How to quickly learn a lot of English words: effective memorization techniques. Learning English words for every day

Of course, the basis of the language system is grammar, but without an established lexical base, knowledge of grammatical norms for a beginner is unlikely to be useful anywhere. Therefore, we will devote today’s lesson to replenishing our vocabulary and mastering techniques for quickly memorizing new vocabulary. There will be quite a lot of expressions in the material, so we recommend dividing these English words for study into each day in advance, working on 2-3 dozen new phrases and be sure to repeat already studied examples. Before moving on to practice, let’s find out how it is recommended to learn foreign words correctly.

Learning vocabulary is half the battle; it is also important to try to constantly use it, otherwise it will simply be forgotten. Therefore, the main principle of learning English words is not to strive to memorize absolutely every word you come across. In modern English there are about 1.5 million words and stable combinations. It is simply unrealistic to learn everything, so try to choose only the vocabulary that is most used and necessary for you personally.

Let's assume that you have already decided on your area of ​​interest, selected the necessary vocabulary material and started learning it. But things don’t move forward: words are slowly remembered and quickly forgotten, and every lesson turns into unimaginable boredom and a painful struggle with oneself. Here are some tips that will help you create the right learning atmosphere and learn a foreign language easily and effectively.

  1. Combine words by meaning, creating thematic dictionaries: animals, pronouns, action verbs, communication in a restaurant, etc.. Generalized groups are more easily stored in memory, forming a kind of associative block.
  2. Try it different ways study words until you find the method that works best for you. These can be popular cards, interactive online simulators, stickers pasted on various objects in the house, and applications for tablets and phones. If you perceive information better visually and auditorily, then actively use educational video and audio recordings. You can study in any way, the main thing is that the learning process is a pleasant pastime, and not a boring duty.
  3. Immediately remember how to pronounce the word. To do this, you must either refer to the transcription or use interactive resources. A program for learning the pronunciation of English words will not only help you remember the sound of the expression, but will also check how correctly you pronounce it.
  4. Don't throw away words you've already learned. This is very important point. It seems to us that if we learn words for a long time, we remember them once and for all. But memory tends to delete unclaimed information. Therefore, if you do not have constant speaking practice, replace it with regular repetitions. You can create your own notebook with days and rotating repetitions, or use one of the interactive English learning apps.

Having worked through these tips, let's do a little practice. We bring to the attention of students the most popular vocabulary of the English language. These English words are suitable for studying every day, as they are divided into several tables and presented in the form of small semantic groups. So, let's start expanding our vocabulary.

Let'slearnsomewords!

English words to learn for every day

Greetings and farewells
hello , [hello] Hello, welcome!
hi ,[hai] Hello!
good morning [ɡʊd mɔːnɪŋ], [good morning] Good morning!
good afternoon [ɡʊd ɑːftənuːn], [good aftenun] Good afternoon!
good evening [ɡʊd iːvnɪŋ], [gud ivnin] Good evening!
good bye [ɡʊd baɪ], [good bye] Goodbye!
see you later , [si yu leite] see you!
good night [ɡʊd naɪt], [good knight] Good night!
Pronouns
I - my , [ai - may] I am mine, mine, mine
you - your , [yu - er] you are yours, yours, yours
he-his , [hee - hee] he - his
she - her [ʃi - hə(r)], [shi - dick] she her
it – its ,[it - its] it is his (oh inanimate)
we – our , [vi - aar] we are ours
they - their [ðeɪ - ðeə(r], [zey - zeer] they - theirs
who - whose , [xy - xyz] who - whose
what ,[wat] What
PhrasesForacquaintance
My name is… ,[may name from] My name is…
What is your name? , [wat from yer name] What is your name?
I am…(Nancy) ,[Ay um...Nancy] I...(name) Nancy
How old are you? ,[How old ar yu] How old are you?
I am...(eighteen, thirsty) ,[Ay em atin, sit down] I am ...(18, 30) years old.
Where are you from? ,[ware ar yu from] Where are you from?
I am from…(Russia, Ukraine) ,[Im from Russia, Ukraine] I'm from (Russia, Ukraine)
Nice to meet you! ,[nice tu mit yu] Nice to meet you!
Close people and family members
mother ,[maze] mother
father ,[phase] father
daughter ,[doute] daughter
son ,[san] son
brother ,[braze] Brother
sister ,[siste] sister
grandmother [ɡrænmʌðə],[grenmaze] grandmother
grandfather [ɡrænfɑːðə],[grenfase] grandfather
uncle [ʌŋkl],[unkl] uncle
aunt [ɑːnt],[ant] aunt
friends ,[friends] Friends
the best friend [ðə best friend], [the best friend] best friend
Places and institutions
hospital ,[hospital] hospital
restaurant, cafe ,[restrant, cafey] restaurant, cafe
police office ,[palace office] police station
hotel ,[wanted] hotel
club ,[club] club
shop [ʃɒp],[shop] shop
school ,[whine] school
airport ,[eapoot] airport
railway station ,[railway station] train station, railway station
cinema ,[cinema] cinema
post office ,[post office] Postal office
library ,[library] library
park ,[pack] a park
pharmacy ,[faamesi] pharmacy
Verbs
feel ,[Phil] feel
eat ,[it] eat, eat
drink ,[drink] drink
go/walk [ɡəʊ/ wɔːk],[ gou/uook] go/ walk, walk
have ,[hev] have
do ,[du] do
can ,[ken] be able to
come ,[cam] come
see ,[si] see
hear ,[[heer] hear
know ,[know] know
write ,[wright] write
learn ,[linen] teach, learn
open [əʊpən],[open] open
say ,[say] speak
work ,[walk] work
sit ,[sit] sit
get [ɡet],[get] receive, become
like ,[like] like
Time
time , [time] time
at … (5, 7) o’clock [ət faɪv, sevn ə klɒk],[et fife, sevn o klok] at...(five, seven) o'clock.
a.m. ,[I Am] until noon, from 00 to 12 (at night, in the morning)
p.m. ,[pi em] afternoon, from 12 to 00 ( during the day, In the evening)
today ,[today] Today
yesterday ,[yestaday] yesterday
tomorrow ,[tumorou] Tomorrow
in the morning [ɪn ðə mɔːnɪŋ], [in ze morning] in the morning
in the evening [ɪn ðə iːvnɪŋ], [in the evening] In the evening
Adverbs
here ,[hie] Here
there [ðeə],[zee] there
always [ɔːlweɪz],[oulways] Always
well ,[wel] Fine
only [əʊnli],[onli] only
up [ʌp],[ap] up
down ,[down] down
right , [wright] right, right
wrong , [rong] wrong
left , [left] left
Unions
that [ðæt],[zet] what, which, that
which ,[uich] which one, which one
because ,[bicosis] because
so ,[sou] so, since
when ,[wen] When
before ,[bifoo] before before
but ,[baht] But

