How To Learn Vocabulary

One of the most frequent questions asked by people learning a second language is, how can they learn vocabulary faster.

We can argue about the importance of grammar and many other linguistic points but essentially it all comes down to remembering words.

This also has to be done at lightning speed in order to have a fluid conversation with another person. Fluency is generally judged by the speed in which you are able to respond during a conversation.

A native adult English speaker knows about 15,000 to 20,000 words, most of this vocabulary was acquired through immersion and years of traditional education. But in all honesty, all we need to speak comfortably is about 2000 - 3000 high frequency words.

If you learn only 800 of the most frequently-used words in English, you'll be able to understand 75% of the language as it is spoken in normal life.

When I was learning Mandarin, I was able to have basic conversations about daily life with only about 500 common words.

The most important thing is to learn the vocabulary deeply and intensely. However I have discovered that most people are impatient with this process, which leads to many problems in the future as they battle to reach an intermediate level. The purpose of absorbing key vocabulary during the elementary stage, is vital in laying the foundation for later stages.

So, how do you learn vocabulary effectively and efficiently, According to science the brain needs 15 to 17 repetitions of a word to stay in your long term memory.

The problem with most adult learners is due to a busy life they are unable to get the necessary exposure due to the lack of an immersive environment, especially when they live in a country which doesn’t use the language.

After taking a deep-dive and ploughing through hundreds of academic papers and reading dozens of books focusing on vocabulary acquisition.

I have realised that there are many ways to skin a cat, and I’m not here to tell you that my method is the divine answer. But I can tell you that I’ve tried almost every method under the sun and these 3 techniques have proved to be extremely effective in my language learning journey. So hopefully I can save you the pain and frustration of trying to learn new vocabulary.

1. Reading:

This for me is the most important method for acquiring vocabulary, simply because it is active, as opposed to the passive mode of watching movies. Thats why we are only able to read for a short time compared to watching tv. Reading drains our mental energy, think of it as a computer processing multiple tasks and using up a lot of CPU. Reading requires deep concentration, which can only be sustained for 1 or 2 hours.

The main reason why reading is so important is because it’s like killing 2 birds with 1 stone. While you are reading you are not only acquiring new words but you are seeing the words in their correct context and the grammatical structures which are key to forming sentences.

2.Mnemonics

This is a learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory for better understanding.

They work by using patterns, associations, or visualisations to link new information with something already familiar or easier to remember.

But Mnemonics is a skill which takes time to acquire and most learners don’t have the energy and patience to create mental pictures to associate with words.

However, they can be challenging when learning languages which have no similar connections such as Chinese. When learning Chinese vocabulary I try to break up characters and create a story or mental visualisation which is easy for me to understand.

For example the character 考试 kǎoshì which means, to take an examination. I think of a (cow) sitting on a chair behind a table writing an exam making a moo sound and people are telling it (shhh) to keep quiet.

This is a technique I used to memorise hundreds of characters, not only is it extremely effective but I have a lot of fun trying to create bizarre mental pictures.

3.Flashcards

The use of flashcards has sparked plenty of debates in the language community, many experts swear by them but there are just as many who claim that they are a waste of time.

Personally I feel that if they can be supplemented with reading and mnemonics they can be really useful. Because flashcards reinforce repetition which is extremely valuable in your quest to remember vocabulary in the long term.

I don’t believe in only using flashcards because they can become monotonous and boring, but I have seen incredible results when I use them in collaboration with more intuitive methods.

Another important function with flashcards is SRS. This helps with deliberate practice, the programme removes the cards which you have memorised and brings forward the cards you are struggling to remember.

In Conclusion

The process of acquiring vocabulary can seem slow and painful, but if you persist you will eventually see the fruits of your labour. Always remember to focus on high frequency words, because once you have a good foundation of these common words the process of acquiring more vocabulary becomes easier and faster.

Isaac Newton famously said “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” So remember the more you put in (input) the more you get out (output)

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