3 Things You Need to NEVER Forget Vocabulary Again
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The challenge of learning vocabulary
If you find you forget words when learning English, or you just go blank when you want to speak, then I have 3 simple steps that will help you never forget vocabulary again.
I know forgetting words can be frustrating, so first you must prioritise the words you are going to learn. You can’t learn all of them, there are too many. So choose to learn fewer words, but learn them deeply, that way, you can remember words so you can express your ideas clearly.
3 simple steps to learn vocabulary deeply
There are 3 simple steps you need to follow to learn vocabulary deeply so you never forget it.
- Understand it
- Know how to use it
- Be able to use it
Let’s look at each step in a bit more detail.
Step 1. Understand a word
You can learn and discover new vocabulary when you are reading or when you are listening. This is much better than learning from a list of vocabulary, because when you read or listen to a text, video or audio, you have context. This helps you understand and remember the word.
So, make sure you are reading and listening to plenty of English. Also, when you do this, make sure you are noting both interesting and useful vocabulary. As mentioned above, don’t look up and learn all the words you don’t know. Prioritise.
In order to understand a word in a sentence, I suggest you first try to guess the meaning. Then if you are still not sure, check it in a dictionary. I can recommend this online dictionary.
Oh and be careful, many words have several meanings, so make sure you find the right one, for the context where you found the word.
Step 2. Know how to use it
This is actually simpler than you think. The great advantage of learning a word in context, is that the context, or the sentence, shows you how to use the word. You can also check more examples in the dictionary definition.
I recommend you check and make a note the following information too
- What is the word form (noun, verb, adjective, adverb…?)
- If it is a noun, is it countable or uncountable?
- If it is a verb, is it usually followed by a preposition? (In, On, At…?)
- Which words that go before and after the word (the collocations)
When you note a word, also copy the example from the text or dictionary.
Now, a word of warning. Seeing a word once, won’t tell you how to use the word completely. Over time, you will meet that word again and discover new ways of using it. Learning a word is a long-term relationship. Over time you will find out more things about it – just like in any friendship!
Step 3. Be able to use it
To use a word you need to practice. Practice is a key part of the Speaking Success System that underpins all my courses because without it, you will forget new words quickly.
So, you need to make your own examples with the word. I suggest you first speak out examples, and then later write them out.
First, repeat the examples you see in the dictionary and in the text where you found the word. Then, make very similar examples, just changing one word or two words. At this stage, keep it simple 😊
Later, you can slowly start using the word in your writing or conversations. This will take time, and you will make mistakes. But that’s good. Practice is essential.
You will also need to be patient too. It may be months before you can use a word confidently. That is normal.
A final bit of advice. All the above is discovering the vocabulary and doing some practice, but remember to review too! You can review by re-reading your notes, making new examples, finding another text on the same topic, or why not just ask Chat GPT to write a news article, a dialogue or a story using the words you have noted down?
If you follow the 3 steps above, you will learn words more deeply and not forget them.
Start applying this to your study routine right now and I guarantee, you will start to see a difference.
If you want more guidance following these steps and using the unique Speaking Success System to help you remember vocabulary easily and speak confidently on any topic in IELTS Speaking, then check out my IELTS Speaking GOLD course.
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