A rich vocabulary is a basic condition for mastering a foreign language. It is necessary not only to talk with its speakers, but also to be able to effectively study it, increase the level and quality of your knowledge, for example, by working with original, non-adapted literature.

How many words can you learn per day: myths and reality

The advertising content of various sites created for independent learning of foreign languages, as well as information banners of language schools, are full of information about the emergence of super technologies that allow you to learn a language in a few days.

Much to everyone’s chagrin, the “technologies” presented are nothing more than a long time ago for everyone by known methods learning a foreign language.

And the main one is regular repetition:

  1. Make a list of words to memorize;
  2. Read it carefully;
  3. Leave the list for 20 minutes and do other things;
  4. Repeat the cycle 7 times.

The most effective time of day for memorization is the evening, the time before going to bed. In a dream, the brain, not distracted by external thought processes, transfers words from quick memory to long-term memory.

Is it realistic to learn 50-200 words a day?

From a theoretical point of view, it is real. To read 100 words, it takes about 25 minutes. To repeat them 7 times, after reading - about another 175 minutes (3 hours).

But since between repetitions it is necessary to pause, also equal to about 20 minutes, the total time required to memorize 100 foreign words per day will be 7 hours.

If you have so much free time that you can devote to thoughtful repetition of English words, then there is a chance that it is realistic for you to learn from 50 to 200 words per day.

However, it is also worth paying attention to the following fact: the average person is able to remember from 5 to 10 words a day.

Thus, you must not only be unburdened by work and any extraneous worries, but a person, you must always be a free prodigy, with a phenomenal memory.

Moreover, after such experiments you may develop a negative attitude towards English: you are unlikely to experience positive emotions from trying to master such a volume of knowledge.

In this regard, learning 50-200 foreign words a day is unrealistic.

And if you expand your vocabulary by memorizing not individual words, but entire phrases and sentences, maximum amount You will have about 5 structures learned per day.

An insignificant figure, of course, but if you calculate the number of words learned per month, it will be about 450 words (if you memorize 3-word structures).

Several principles for effectively increasing vocabulary

There are many methods for learning foreign words to expand your vocabulary. Some of them have been known for a long time and do not lose their popularity due to their high efficiency, while some have entered the field of education quite recently.

Let's look at the most effective of them:

  1. Keep a personal dictionary in which you will write down the words you have learned. Divide the vocabulary into two levels: simple and Difficult words. During the learning process, subjectively assign a word to one level or another and write it down in the appropriate section. This will help you approach the process of learning foreign words more effectively.
  2. Use cards. You can lay them out on your desktop, hang them around your apartment at eye level, or purposefully teach them at a set time.
  3. Read a lot. This will allow you to consolidate the words you have learned in your long-term memory.
  4. Use specialized textbooks, which are written specifically for the purpose of expanding the student’s vocabulary.
  5. Make mind maps. This technique is nothing more than a thematic grouping of words. However, the inherent clarity of the method significantly increases its effectiveness over similar classical methods.
  6. Get yourself a pen-friend and expand your vocabulary with him. Basically, when communicating, people use words from common use. And the desire to tell a friend about your hobbies will encourage you to learn new words.
  7. Download apps at mobile device, to be able to regularly repeat words in a free moment.
  8. Use gaming services which will help you learn words online.
  9. Learn your favorite or popular foreign songs. Songs for learning English help to develop phonetic skills in students, develop phonemic awareness, and simplify the process of learning the rules of pronunciation of foreign sounds. Also, studying and understanding the intonation of a song contributes to the formation of auditory skills in the perception of foreign speech.

