HOW TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH _ PART 2

In his book Inglês na Ponta da Língua (which btw I highly recommend), Denilso de Lima states what comes to be the topic of our today's post: "sem vocabulário não há absolutamente nada. Sem vocabulário, palavras, não há nenhuma comunicação. Não há nenhuma transmissão de pensamentos. Não há idéias. Não há como expressar seus sentimentos. Não há como dialogar. Não há como ler livros. Não há discursos, brigas e tudo mais (p.4)."

In his statement, the teacher is trying to draw attention to the importance of having a good range of VOCABULARY, claiming that the shorter is the person's vocabulary, the more difficult it will be for them to interact and communicate their ideas. So, I get the impression he's giving us a tip: brush up your vocabulary!

But the question is 'how?'. What I feel when I teach you guys is that, curiously, few students are able to really retain new vocabulary each class. I said "curiously" because that is what the MNEMÔNICA method (you should follow) is about: how much of the class content I can keep on my mind. Only the ones who study hard and follow effectively the MNEMÔNICA techniques are able to add pieces to their vocabulary castle. So, that's my hint to begin with: do your best to follow what the step-by-step programme tells you to do. It will guarantee an effective learning.

The second tip has to do with making notes. It is during the classes that you will have the chance to learn new words and clarify others, so make sure that you are keeping them in a safe place. Do what I used to do when I was a student (In fact, I still do it. lol): separate a special part of your notebook to a NEW VOCABULARY section, and make as many notes as possible. Once in a while, browse your notebook for a refresh. Be curious to know new words! That's the key!

Denilso de Lima is gonna help me with my last point. According to him, "Aprender palavras não significa apenas saber o que elas estão definindo ou dizendo. Para dizer que aprendeu uma palavra você tem que ser capaz de entender como aquele palavra é usada dentro da língua. Você tem que ser capaz de identificar as características daquela palavra, para que na hora de usá-la não cometa um erro ou ainda venha a usá-la em uma situação não muito apropriada." Shifting to clear English, MAKE USE OF NEW WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS, PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE. That is the only way you can be sure you really know the word. Take advantages of conversation and fun classes, even while writing compositions, to brush up your vocabulary, and always bear in mind: your range of vocabulary should correspond, as much as possible, to your current level/stage. Ask yourself then: does my vocabulary correspond to my level/estage? If yes, keep on the right track. But, if not, reflect on what's still missing.

Food for thoughts...

Bye Guys,

Instructor Rafael.