Why Should You Learn New English Words in Context
Enhance your English skills by learning in context and grasping new words in real-life situations.
WordUp team
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27/06/2023
What do we mean by “learning new English words in context”
Learning vocabulary in context is a practical solution for learning new English words effectively. Learning in context increases word familiarity and improves learners’ vocabulary comprehension and competence in real-life situations. Want to improve your oral and written communication skill? Learn new vocabulary in context. But how does that work? Stay with us to find out.
Context can help students learn new English words quickly and efficiently. It provides the necessary ingredients for the meaning, which can be in various forms, such as a text, a movie scene, or a podcast episode. Anything providing you with enough details to comprehend definitions and understand usages acts as a context.
A language learning app like WordUp can also supply the learners with context, but slightly different from the average context. Now, if you are interested, you might want to keep on reading.
Why context matters in learning new vocabulary
Learning vocabulary in context is more effective than memorizing lists of words because it provides the learners with the background information they need to understand and remember the words.
For example, the definition of "fork" is not very helpful without some sort of visual aid or context. However, if you hear the word "fork" while you are having dinner with your friends, while one of them is pointing at it, the definition becomes more tangible.
The difference in pronunciation of words in various accents can also be a language barrier and the missing context in a situation. Therefore, it is important to learn vocabulary in context to improve your understanding and memory of words.
Challenges of learning words without context
Learning English can be challenging due to the complex or similar spellings and multiple meanings of some words. For example, the words "to", "too", and "two" sound the same but have different meanings. This is a simple example of homophones, which are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings or spellings. Another example is the words "affect" and "effect", which sound and look similar but have different meanings.
English words also have different parts of speech, which indicate their correct place in a meaningful sentence. However, it can be difficult for English learners to know which part of speech a word is without looking it up every time they want to use it.
Different ways of learning new words in context:
Learning new words in context is more effective than memorizing definitions. When you learn a word in the context of a story, you have more information to help you understand its meaning and how to use it. This information is more likely to stick in your memory than if you simply memorized the definition of the word.
Simply put, context is the details one is provided with to grasp the meaning of a particular word. Such details can be given textually, visually, or virtually. Its form is not important as long as it tells us what we need to know to land comprehension.
Here are 3 suggestions for learning new English vocabulary in context:
1. Watching movies and Series
Watching movies and series can be a great way to learn new words. The engaging plots give you enough background to comprehend the context and help you create an unforgettable connection between words and the incident sequence. When you hear a different word in different contexts, your brain's neurotransmitters create a familiarity space in the memory section.
However, you can't remember the words until the memory is successfully created. The common mistake among language learners is that they can't stand the unknown meanings at work in these circumstances and tend to look the words up. Besides the new vocabulary learning opportunity, watching your favorite shows and series help you achieve language competence. Language competence is achieved when you obtain the ability to guess the unknown words and phrases' meanings. Exposure to unknown entities will result in a competence habit. Consequently, new words will be added to your vocabulary range eventually.
2. Listening to music and podcasts
Listening to music and podcasts creates the same effect as watching movies and series. The only difference is that your sole skill focus would be listening, which means you can practice pronunciation while listening for new words. Listening is a skill that contributes directly to speaking production. Hence, activities like these are like independent English courses that enhance your skills in using the language.
3. Using an English app
Learning English using a phone app is a great way to associate the meanings with new words. WordUp is an English app that provides all learners worldwide with sufficient data to help them learn English vocabulary. It is suitable for beginners, intermediates, and those who study advanced English.
WordUp helps you improve your English via countless context clues, such as pictures, videos, news, and texts. These clues help you understand the meaning of new words in a way that is both fun and engaging. WordUp is also easy to use and navigate, with a clean and simple interface.
If you are looking for a comprehensive and effective English learning app, then WordUp is the perfect choice for you. It is a great way to improve your English skills, regardless of your level of proficiency.
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