For example, games:

  1. Bank Robber– designed to expand vocabulary and train memory. The main task is to guess the word before a bank robbery occurs.
  2. Memory Game– develops vocabulary and visual memory. The main task is to remember the location of the item and guess it when the cards cover all the cells.

What words to learn in English?

Preferences in the formation of your vocabulary should be based on the purpose of learning the language:

  • If you want to speak a foreign language fluently with native speakers– study everyday words, as well as dialectisms inherent in representatives of the region or country you like.
  • If you want to learn a language to work abroad, communicate with business partners, or study at a foreign university, you need to learn professional vocabulary in addition to everyday words.

Thus:

  • If your goal is to learn a language to communicate with foreign friends, Feel free to use the information available on the World Wide Web.
  • If you need professional vocabulary, then it is advisable to draw up Toolkit to learn the language on your own. In any case, your work will not be in vain; regular repetition of words, while sampling them, will allow you to learn them much faster.

It is also worth noting that many companies personally create dictionaries with a set of words, phrases or phrases necessary for work. Contact the company where you want to work. It is possible that they will be happy to provide you with this information.

The most important words in English

The most important words in any language, are words of common use. Their list includes both pronouns, articles and prepositions, as well as nouns, verbs and adjectives.

Linguists and psychologists have compiled more than one list of the most common words in the English language, divided by parts of speech.

However, there is no point in memorizing lists of “top” words used by English-speaking people. It is much more important to learn how to use them in speech.

Therefore, select a speech construction for each word that will reflect the peculiarities of its use with one or another part of speech.

Key words:

  • Pronouns- I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them
  • Articles- the, a/an
  • Prepositions- to, for, of, out, from, with, over, at, up, but
  • Adverbs- about, now, just, not
  • Unions- and
  • Verbs- get, was, is, have, don`t, do, are, went, can, would, go, think, say, be, see, know, tell

How to turn learning English into a habit?

Scientists have proven that it takes 21 days to form a habit. In this regard, in order for daily replenishment of your vocabulary to become a habit for you, akin to brushing your teeth in the morning, you need to learn at least one English word during the 21st day.

Of course, the general amount recommended for learning foreign words is from 5 to 10 words per day. In this case, your vocabulary will grow quickly and in a few months you will be able to master minimum required vocabulary is about 100-150 words for each part of speech.

However, there are times when there is absolutely no time to learn a language. But you shouldn’t leave the idea for later; it’s enough to learn at least one word every day for the habit to form.

If you find it difficult to force yourself to learn 5-10 words a day at once, start small - learn 1 or 2 words a day, and then gradually increase the load. Then it will be easier for the body to get used to the new regime, and for you to cope with the psychological barrier.

How not to lose acquired knowledge?

For English, as for any other, the most important rule success - regular practice.

  1. Reading books in English. When your vocabulary is large enough, prefer modern foreign literature to domestic literature;
  2. Live communication with native speakers. Travel to as often as possible English-speaking countries, either communicate with friends via Skype or correspondence;

Thus, the secret to replenishing the vocabulary of any foreign language is very simple - regularity and consistency.

No method will help you learn a language in a few days. Just as you knew your native language, learning word by word and then linking them into sentences.

It would seem a simple math problem from the fourth grade: if you learn 30-35 English words a day every day, How many words of English can you learn in a month and a year?

Of course, you can easily calculate: you can learn about a thousand English words in a month and, accordingly, 12,000 words in a year. I wonder what experience and practice say?

As vocabulary is reduced, so are the number of feelings you can express, the number of events you can describe, the number of the things you can identify! Not only understanding is limited, but also experience. Man grows by language. Whenever he limits language he retrogresses!

As your vocabulary decreases, the number of feelings you can express, the number of events you can describe, the number of objects you can name, decreases. Not only is understanding limited, but also experience. Man grows through language. Whenever he restricts language, it declines.

~ Sheri S. Tepper

As practice shows, you can learn something, but keep it in active stock and it won’t work to be used regularly in speech. Words without practice and associative connections are quickly forgotten, which is something the creators are silent about.

The truth is you always have a chance remember a large number of English words- it all depends on the characteristics of memory and techniques for memorizing English words, which we will talk about today.

How to learn a lot of English words quickly

Learning English words is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Signing the names of unfamiliar words is one of the effective methods for memorizing.

Want to learn a lot of English words in a short time ? The German scientist Ebinhaus found that with mechanical memorization, that is, when a person does not understand the meaning of the material and does not use mnemonics, after an hour only 44% of the information remains in the memory, and after a week - less than 25%. Fortunately, with conscious memorization, information is forgotten much more slowly.

First of all, you need to determine how it is easier for you to assimilate new information: by hearing, seeing or writing it down?

This won’t take much time, but it will make it much easier to learn and select effective techniques for you in the future. One test that will help you determine how easier it is for you to remember new information is presented on this site. By answering 30 questions, you can know exactly what type you are.

Let us briefly recall that visual learners easily remember new words by seeing or reading, auditory learners by hearing, and kinesthetic learners need to be on the move, for example, writing down information on paper.

IN modern world Most people have a predominant visual type of perception new information. Remember how long annoying things are stored in our memory? commercials seen on TV, or posters and banners that litter the streets of the city.

You also need to know that there is no such thing as 100% visual or auditory. But some channel is still dominant, and it is this one that should be used if your goal is learn a lot of English words quickly.

