful.
> An activity that encourages you to write would be excellent for both, improving your writing skills and learning and retrieving (remembering) new vocabulary.
Posted in MISCELLANEOUS / SELF-STUDY, VOCABULARY / LEXIS, WRITING STRATEGIES
Tagged self-study, vocab, writing
“Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” David Wilkins.
Speakers need vocabulary in order to express their ideas. So do learners of English. A typical student starting an Advanced course is more likely to have significant problems in the area of vocabulary (e.g. with collocations and chunks) than with grammar.
Some facts and figures:
How many words are there in the English language? Nobody knows for sure… it is sometimes hard to decide what counts as a word. However, some say that there are about 2 million words, which makes English the richest language in vocabulary.
Yet, the Oxford Dictionary has catalogued around 500.000 words (1,000,000 words including scientific words).
An average educated person knows about 20,000 words and uses about 2,000 words in a week.
An intermediate student of a foreign language knows up to 2,500 words (the most frequent words). With this number you’re able to understand 80% of what you read or hear.
Knowing a word means knowing:
But, why do learners usually have problems learning and using vocabulary?
Firstly, let’s think about two very important terms to take into account when learning vocabulary:
These are different skills and require different attention and methodology. Let’s see what they’re about in more detail:
The majority of experts believe that comprehension should precede production:
* When you come across a new word, the first thing you do is try to understand its meaning. However, you don’t have to understand every single word to get the meaning of a passage or a conversation.
* You know that a word may have several meanings but you don’t need to know them all, the general meaning is enough for a start.
* When you read or listen to a conversation, you should avoid using the dictionary until the very end. Instead, try to use strategies to understand the word (guessing from context, from the preceding text, type of word, word formation, intonation and stress, etc.). If you use a dictionary, do it for learning purposes, that is, to learn the meaning of a word that is useful and commong within your level of English.
* And obviously, try to store the new word or expression, keep it in your memory (and also in a vocabulary notebook!). There are several strategies you can try:
Associate new words with others related, for example:
Mind-mapping – is the perfect tool for collecting and associating words; read about and/or watch this video; and here you have another example of how to mindmap vocab
Being strategic is also about learning the most common words first (high-frequency words). Some learner’s dictionaries highlight the frequency of words.
Some students like to use different ways of memorizing. If you do this, avoid long lists of unrelated vocabulary.
Try not to store and learn vocabulary only through translation, in fact, try to avoid translating unless the word or expression is idiomatic or metaphoric (to be broke = estar aruinado, nothing to do with having a broken leg, for instance).
New vocabulary is better learnt with examples. Whenever you record a new word or expression, you should include a sentence exemplifying the use or uses of that specific word, obviously in English. Relate examples to your personal experience and context for better learning.
When you write examples you are also learning its grammatical function and correct position in a sentence. For example: “lash” – transitive verb. To hit something with a very stong forcde. The wind was still strong, and the rain lashed against the roof. We could hear the branches lashing the side of the house. It’s lashing rain!
Immediate production: Practical use of vocabulary.
A vocabulary notebook:
You may enter 5 new words a day in the following way:
Write the new word or expression on a first column, its definition on a second one and an example sentence on the next one. You can add another column or linked lines to add related vocabulary (synonyms, families, etc)
If you can enter 5 new words in your notebook that’ll mean 35 new words a week, 150 a month and 1800 new words a year!!
Try to get a handy type of notebook, so you can carry it around in your bag or pocket to have a look at it whenever you’re bored while waiting for the bus, or something like that.
Another version: use cue cards, or flash cards. Each card may contain a group of related vocabulary with examples. Do not forget to include pronunciation as well.
PLEASE, SHARE YOUR STRATEGIES WITH US, POST IN YOUR OWN TIPS, WHAT WORKS FOR YOU MAY WORK AND HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
Cheers,
Sonia
Learning to read in the two above ways is important!
The more times we read a text, the more we tend to understand. However, sometimes we might be short of time (e.g. tests and exams) and being an efficient reader is important here.
