James Baquet

    Ming is chatting with his classmate Mark in the common room of their dorm.

    Ming: Hey, Mark. Can you give me some tips on learning new words?

    Mark: Sure. I’ll teach you four steps plus one. The four steps are: Find it. Understand it. Study it. Use it.

    Ming: And the “plus one?”

    Mark: Besides this process, you can expand your vocabulary by taking quizzes, playing games, and other fun activities.

    Ming: Tell me more about the four steps first.

    Mark: Sure. First, you should find new words. They’re everywhere! Look around at your environment. Look for signs, titles in magazines, or English words on Internet pages.

    Ming: Okay.

    Mark: Or, listen to your teachers or friends. See if they use English words you don’t know. Finally, read, read, and read some more. Read anything you can in English, then note new words you find.

    Ming: Can I get new words from movies or TV shows?

    Mark: Of course! Then, once you find a new word, it’s important to keep it. Use a notebook, or write it on a little card.

    Ming: That’s a good idea.

    Mark: Also, note the context of the word. That means, write down the sentence or title the word was in. This can help you understand it and remember it.

    Ming: Great. What’s the next step?

    Mark: The second step is to understand the word.

    Ming: You mean, look it up in the dictionary, and write down the definition?

    Mark: That’s a big part of it. But also, see if the word is made up of parts. Any good English-English dictionary will help you do that.

    Ming: You mean, learn the root, prefix, suffix — stuff like that?

    Mark: Exactly! Not only will this help you remember the word, but it will help you understand new words, too.

    Ming: That’s really helpful.

    Mark: Also, learn other forms of the word. “Beauty” from “beautiful,” or “beautify” from “beauty.”

    Ming: Got it.

    Mark: The more you understand a word, the better you’ll remember it. Step three is to study the word. Use study cards, make practice sentences, draw pictures — anything that keeps the word and its meaning in your mind.

    Ming: Okay.

    Mark: Finally, use the word. In conversation, in writing — even talking to yourself. Use it or lose it.

    Ming: This is good stuff, Mark. Now what about this expansion idea?

    Mark: Online, you can find word games, vocabulary quizzes — all kinds of fun ways to use more words.

    Ming: Oh, yeah. My teacher recommended we play “Words With Friends.”

    Mark: That’s a good one. Anything to keep your English learning active.

    Ming: Thanks a lot, Mark!

    Mark: No problem!