Learn five new phrases a week- Really!
Discover an amusing and effective method to expand your word power and usage. With this activity, you can not only learn to understand five new English phrases each week but also (1) learn to use them. By doing this, you will significantly widen your vocabulary which will improve your fluency!
Context is Meaning
Learning new vocabulary is most effective when words are encountered within a meaningful context. Unlike rote memorization, our brains excel at recalling information embedded in stories and emotional experiences. Most of us are not as good at memorizing lists as we are at (2) remembering stories and emotions. Context acts as a framework, anchoring new language. Furthermore, acquiring phrases and expressions as complete units is more efficient than focusing (3) on individual words.
Set Realistic Goals
Given the demands of daily life, aiming for five new vocabulary items per week is realistic. While it’s important to learn useful phrases, it also tends to get pushed to the back burner (4) when life occurs; being realistic will keep you inspired.
Find Your New Vocabulary
Pay attention to the language around you. Tune in to conversations, news broadcasts, and your favorite shows. Identify phrases that pique your interest or are relevant to your life. Keep a vocabulary journal to note these gems. Just be aware that you are not likely to (5) notice new phrases unless you make a point of it (6). A language coach can help streamline this process.
Use a Storytelling Technique
Once you have five new items, create a captivating story incorporating each item. Inject drama, humor, or emotion to make the narrative memorable. Let your imagination run wild! Humor, suspense, or even a touch of fantasy will help make the experience memorable. The more dramatic and engaging your story is, the better you'll retain the new words. Your story only needs to be about a paragraph long, written or spoken. You could also make it a conversation. Collaborating with a good language coach can make this process more fun.
Review Regularly
Regularly review your stories to reinforce learning. Read your stories aloud with emotion as if you were presenting them: this leaves a stronger impression.
In addition, strive to use one new item daily in conversation. Maintain a list with example sentences for easy reference. By continuously applying this method, you can learn twenty new items a month! Over time, you will significantly improve your English by expanding your vocabulary to boost your fluency.
Starter Story for Practice
Last week my family and I went to the coast. It was dry, sunny, super-hot weather. We were not likely to go to the beach if it were cold. We brought with us not only food and drink, but also balls and nets. Since the kids are not as good at sitting as they are at playing, we needed games! (Finish the story. Make up something wild and crazy.)
Phrases used in copy above
1. Not only this… but (also) that.
2. Not as (adjective) … as at (gerund)
“A lot of us are not as good at listening as we are at talking.”
3. (Gerund) … more …this than (gerund) that.
“Learning with a story is more efficient than learning with a list.”
4. Pushed to the back burner (made a lesser priority)
“The newsletter got pushed to the back burner during the outage.”
5. Not likely to… (90% probable not going to)
“The team is not likely to go out on the town the night before the Olympic competitions.”
For your next list of five
6. Make a point of it. (to plan on, strongly intend to)
“I’m going to make a point of learning five new vocabulary words a week.”
Notes
7. was/were It would be correct to use were here as the past unreal conditional/subjunctive tense.
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