I’d like you to consider some hints and tips that will help you succeed when you face reading comprehension exercises to be done in a limited amount of time.
Time yourself in every step and keep a record of your marks, you’ll see the progress you’re making.
Skimming is a technique used to get the gist of the text. After reading the text quickly, stop and ask yourself what the main idea is. Don’t worry about not remembering details and less important information at this point. In your exam, some questions depend on your general understanding of the text.
Scanning is about detailed reading. Other questions in our tests depend on you identifying specific information.
Reading exercises and tests usually include a multiple choice exercise that tests general ideas and main points in each paragraph, and then a more scanning type of text where we need to be quick in finding specific info.
Steps I recommend:
You’ll skip some parts of this technique when you get used to it, however follow all the steps for the time being, till you get enough practice. The more difficult the text is, the more useful the technique is.
Step 1: Where we are, what we’re facing
Read the title, the instructions and the comprehension questions. Underline key words in the questions, or wait for that till Step 3.
Step 2: Skimming the text
Read the text quickly (it should take you a few minutes, a few!, 2, 3…), so as to identify:
– the kind of text (different texts organize information differently and if we know about that, we can be quicker finding the info we need)
– the topic
– and the approach or the main thesis.
Tips: some texts include an introduction and an ending with relevant information to the main idea of the text. Essays and articles include topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph and sometimes a kind of concluding sentence at the end (they might also contain an introduction to the next point in the next paragraph)
Step 3: the Questions
If you understood them after step 1(and don’t worry if you didn’t), have another quick look at the key words you underlined.
If you didn’t understand the questions at the beginning (the most likely scenario), read them carefully now, and underline key words.
Step 4: First scanning – getting down to work!
Read slowly, carefully. Be aware of which chunks you understand well and which seem to be difficult. Read them all carefully, trying to understand, but don’t spend your whole life on the difficult ones, you’ll go back to those in your second scanning.
So, first answer the easy questions. Re-read carefully the others, thinking about the whole text if necessary (sometimes going back to the whole picture helps us realize what we need to look for).
Tips: You could write on the margin, next to the area where an answer may be, the number of question it answers. This will save you time later on. You can also underline key words/points.
Step 5: Second scanning – Think over the parts you didn’t understand
In the second scanning (and third, fourth… if you’re practicing), you should try to solve the hardest parts and answer those questions. Keep in mind something: re-reading the easy parts (much more quickly than the hard parts) may be necessary because those ideas may help us to understand the difficult parts.
Step 6: Check all your answers and copy them on the appropriate space
You have to be quick. Read again your answers, including the easy ones, to check everything is OK. In our tests, you usually get 1 minute to copy your answers in the appropriate space for answers.
Posted in MISCELLANEOUS / SELF-STUDY, READING STRATEGIES
Tagged exams, reading, self-study
This is a list of some of the dictionaries that I recommend; choose the dictionary that best suits you and stick to that one. All of them are good but some of them are better depending on your needs and likings.
Monolingual
Bilingual
Monolingual
MACMILLAN DICTIONARY ONLINE: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/
CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARIES ONLINE – Cambridge University Presshttp://dictionary.cambridge.org/
OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY – http://www.oup.cp.uk/elt/oald
THE FREE DICTIONARY http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ Here you’ll find loads of additional resources, check the menu on the left.
MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY – http://www.m-w.com The most popular American dictionary. Audio with pronunciation and learn more from thesaurus.
HYPERDICTIONARY- http://www.hyperdict.net English dictionary, computer dictionary, video dictionary, thesaurus, dream dictionary and medical dictionary.
Searchable Directory of glossaries and topical dictionaries covering hundreds of subjects- http://www.glossarist.com/
English synonyms and antonyms http://thesaurus.reference.com/
The slang dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/
An English Pronouncing Dictionary with Instant Sound
Answers.com offers free access to millions of topics from the world’s leading publishers http://www.answers.com/
Encyclopaedia Britannica – http://www.britannica.com
From World book Encyclopaedias – http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Home/– Contains feature articles (information reports text) on a variety of topics. Intermediate and higher.