Visual method for memorizing English words

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by visual people.

If you have read the novel “Martin Eden” by Jack London, then most likely you remember that main character learned great amount academic words, posting up leaflets with new words in your home.

Visual method to remember English words is to paste stickers with new words on all the objects that surround you. How does the visual method work? You constantly come across an abundance of English words, read, memorize and, of course, use English words.

Buy cards in the store or make them yourself with new words, translations, transcriptions, and even examples of use. These cards are convenient to take with you if you have a long commute to work or constantly get lost in queues. They can be classically made on paper or downloaded to your phone.

On a note:

On the Internet you can find download applications for mobile phones, which use a visual method to expand vocabulary. The most popular are Words, Easy Ten and Duolingo: Learn languages ​​for free.

Bright pictures with captions, memorization simulators, screening tests that use these mobile applications will help you learn a lot of English words in short term . And most importantly, they are always at hand!

If your level is not beginner (Pre-Intermediate and above), you can watch films, shows and videos with and without subtitles, writing down not only new words, but also useful colloquial phrases.

Educational audio materials in English and podcasts

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by auditory learners.

If you belong to the rare category of people (about 10%) who love and remember with their ears, then this is the method for you.

The main conditions for vocabulary expansion– constantly listen to English spoken, whether at home in the kitchen or in a car in a traffic jam. New words and expressions can be written down and repeated periodically.

With this method, you will not be afraid to perceive speech by ear, and your listening skills will improve.

TPR Method for Vocabulary Expansion

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by kinesthetics.

The third type of information perception, which includes kinesthetics, prefers movement to static learning. If you are a kinesthetic learner, don't forget to write down new words on paper. It is better if you have a diary dictionary that you can refer to from time to time.

Often used in teaching children TPR (Total Physical Response) method. But, believe me, if you are a kinesthetic learner, this method is also for you: with its help you can easily learn English words and phrases.

The essence of the method is to memorize new words, phrases and lexical structures using gestures, commands, pantomime and games. For example, for the word ball, you need to perform an action associated with this object, for example, playing with a ball.

Simple and effective ways to memorize English words

Mnemonics and memorization of English words

A clear example of how mnemonics works.

One of the most effective ways to memorize English, and foreign words in general, is mnemonics. The method of mnemonics (or mnemonics) is based on creating images in your mind. You take information that needs to be remembered and turn it into an image through association.

First you need to understand that the brain remembers not the images themselves that arise in the head, but connections between several images. This is very important to remember, because immediately during memorization you need to focus on this.

Mnemonics actively develops memory and thinking. The main task is to create images that are connected in the imagination different ways. The images must be colored, large And detailed.

Learning English words using mnemonics is incredibly easy! We select the most consonant word (or several words) from the native language for a foreign word.

Let's look at how mnemonics work when memorizing English words with an example:

puddle ["pʌdl] puddle

Approximate pronunciation (phonetic association) - "badl"

Mnemonic model: “I kept falling and falling into a puddle” .

Examples of using mnemonics in teaching English:

If you are using mnemonics for expanding vocabulary, it is important to remember that you need not just to connect words with each other and express them in the form of a sentence, but also to imagine a specific situation in which this happens or is said.

For example, don’t just say: “A nervous man is walking down a narrow alley,” but imagine nervous man, maybe your friend who is walking, looking around and flinching at every sound, along a narrow dark alley. In this case, you will definitely not forget this foreign word.

On a note:

The association or combination of words that has arisen is necessary only for 2-3 repetitions from memory in order to remember a foreign word and its translation. Then it disappears as unnecessary, so you don’t have to worry about all sorts of nonsense being stored in your memory.

There is no doubt that in order to memorize foreign words quickly and efficiently, you need to practice, find your own approach, learn to create your own associations, and quickly at that. At first, the process of creating associations will be slow, but be patient and continue training. As a rule, the speed and quality of creating associations improves after the first thousands of memorized words.

It remains to add that with the help of this technique it is possible memorize words of any foreign language .

Mind Palace for Expanding English Vocabulary

Many people use cards with text and pictures (flashcards) to remember new words, but these cards are not always at hand, especially at the right time.

Exists great way to remember new words and expressions is the power of your mind. It is called Method of location (geometric location method).

You may also come across names such as “mind palaces”, “memory palaces”, “method of loci”, “spatial mnemonics”, “Cicero’s method”.

When Sherlock Holmes, the world-famous detective, wanted to remember something important, he closed his eyes and plunged into the palace of his mind ( 'mind palace'). Just like Sherlock Holmes, you can also use this Method of loci to memorize new words and expressions. You can clearly see how this looks in the video.

Video “The Hound of the Baskervilles” - “Palaces of the Mind” of Sherlock Holmes.

How does the locus method work?

We are building an imaginary place ( imaginary place) in our mind and place objects and people there that will help us remember new words. You can store images both on shelves and chaotically. The main thing is that you yourself know where everything is and can quickly remember. The best activators are either completely ridiculous or very logical. And it’s even better to combine them correctly.

