Students,
Hello. Some simple ways to expand your vocabulary
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| Flashcards are a great way to expand your vocabulary improving your fluency |
1.With a pair of scissors and thick paper, cut some squares.
2.With a pen or marker write on the cards some words you find difficult from your unit (one word per card).
3.On the other side of the cards write a short definition for the word (in English) or/and write similar words (synonyms) OR for Survival ( Beginner / Breakthrough / A1) students, write the Spanish word (translation).
4.Don't make more than ten cards per week.
5.Make a pile of cards.
1.Monday. 15 minutes. Pick up a card and read the definition. Think of the word and say it aloud (in a high voice).
2.Well done! :) place the card underneath the pile. OR when you can't remember the words :(.. make a new pile with those cards.
3.Now that you have finished, pick up the cards from the "can't remember" pile, and try them again!
4.Have you remembered one..? Great! :) Don't read the definitions of the other cards!!
5.Start again. Put all of the cards together again and repeat.
6.Have you remembered the other words? Even greater!! :)--<
7.Start again. This time shuffle the cards (change the order of the cards) and repeat.
8.Write a conversation you would have with your best friend, with many of the words.
1.During the week. Go into your language school/ institute, show a student and practise with them.
2.Show a personal tutor.
3.Practise in a class.
1.Thursday. 30 minutes. Write a story or a letter to a friend using as many of the words as you can. (in your English journal..?)
2.Use the words in some writing exercises from your unit.
1.Sunday. 15 minutes. Test yourself on the new words you learned this week. Pick up a card and make a complete sentence with the word. Speak aloud!
2.Have you remembered all of the words? Great :)
3.No? :(.. put those cards in the new pile for next week. No problem - you tried, right? :)--<
More Practice. Instead, read the words on the cards and think of the definition you wrote on the other side.
Some other ways to memorise (remember):-
• Think of a song (tune, melody) you like and change the words for your new words. Sing the song during the week.
• Make a poem with the new words or a grammar rule. For example,
every name is called a noun,
as field and fountain, street and town.
• Use your new words in a game of Memory: with a page of paper, cut many squares. Write your new words onto the squares (two squares for each word). Turn over one square. Turn over another square -is it the same? No -turn both squares over again. Match all the squares. Play with a friend.
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| Memory |
- My Grandmother's Cat: with some friends, sit in a circle shape. Start with the letter a and finish this sentence "my grandmother's cat is very ............". Then your friend, with the letter b. Play until you have finished the alphabet. If you can't think of an adjective the next person uses your letter. Play again, think of different adjectives.
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Some help.... My grandmother's cat is very amazing, angry, asleep, attractive, active, advanced, active, aboriginal, agitated, adolescent, aged, aggressive, agreeable, amusing, amused, angelic, annoying, annoyed, arrogant, ashamed, assertive, astonishing, astonished, attentive, Australian, Argentinian...... good luck!
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In My Bedroom: with some friends, sit in a circle shape. Start with the letter a and finish this sentence "In my bedroom there is a ............". Then your friend, with the letter b. Play until you have finished the alphabet. If you can't think of a noun the next person uses your letter.
• In My House: with some friends, sit in a circle shape. Finish this sentence "In my house there is a ..........". Then your friend repeats what you said, and adds one more thing that is in their house. Then the next friend repeats what you and your friend said. For example,
"In my house there is a kitchen."
"In my house there is a kitchen and a chair."
"In my house there is a kitchen, a chair and a table." ....
see how far you can go!
• With your breakfast, look at the picture on the first page of a newspaper. Write all the words you know to describe what you see. This takes 5 minutes.
• With some squares of paper, write many similar words (synonyms). Shuffle (mix) them. Match them together again. *you can use similar words, opposite words, words that go together (collocation e.g.. tall person, high mountain, sad friend, difficult exam..), word families (e.g. book, magazine, television, newspaper)
• Mind Maps: with a blank page, write one word you know. Then, write more words that are similar to that word. Write more words that are similar to those words. For example,
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| Mind-maps or Spider-grams |
• Read the words of a song you like. Repeat until you know it!
Good Luck! See you in class,
Matt