Lots of biographies- http://www.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe.html/ Intermediate and up.
INFOPLEASE – http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001599.html/ Encyclopaedias, dictionaries, business info and sports.
ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE. UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED. McCarthy, Michael & O’Dell, Felicity. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE. McCarthy, Michael & O´Dell, Felicity. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
WEBSITES:
http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ is a word game website, a fun way to build English vocabulary.
http://www.vocabulary.com/ here you can get varied and complete vocabulary lists and word games at an advanced and academic level.
Here you’ve got some links of the many you can find searching the web. Please, post in the ones you know below. Thanks.
This is a list with some of the shops I know or I’ve heard of. Please, send in more addresses of bookshops you might know in different areas of the Community of Madrid.
Have a look to another post published in this blog with links to on-line shops.
Cheers,
This is a table with some of the most common English-Spanish false friends. Please, post in any others you may have encountered and/or experienced yourself. Thanks!
Spanish correct translation |
English | Spanish | English correct translation | |
real | actual | actual | current | |
asistir | attend | atender | take care of | |
ayudar | assist | asistir | attend | |
extraño or estrafalario | bizarre | bizarro | brave | |
cuerpo or tronco | body | boda | wedding | |
campamiento or a camping | camping | campo | a field or the country | |
alfombra | carpet | carpeta | folder | |
tez or cutis | complexion | complexión | physiological build | |
transigir | compromise | compromiso | promise, obligation, or commitment | |
estreñido | constipated | constiparse, constipación | to catch a cold | |
contender, concursar | to contest | contestar | to answer | |
escribirse con | to correspond with someone | corresponder | to match | |
deleite | delight | delito | a crime | |
una vergüenza or una deshonra | a disgrace | desgracia | a misfortune | |
desesperado | to be desperate | despertar | to wake up | |
asco or repugnancia | disgust | disgusto | displeasure or misfortune | |
tiene vergüenza or se siente avergonzado | to be embarrassed | embarazada | to be pregnant | |
emocional | to be emotional | emocionante | thrilling or (emotionally) moving | |
totalmente or completamente | absolutely | en absoluto | not at all or absolutely not | |
una salida | exit | éxito | a hit or a success | |
tejido, tela | fabric | fábrica | a factory | |
fútbol americano | (American) football | fútbol | Soccer | |
presentar | to introduce someone | introducir | to bring in, to begin, to put, or to place | |
abusar sexualmente or faltar al respeto | to molest | molestar | to bother or to annoy | |
una vez | once | once | eleven | |
padres | parents | parientes | relatives | |
conservante | preservative | preservativo | condom | |
jabón | soap | sopa | soup | |
compasivo | sympathetic | simpático |
nice, friendly |
Posted in GRAMMAR, MISCELLANEOUS / SELF-STUDY, VOCABULARY / LEXIS
Tagged grammar, self-study
Next time you see geese flying in the sky, look at how each bird is in position next to the other geese. Geese fly long distances together in a special way. They don’t fly in a straight line; they don’t fly in a tight group; they fly in a V. You can see this during the fall and spring migrations. This is called V formation. Scientists have discovered some interesting things about why geese fly this way. We can learn a lot from geese:
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the weight and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.
When the Head Goose gets tired, it moves back in the formation and another goose flies in the lead.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to the ground to help and protect it. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies. Only then do they continue their flight alone or with another formation of geese until they can join their own group again.
“Lessons from the Geese” was written by Dr. Robert McNeish, according to Sue Widemark on her website.
I hope that we can all follow the example of the geese and make the language learning and teaching journey a bit easier by sharing what we know and helping each other along the way. So the picture of the geese is a little reminder that we’re all in this together!
*Vocabulary:
flaps its wings: moves the wings up and down (flying)
uplift: the idea of being raised higher, of being carried
flock: a group of birds
range: (here) distance
honk: a loud sound geese make (like a car ‘honking’)