Building a Vocabulary

Have you ever learned a few phrases of a new language? If you are anything like me, you feel incredibly confident with those few words that you have learned that you speak them loudly and often to show off your skill of this new language. Those around you might laugh and applaud your new language skills.

But if someone came up to you and asked you a question in that same language that you just learned, you would be completely lost. Learning a new language is all about learning the words. You can’t speak, listen, read or write without a strong vocabulary.

Years ago, when I lived in South Korea, I learned a few phrases like “where is the bathroom?”, “how much is it?” and “nice to meet you.” Having a theatre background, I was good with accents, and most Koreans around me thought I was very good at Korean with my few phrases. But it wasn’t until I got a notebook and started memorizing Korean words that I really started to learn. I would try to learn 20 new words each day and quiz myself each night to remember these words. I would try to use them the next day. I didn’t even bother with grammar until I had enough words to be able to practice speaking and writing.

There are 1.1 million words in the English language. It’s impossible to learn them all, but it’s essential that you start learning as many as you can. Building a vocabulary is crucial to language learning. It is hard work and it is a grind, but it is so important. ESL teachers cannot take all of their time teaching new words. It is a student’s job to learn as many as they can.

Each new word that you learn gives you a new way to express yourself in a new language. It’s so important to focus on vocabulary to build your language skills. In later posts, we’ll talk about some strategies that are best for learning vocabulary.