Remember simple rules that should never be violated in the process of creating a connection:

  • Imagine images large(even if the items you need to remember different sizes, make them one: be it a ship, a coconut or a bee. Small images should not be presented. The connections between such images will be recorded very poorly.
  • The images must be voluminous. For example, holographic images or images created using three-dimensional graphics programs. Such images can be rotated and viewed from different angles.
  • Images must be presented colored. If these are tree leaves, then they must be green, the tree itself must be brown, etc.
  • The images presented must be detailed. If you imagine the image of a “phone,” you need to mentally examine it and clearly see what parts the phone you are imagining consists of. If this cellular telephone, then you can highlight the following images in it: antenna, display, buttons, cover, strap, leather case, battery.

Then we apply the main one mental operation in mnemonics it is "connection of images". Let's look at how this is applied in practice in learning English words.

Let's say we need to remember the words associated with the word run, as well as its forms, so we will come up with the following story in our minds: the imaginary setting of the city is the imaginary place is a city .

This is just a small example of how to memorize english words, Related run, and its forms. Of course, I can add other phrases with this word, of which there are actually many, and as my imaginary city grows, I can use more and more words, and thereby expand my vocabulary.

More details about memorization technique “memory palace” you can learn more from the video:

The imaginary place can be anywhere, even a room in your house, but try to come up with a situation that will be close to you, and the words will be remembered much easier.

In this manner easy to learn words on different topics, for example “food”, “kitchen”, “clothing”, etc. Arrange the items as you like, and then it will be easier for you to remember the name of the item based on its location in your “memory” palace.

And of course, develop deduction, attention to detail and creativity. Develop associative thinking.

Another piece of advice applies to all “memory palaces,” regardless of the purpose of their “construction.” If you want to remember something for a long time (and not in the “pass and forget” mode), you will have to periodically “walk” around the “palace”.

Audiolingual method in English

Automation of skills occurs during training through repeated repetition of speech patterns.

Audiolingual method is one of the methods of language teaching in which it is necessary to repeatedly listen and pronounce words, phrases and sentences, which leads to their automation.

This method has its pros and cons, but is suitable mainly for auditory learners, since there is no visual support. The main focus here is on oral speech.

When using the audiolingual method, no explanations are given, since all the proposed material is simply practiced and memorized in the form set expressions so that students can use them in the future without hesitation.

In this case, training is based on practicing certain static models that students cannot change at all or almost at all. In this respect, this teaching method is the direct opposite of the communicative method.

let's consider positive and negative sides audiolingual method.

Positive sides Negative sides
When developing this method, attention was focused not only on the content of the material offered to the student, but also on the very process of the student memorizing this material.

The very system of presenting new information and repeated repetitions lead to inevitable memorization of what has been learned. In the process of repetitions, not only the material is memorized, but also the pronunciation is practiced, as well as the removal of language barrier.

Memorizing stable expressions leads to the fact that, if necessary, they come to mind automatically, as when communicating in your native language.

 The main disadvantage of the audiolingual method (not without reason) is that it does not pay due attention to independent study of grammar.

Students, especially initial stage learning, are deprived of the opportunity to understand why a phrase is constructed in one way and not another, or why a word is used in one form and not another. As they learn, students have to independently construct certain grammatical structures for themselves based on the material they have learned.

This undoubtedly contributes to a more solid assimilation of such structures, but only if the student is able to construct them. And this is not always possible, since there are exceptions to the rules that can confuse a person who is not familiar with the basics of the grammar of the language being studied.

Tips on how to improve your English vocabulary?

Knowing many words will allow you to express yourself in many different ways.

First of all, you need to replenish your vocabulary systematically and regularly, preferably every day. There are many ways and they all work.

Choose the one that suits you best and you can easily expand your English vocabulary. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Expand your English vocabulary with lists

Words surround us. Simply looking up words in a dictionary may not be as interesting or exciting. Pay attention to English words around you - during TV series and programs in English, reading the news - everywhere, at any time.

Important!

Regardless of whether you do this or not, we recommend writing down what part of speech a particular word is (verb, noun, adjective), as well as derivatives of this word. For example, “fish” - fishing, fishy, ​​fisherman, etc. It will also be helpful if you add sentences with examples of these words.

You can also use notepad in your mobile phone. As soon as you hear an unfamiliar word, write it down. Make sure you have enough space around it to make notes accordingly.

When will you have free time, add its meaning or translation and perhaps the context in which it can be used.

Learn English words in practice

As you make lists of words, it is very easy to forget the words that were there at the very beginning. All words are required use in your speech. The more we use them, the better we remember them.

Re-read your lists, for example, at the end of each week. How well do you remember old words?

If any words are hard to remember, but they are very common, then there is a high probability that you will encounter them in the future. So add them again to new lists and over time you will remember them.

Games will help you remember English words

Scrabble is an effective way to learn English words and have fun with family and friends.

Who said learning new words is not fun?! Games like Scrabble or Vocabador offer great ways to learn new words .

Games are a great way to learn, not only because they're fun, but also because they give you context for new words. Believe me, you will very quickly remember the word your friend laughed at.

We would also like to draw your attention to the free game Free Rice. This game gives you a word, and you need to find the right definition for it. If you answer incorrectly, next word it will become easier. If it's correct, it's more complicated.

By playing this game, you not only improve your vocabulary, but also help the world in the fight against hunger. How? Try playing it!

