EN: English vocabulary

Learning English vocabulary is important for every language student, and it needs to be a central part of any course. What are some good ways to study and above all remember and use English vocabulary words? Read on to pick up some useful tips!

Use word families

Studying and trying to memorize a long list of unrelated English vocabulary words is hard work and not very useful. Try instead to learn and practice new words that have a common theme. In the Wall Street English course, every lesson has a theme which introduces a group of related words, for example describing your home, shopping, talking about your work. This makes learning logical, easy and fun.

Don’t translate

The initial instinct of many students is to translate a new word into their native language, but doing so is the quickest way to forget the meaning. The best way to learn a new word is to see it in context, which could be as a visual or audio example. And if you can’t understand the meaning from the context, try to read the definition in English first or read some synonyms. Make translating your very last option. Wall Street English students have an advantage in this sense because new words are introduced in our video story where word meanings are clear and easy to grasp.

Read

A great way to review words you already know and learn new ones is to read. By reading we don’t mean a long novel, but rather articles, short stories, news, social network posts, etc. Studying at Wall Street English can give you the chance to read articles adapted from the Financial Times, which include topics that vary from economics and travel to culture and sport. Every article focuses on some new vocabulary that are suitable for your level.

Prioritize

English has a surprisingly large vocabulary compared to some languages, but the number of words we regularly use are relatively limited, which is good news for you. This makes it even more important to focus your studies on the kind of everyday language that you really need.

Practice!

Once you have learned new words, you need to use them again and again, because only by using language will it stick in your mind. After seeing new vocabulary presented in a natural context and then checking your understanding in an exercise in the Wall Street English course, you can then act out a dialogue in which those new words are essential. If you only take the first step without putting your knowledge into practice, you’ll forget the new words almost immediately.

Wall Street English courses allow you to learn and use the practical vocabulary you need to speak English.

Why not get started now by finding out what your starting level in a free, personalized course consultation at one of our centers?