Making words work for us!

When we learn languages, we always need to learn words.

 

I have to admit that I do not find this easy. I am always looking for new ideas to help me learn more words.

 

I sometimes think of speaking a language as being like being on a train loaded with goods to go to important places. A goods train is loaded up and then it travels to different destinations. In the same way, we need to load up our “language train” with goods called “words”.  But, how to we load up all the words we need into our “language train”?

 

I don’t know the best way yet.

 

But here are some ideas that I try.

 

1. We can categorise words:

 

Words that we use most often (common words)

Words about doing things (verbs)

Words that we need for special occasions (specialised words)

Words that we need when we are in trouble or need help (situational words)

Words that tell us about things and situations (adjectives)

Words that make us smile (happy and pleasant words)

Words that make us afraid, sad or unhappy (negative words)

Words that give us hope (inspiring words)

Words that make us think about the past (historical words)

Words that make us think about the future (future planning words)

Words that help us understand things better (comparison words)

 

How many more categories can you think of?

 

2. We can have a place to keep the words we don’t yet know well. I call this the “words waiting room”. We want to know them well, and often we cannot remember them well, but they must be put in the waiting room waiting for us.

 

3. We can put words into context. Make sentences with them to help remember

“my red car has a nice new roof rack”  (new word = roof rack)

 

4.We can find a good online dictionary www.dictionary.com is very good

 

5. We can practice making sentences with many different words in it and expanding it:

 

“my car is not running, it is too old and untrustworthy”

 

becomes….

 

“My big old rusty red car is no longer running, especially because it is now too old, and has been left in the garage far too long and is therefore now very untrustworthy.”

 

6. We can collect favourites words:

 

I know for instance that I like using these words a lot:

Super

Great

Nice

Be good

Look after yourself

Nice to meet you

All the best

Take care

How’s it going?

Etc

 

Words are our language workforce!

 

Treat them well, and they will treat us well!

 

Bye for now

 

Alan