Increase your English vocabulary with context

As mentioned earlier, it's better (and easier) remember new words in context. One way is to write a sentence with this word. Not only will you remember this word, but you will also be able to easily use it in conversation.

Another way - remember words in groups. If you want to remember a word humongous (very large), it will be easier for you to remember it from a chain of words: getting bigger and bigger-large, huge, humongous. This also makes it possible to memorize more words at one time.

For example, large, humongous, gargantuan. What do you think the word means? gargantuan?

Dictionaries and social networks for memorizing words

Of course, you can look up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary! Moreover, modern online dictionaries offer many additional features.

In many online dictionaries There are interesting articles, games, and also a “word of the day” section.

And if you feel confident that you can read literature in the original language, read the article.

Websites for learning English words

Below you will find the best sites to increase and practice vocabulary, which can be most useful for you.

BusinessEnglishSite

BusinessEnglishSite - site for learning business vocabulary

This is one of the best and most popular sites to study. Here you can fill up your vocabulary useful phrases, expressions and even business jargon.

All words are divided into topics, for example, "Accounting", "Project Management", "IT" etc.

For each topic there are consolidation exercises that train not only vocabulary, but also grammar.

Blair English

With Blair English you can learn English words from scratch

All exercises and lessons on this site have been specially designed to increase and enrich your English vocabulary .

Here you will find over 190 free interactive exercises on various topics such as IT technology, Business, Communication and many others.

The site also has a base of exercises to improve listening and pronunciation skills.

Lingualeo

Lingualeo - a resource for practicing words

A very famous interactive resource that is interesting not only for children. It helps make language learning fun and visual, and also contains unlimited words for different levels.

To feed the lion cub and get a new portion of words, you will need to register.

British Council

British Council - the most British way to learn words

The British Council website has not left us without practicing truly British phrases, idioms and expressions. You can also learn several new words a day there.

Words filtered by topic and level, which makes navigation extremely convenient, and the process of cramming English words an exciting experience.

For teachers, there are lesson plans for various levels with handouts.

Test Your Vocabulary

On this site you can, not with 100% probability, but at least approximately understand what vocabulary you have and what you need to improve.

The test interface in English is simple. The site is designed for users who are learning English or even native speakers.

By ticking the words whose translation you know and answering a few questions about yourself, you will very likely find out how many english words is in your active supply.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of methods and resources for enriching your vocabulary in various areas. The most important thing is to constantly work on it, and here everything depends on you. Daily work then it will be paid in full when you communicate without problems with English speakers.

In contact with

  • Language learning,
  • Educational process in IT

    • Vocabulary matters a lot. If you know the words, you understand what it’s about, even without knowing the intricacies of grammar. If you don’t know the words, you communicate like Ellochka the cannibal. Today we are talking about how to remember a lot and for a long time.

    Conventional learning of words has low efficiency. For example, over 11 years of the school program, students memorize an average of 1-1.5 thousand words. To speak like a native speaker, you need to know at least 8 thousand words; the Upper-Intermediate level requires knowledge of 6 thousand words. To understand CNN news, which is created taking into account the interest of a foreign audience, you need to know at least 3 thousand words.

    Using traditional methods, it is easy to learn up to 10 words in one go, but only a few can remember 30 or 50 new words in one day.

    Everyone who learns a foreign language faces the following problems:

    Words are quickly forgotten if they are not repeated;
    - it is very difficult to learn many words at once;
    - people simply don’t know how to learn words effectively;
    - when a word enters short-term memory, a person stops working with it.

    Why is that?

    German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted research on “pure” memory - memorization that is not influenced by thinking processes. To do this, the scientist proposed a method of learning meaningless syllables consisting of two consonants and a vowel between them, which do not evoke any semantic associations.

    During the experiments, it was found that after the first error-free repetition of a series of such syllables, forgetting occurs very quickly. Already within the first hour, up to 60% of all information received is forgotten; 10 hours after memorization, 35% of what was learned remains in memory. Then the process of forgetting goes much slower and after six days about 20% of the memory remains in memory. total number the number of syllables initially learned remains in memory a month later.

    After a series of experiments, Ebbinghaus developed the Forgetting Curve (also called the Ebbinghaus Curve) in 1885. Based on it, the following conclusion was made: for effective memorization, repetition of memorized material is necessary.

    To remember information for a long time, after studying it, you need to repeat it at least five times:

    1. 20-30 minutes after the first study;
    2. after a couple of hours;
    3. the next day;
    4. in 1-2 weeks;
    5. 2-3 months after the fourth repetition.
    Using traditional methods (and repetition is one of them) it will not be easy to achieve a great effect. Effective methods are little known, so learning many words at once is very difficult.

    Other traditional methods

    - Learn with the help of a dictionary, in order
    Boring and ineffective. The words start the same but have different meanings, making them difficult to remember. Also, you don't know in what context the word is being used.

    If you want to use a dictionary, it is more convenient to make a list of words on a specific topic, for example, select the category “Clothing” or “Travel”. Community related words easier to remember.

    - Learn using sticker cards
    On one side of the card we write the word in Russian, on the other - in English. You need to spend time making cards, but you can carry them with you and repeat the words whenever you have a free minute. If you don’t want to bother with paper, you can download a special application to your smartphone.

