{"id":1181,"date":"2023-02-26T12:18:09","date_gmt":"2023-02-26T12:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laurajanebaxter.com\/?p=1181"},"modified":"2023-02-26T12:18:14","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T12:18:14","slug":"4-free-ways-to-improve-your-vocabulary-intermediate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laurajanebaxter.com\/?p=1181","title":{"rendered":"4 free ways to improve your vocabulary: intermediate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So you’ve been learning your target language for a while, but you’re not seeing much progress, and the dream of being able to converse fluently<\/em><\/strong> just feels so far out of reach. Sure, you can say a few words and phrases, and maybe even understand basic conversations, but fluency feels like something you can never really<\/em><\/strong> achieve. How can you improve your vocabulary (and, crucially, how can you do it for free)? Which resources should you start with? In this post, I’ll share 4 ways you, as an intermediate learner who has the basics under control, can improve your vocabulary, with free resources I use myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is learning vocabulary so hard?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the previous blog post<\/a>, I talked about why it feels so difficult to improve your vocabulary. Basically, there’s just so much of it. It’s like you have to retain in your head a way of referring to everything (literally). At times, when you listen to a foreign language, it feels like hearing spies talking in code. You’ll only get to the meaning if you can manage to decipher and crack their encrypted words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the problem of improving your vocabulary comes with three key aspects. You need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. expose yourself to a new word you\u2019ll actually understand,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. get it to stick in your head, and <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. learn it so that you can actually use <\/em>it.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In another blog post<\/a>, I explain how you can absolutely nail <\/em><\/strong>number (3). How? By focusing on acquiring lexical items<\/em><\/strong>, not memorising individual words. If you’re not sure what the difference is between a word and a lexical item, check it out here<\/a>. In my experience, it turns out that (2) doesn\u2019t automatically lead to (3). Just because you have the word memorised, doesn\u2019t mean you can actually use it<\/em> in conversation. Today I’ll talk about number (1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Obviously, to improve your vocabulary, you need to expose yourself to new words and expressions. But how do you do that? How do you find those new terms and phrases that make you sound<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    slicker<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    more professional<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    eloquent<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    articulate<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    and more natural<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Answer? Learn expressions in an environment of total immersion<\/em><\/strong>. Perhaps you’re learning German, for example. Immersive environments are when you learn the meaning of new German expressions from<\/em> other German expressions you already know. You don’t translate the words from English ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Go for immersive methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But come on: surely you don’t mean total <\/em>immersion<\/strong>. Of course, the best way to learn German is to move to Germany and stop speaking English, but that’s not realistic for most people. So how do we get this kind of immersive exposure? Well, here are four methods you can use without having to pack up camp and immigrate to a country where your target language is spoken natively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Method 1: TV series (not films)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Watch loads<\/em><\/strong> of TV series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a great way of extending your vocabulary using resources aimed at native speakers. There’s often a difference between how people use a language formally compared with how it gets used in everyday conversations, so getting exposure to authentic-style native communication is a great way to boost speaking fluency, rather than just technical proficiency that you can get from a textbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another great thing about watching TV series is that they enable you to pick up vocabulary in context, which will, over time, help you get a much better, more natural feel of how the words should be used, and when they “just sound off”. How can this possibly work? Well, as always, the answer is: through comprehensible input<\/a> (if you don\u2019t know what this is, check out my explanation in my earlier blog post<\/a>). This means, when you start using the words to speak and write, you\u2019ll know how to use the terms in sentences. Watching series is fun and attractive, and it has that just-one-more quality that studying usually doesn’t have. This can help you to stay motivated and build a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tip: opt for series, not films. Why? Because in series, you have many more hours of exposure to the same plot, and the same contexts. This means that you’ll hear the same new words and expressions repeated over and over again, which will help them reinforce the new lexical items you’ve learned and help them to stick in your mind long-term. Also, with a series, you build up more knowledge of the context, which enables you to deduce new vocabulary faster, in a way that is much more difficult in an isolated 120 minutes of sudden immersion into a new world that you get in films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Method 2: a podcast about something you’re interested in<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Find a podcast to fall in love with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Are you not that interested in fiction? Perhaps you want to feel like you’re learning something, hearing natives using the language in real conversations rather than a series. If so, podcasts could be for you. The benefit of podcasts is that you can add them into those little slots of dead time in your day: when commuting, when doing housework, when eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, a word of caution: I find that podcasts tend to be a bit trickier to follow because you can’t get captions in most cases of what is being said, and you don’t have any visual cues. This means that, especially if you’re a lower-intermediate learner, it will be much harder to find input that is comprehensible. However, if you’d prefer this to a lot of screentime, it could be a great resource for you. It\u2019s a brilliant way to expose yourself to the language. Also, if you find a podcast that comes in very short episodes, it’s a simple way to get a little bit of exposure and listening practise of your target language every day in bite-size chunks, rather than committing to sitting down to watch a whole episode of a TV show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Method 3: Read, read, read!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Find the translations in your target language of books you currently read in English, know well, or read when you were younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reading is another great way to improve your vocabulary in context<\/em><\/strong>. For intermediate learners, I recommend starting with children’s books, books designed specifically for learners or, if you can’t find any, children’s books (because children are also language learners). Once you feel more confident, try reading books whose plot and characters you know well, which perhaps you’ve already read in your native language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Method 4: Build deeper friendships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Spend more quality time with native speakers, in your target language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another way to improve your vocabulary is to make friends with natives and other learners of your target language. Look out for a blog post coming soon where I talk about this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Right, now I\u2019ve exposed myself to a bunch of vocabulary (lexical items), how do I actually remember <\/em>them all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make sure you\u2019re subscribed to the mailing list so that you get the update when I write a blog post on (2): how to get the new word you\u2019ve learned to stick in your head. But, if you absolutely can\u2019t wait for the future blog post, hop over to L\u00fddia Machov\u00e1\u2019s Language Mentoring page<\/a> to get a headstart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Main Takeaway:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The best thing about these methods is that you can forget that you’re learning a language and you’re improving your vocabulary because the focus is on the content, not the words used to deliver the content.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Focus on content <\/em><\/strong>you enjoy<\/em><\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    not the words used to deliver that content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Itching for more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Check out some of my other blog posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n