つかえる英会話Daily / Travel

Claire: You said we need to build our vocabulary to read, write and listen better. Now the question is how you increase your vocabulary. What is the most effective way to do it?

Sutherland: The bottom line is you study new words over and over. You see, language is as tricky as…let’s say, ballet, for instance. A ballet dancer needs to practice every day…no day should pass without practicing if she wants to retain and further improve her art. Likewise, you need to refresh your memory daily by studying or using the words you think you’ve already acquired. Even your mother tongue would get rusty if you didn’t use it for a while.

Claire: I see. Some people say we shouldn’t use our first language when studying a foreign language. What do you think of that?

Sutherland: Personally, I disagree with the idea. Your mother language is the greatest tool you can rely on when learning any other language. What I recommend is very traditional. Make your own vocabulary book; draw a vertical line so as to half a page; the left column is for words you want to learn, and the right is for their translations. Don’t try to study too many words at a time. Too much information exhausts your mind and body too easily. Make a rule…add five new words on to the list each day, and study them thoroughly. You go through them over and over until you’re confident you’ve really acquired them.

Claire: How can you tell you’ve really acquired a certain word?

Sutherland: It’s easy. You see the word, and if its meaning doesn’t come to your mind immediately, you haven’t acquired it yet. Because we forget things, it’s also necessary to go back to the words you did acquire some time ago…then refresh your memory.

Claire: And you recommend we use our first language throughout the learning period?

Sutherland: Not throughout. Thank you for pointing that out. When you think you’ve acquired a certain number of words written in your vocab book, why don’t you write them on a piece of paper…without the translation this time…and carry it wherever you go. You look at the list on a train, you look at it at a cafe while waiting for your friend, or even in a bathroom! If you’re very careful, you’ll realize life is full of places to study!