    - Learn words in context
    For example, when watching TV series or movies. For beginners, it’s better to start with TV series; you can watch them with subtitles. There is no need to memorize an unfamiliar word separately. Write down or copy an entire sentence from the subtitles at once. This way you will remember in what situations it can be used.

    Method of associations or “Mnemonics”

    The Mnemonics method is gaining popularity.
    The main principle of this technique is to remember information by building visual connections between a word and its meaning.

    Facts about mnemonics:

    Scientists have found that the human brain is best at creating visual connections.
    - The method appeared 2.5 thousand years ago. It was used by the ancient Greeks, including the famous thinker Socrates.
    - Mnemonics gives quick results. Any person, if desired, can achieve a memorization speed of 100 words per hour or higher.

    Why mnemonics?

    - The visual lobes, which are most involved when using this technique, are the most powerful in the human brain, since they contain the most neurons.
    - Any word in a person’s head has a meaning in the form of a specific picture. By building associations, neural connections arise; they can be compared to a wire connecting a word to a picture, for example, when we hear the word “dog,” we imagine a dog.
    - Associations are the shortest way to access any information. For example, you heard a familiar song, and you remember a situation in which you heard it before.
    - This technique has really shown in practice excellent results- after several trainings, you manage to remember 100-300 words per approach.

    Algorithm

    Step 1
    Present a bright, concrete picture. Let's say you want to learn the word fist, you need to vividly imagine a clenched fist.

    Step 2
    Find an association with a similar sound to a Russian word. Fist in English fist. You can, for example, imagine a pistachio clenched in your fist. Absurd and funny associations are best remembered: the brighter the better. It is also worth creating your own associations, as they will be more vividly remembered.

    Step 3
    Combine the association with the picture. The picture depicting the word and the association picture must be visually connected. For example, remembering the word crown, you can imagine crane, lifting the crown. If the crane and the crown are simply next to each other in your imagination, there will be no effect; it is better to imagine that the crane is lifting the crown by the edge or on a rope. It is better to imagine a huge crown, since large objects are better remembered. You can also add a certain sound or music playing in the background, which you would associate with the crown.

    Step 4
    Repeat the memorized word out loud 4-5 times in English, raising your eyes slightly upward, as if looking at the bridge of your nose. Scientists have found that with this position of the eyes, the greatest number neurons. You need to keep your eyes open, if you remember with your eyes closed, then you will remember with your eyes closed.

    Step 5
    Repeat the words - at least after an hour or two, every other day and every month. High-quality associations are stored in memory for a month. If you do everything according to the algorithm with repetition, you will remember the words for years.

    Common mistakes

    - Trying to learn everything at once
    Many people start studying intensively, wanting to learn English in a week or a month, and quickly give up. It is much more effective to allocate a little time, for example, half an hour, but every day. This way the brain will have time to process the information and there won’t be too much interruption that the word will be forgotten. At the same time, your memory will be in good shape, and there will be no overload.

    - Immediately learn complex words that do not correspond to the level of knowledge of the language
    If a word is difficult to even pronounce, there is no point in learning it. Beginners need to learn the most common words, this is about 400 words. More than half of them are verbs. Start easy and increase difficulty.

    - Don't repeat what you've learned
    Without repetition, new words are forgotten.

    - Memorize without understanding the context
    You won't be able to use new words if you don't know in what situations they are used.

    - Learn incorrect pronunciation
    You must first listen to the correct pronunciation, even if you know the reading rules well. A good site for listening is wooordhunt.ru.

    - The more practice, the better.
    Experience has shown that after 300 words learned, errors disappear, associations appear in the imagination very quickly and the ending of a word is well remembered, even if the association is consonant only with its beginning.
    - It is important to learn quickly, without delaying.
    For example, choose a thematic list, set a timer and read all the words in one minute.
    - Increase the load gradually.
    - Move from simple to more complex words.
    Choose the simplest ones that are easiest to learn. Then take five minutes to learn them and rest for five minutes. Then learn more complex words from this list.
    - Combine words into groups by topic and part of speech.
    It is better to learn nouns first, then adjectives, then verbs.

    And the most important thing

    • Share your successes with friends to keep you motivated.
    • Reward your successes to get used to the fact that learning is good.
    • Develop memory in general, not only in English.
    • Practice the words you've learned in conversation clubs to finally consolidate the words in context.
    By the way, we just have an excellent free section on the site. In it we tried to take into account all the components of successful memorization of words. You can choose from already ready-made sets words, and also create your own. In addition, a lot of useful things await you: from videos and a blog to conversation clubs and classes with a teacher via Skype.

    Bonuses for Habr readers

    Online courses

    We give you access for a year to the English course for self-study"Online course".
    To gain access, simply go to .

    Individually via Skype

    Among our students there are already students from GeekBrains, ITVDN, Softengi, Netology. Join us! And we wish you only successful interviews and career success.

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    So, you have started learning English. If your goal is to gain speaking skills, then you have come to the right place. Here are the most commonly used English words. In the end, everyone needs to start somewhere. Learning English words without knowing which way to approach it is not an easy task. You may also need this lexical minimum for further study of grammar. And this is undoubtedly a big plus for you.

    I bring to your attention a list that includes basic English words that are most often found in everyday communication. This includes nouns, verbs, pronouns, prepositions that Americans and English use a hundred times a day and even more. By learning these words, you will not only be able to grasp the essence of the conversation, but maybe even support it.

