Strategies
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Examples/tips
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Tools
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Contextualization: putting new acquired vocabulary words into sentences or phrases to help you remember them.
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- Create the phrases yourself if possible
- If not: use the web > see TOOLS
- Use short phrases by preference
- Use humor, if you like it.
- Make it personal; make it yours by connecting it to your situation
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Online Dictionary and/or web corpus of English
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Elaboration: relating new information to information you already know.
Expanding your vocabulary by means of free association.
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- 'Love', the verb, connects to 'lover', a noun, to 'lovely', and adjective, to 'like' which is more or less a synonym, and 'hate', an antonym!
- Free association:
love> my neighbor> my dog> hippy> marriage> divorce> church >the pope> gay-parade
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- Snappy Words. Free Online Visual Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Lexipedia. Same as above, but a bit more options.
- The above mentioned Cambridge Dictionary Online site. They offer synonyms, related words and phrases
- Use a sketchbook and color pencils to make your own word-combinations, -families etc
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Operationalize:
find out the proper pronunciation of the word and learn to master it. Pronounce, write and use the word as much as possible. Train it in day by day situations
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A good place to train your vocabulary with native speakers is to register (free) for a language learning social network. There are many. Most will charge for extra functions but some still remain free. This web sector is growing rapidly: the example I give is just one of the many options you have
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- Use Cambridge Dictionary Online. to hear both English and American pronunciation of the words.
- English Central. A great tool to train your listening skills and to improve your pronunciation by imitating speakers.
- Livemocha – Livemocha is the largest social network for language learners. The site has more than 6 million members who help each other learn any language imaginable. To fully enjoy the site you will have to pay though.
- Smart.fm is a -still- free social learning place where you can train -among others- your English vocabulary in a great way and connect to other students.
- Skype and Google Talk are both great tools to talk with anyone, anywhere for free.
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Practicability: learning vocabulary 'on the spot', in day by day life situations, while the words are 'hot' will lead to better results. Words acquired this way will stay in memory because they are related to reality: images, actions, situations.
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Each student should have a small paper note block and a pencil, a pocket dictionary or a mobile phone with dictionary, note-taking application and/or voice recording possibility. They should have this at hand any moment of the day.
So, if you're in a situation where you cannot find a word or phrase: look it up immediately or -at least- record it or write it down to look it up later at home.
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- A very small mini dictionary in your pocket (Berlitz, Langenscheidt)
- A very small note-block and a pencil
- A translation tool/dictionary on your mobile
- A note taking tool or the voice-recorder tool on your mobile
- Twitter might be a platform wit the potential to quickly communicate these language issues.
Anyone with more Twitter expertise is invited to help me with this.
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Storage: or, creating your own dictionary/workbook, writing down all the vocabulary, phrases and idiom you acquired, has proven to be a very productive method to really internalize the new vocabulary.
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- Get yourself a blog to use for all your language needs
- Store all your vocabulary in your blog
- Post anything language-related you find while surfing to your blog (there are tools and easy ways to do this 'with a click')
- Make this blog your personal study tool
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- Blogger. This is my advice for students. Easy to get and easy to work with combined with a wealth of options
- How to create your first blog
- There is an add-on for Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari to post interesting stuff you find on the web directly to your Blog: ScribeFire.
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