By Keisha Centa Putri
Many foreign language learners believe that the more vocabulary they learn, the faster they will become fluent in a foreign language. It is no surprise that memorizing vocabulary is often a top priority in the learning process, especially when people recommend you to memorize more than 10 new words everyday. Though memorizing vocabulary one by one can actually make it more difficult for you to understand and use in conversations if you don’t learn and practice it with context.
The essence of memorization is not the problem, it is that a lot of the times, the words are memorized without context and how to apply them in conversations or writings. This is what causes people to hesitate in using them and understanding their meaning in everyday conversation, even when they know the definition. In conversations, the words we say don’t just carry meaning, but also tone and even a level of formality that can’t be learned from a raw vocabulary list alone.
Learning just by the definition may trap you into translating each words literally and may not work when a speaker is using slangs or idioms. This may also not work when there are many definitions to one word that has not all been memorized by the learner. This is what makes some people think that vocabulary is something complex and difficult to remember, but by experiencing these words in their context might be the answer to your perils!
Learning vocabulary is not just about how many words you are able to memorize, but how you can use those words naturally in suitable situations. Learn words through regular exposure, and with context. Read articles, watch new movies (or rewatch your favorite ones!), listen to podcasts or radio, and build your vocabulary through sentences! In this way, vocabulary is no longer limited to literal definitions, but also becomes part of a living language pattern with deep meaning.
Sources:
- Steve. (2024, March 20). Don’t try to memorize vocabulary in a new language. The Linguist. https://blog.thelinguist.com/dont-try-to-memorize-vocabulary-in-a-new-language/
- Tiffanni. (n.d.). Stop memorizing English vocabulary lists. Speak English With Tiffanni. https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/stop-memorizing-english-vocabulary-lists/
- Isabelle. (n.d.). How to memorize new vocabulary faster: 9 tips. EF. https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/how-to-memorize-new-vocabulary-faster/