    100 English words is the minimum we recommend starting with. If you find yourself in a foreign country, you will most likely be understood, even if you simply say the word “time” to a passerby in order to find out the time. Believe me, this is much better than if you start piling incomprehensible verbal structures one on top of another.

    All words are spoken

    The suggested words are the most commonly used words in the English language. They are found in almost all frequency dictionaries. To improve perception, they were divided into small groups.

    Each group includes one dozen words and is accompanied by an audio recording, where they are voiced by professional speakers with correct pronunciation, who are native English speakers. This way you will learn to pronounce words clearly and almost without accent.

    Trans... what? Transcription

    Since you are just starting to learn English words, most of them are given a transcription, i.e. a graphic recording of the sound of the words. Transcriptions help beginners correctly pronounce individual sounds in words. Don't be alarmed when you see these unfamiliar and unfamiliar icons to your eyes. Soon you will learn to distinguish between them and understand how much easier they make life.

    Practice for your health

    However, in order for these basic knowledge firmly ingrained in your memory, you must definitely use them in communication. Your interlocutor can be your friend, colleague, or even yourself (why not try conducting a monologue?). The important thing is that you often use the learned words in your speech. Some of them can even be written out on adhesive pieces of paper (stickers) and pasted on the corresponding objects in the apartment.

    And most importantly, repeat the words until you memorize them. Repetition is the mother of learning. Remember that knowledge does not come easy, which means that you will have to work hard to achieve good results. The proposed 100 words are the most popular and most used in the English language. Based on them, you can already build proposals. It is impossible to start learning a language without resorting to new vocabulary.

    Conclusion

    Thus, based on the above, the following can be noted: if you decide to learn English language from scratch, then the presented list will undoubtedly help you, which includes the basic and most popular English words. Each word is voiced, translated and provided with transcription.

    All you have to do is learn them, remember the correct pronunciation and practice often. Of course, we cannot say that we should limit ourselves to this list only. The 100 words presented are a base that will allow you to navigate the further process of learning English.

    № 1
    I - I you - you, you he - he his - him
    it - he, she, it (about inanimate objects)
    they - they
    is - is, is located
    was - was, was, was
    are - we are, are, are
    and - and
    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-1-10.mp3 № 2
    as - how, since, when
    for - for, for the sake of, because of
    in - in, during, through, on of - something (with a noun in the genitive case)
    on - on, at in that - that, that, that, then with - with, together with to - to, in, on the - definite article- this, this, this
    a is the indefinite article before a singular noun

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-11-20.mp3
    № 3
    word - word
    all - everything, everything, all, all
    this - this, this, this
    one - one, unit, someone
    we - we your - yours, yours, yours, yours
    be - to be, to be
    have - to have
    had - had
    were - were, were

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-21-30.mp3
    № 4
    can - be able to, be able to, be able to
    said - said, said, said
    at - at, with, on, in from - from, from, with or - or, nor by - at, about, to, past, with the help
    but - but, but, except, however
    not - not, nor what - which, how much
    when - when, while

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-31-40.mp3
    № 5
    use - use, application, benefit
    many ["mænı] - many, many
    other [Λðə] - other, different
    each - everyone, everyone
    she [∫i:] - she
    their [ðεə] ​​- theirs, belonging to them them [ðəm] - them/them
    these [ði:z] - these
    which - which one
    do - do, carry out

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-41-50.mp3
    № 6
    will - will, firm intention + auxiliary to form the future tense
    how - how, how much
    so - thus, so, also, therefore
    then [ðen] - then, then
    there [ðεə] ​​- there, there, here
    about [ə"baut] - around, about, about, approximately
    if [ıf] - if
    out - outside, behind, outside, beyond
    up [Λp] - up, along, at the top, above
    an [ən] - indefinite article a + letter n, used before vowels

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-51-60.mp3
    № 7
    time - time, period
    number ["nΛmbə] - number, quantity, figure
    way - road, path, direction, opportunity
    people - people, population
    her - her, her, hers, belonging to her him - to him, to him
    some - which, some, some, some, several
    more - more
    would - is used as an auxiliary verb when forming the future in the past tense, when forming the conditional mood, as well as modal verb to express a polite request, opportunity or desire
    make - do, create, force

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-61-70.mp3
    № 8
    like - like, love, want, similar, equal
    has - has, possesses
    look - look, glance, look
    write - write, write
    go - go, walk, ride, leave
    see - to see, examine, know, understand
    could - could/could
    no - no, no, no
    two - two, deuce
    into ["ıntə] - into, inside

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-71-80.mp3
    № 9
    day - day, day
    oil - oil, grease, petroleum
    part - part, share, participation, role, separate, part
    water ["wo:tə] - water, moisten, water
    long - long, long, slow
    my - mine, mine
    its [ıts] - his, her, yours
    who - who, which
    been - past participle of the verb be “to be”
    call - to call, call, hail, call, visit

    /wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Basic-English-words-81-90.mp3
    № 10
    find - find, acquire, count
    did - did, did
    get - receive, achieve, become
    come - to come, to arrive, to happen
    made - did, did, created, created
    may - be able, have the opportunity
    now - now, now
    first - first
    down - down, below
    than [ðən] - than