Learning new vocabulary when going to advanced

[samuraivader]

Hi! What do you think is the best way to learn new vocabulary when you're going to an advanced level?

Also, after a conversation with someone I got the next doubt: Is it a good idea to learn the definition of the words in your native language? Or is it a bad idea?

Thanks!

[PeterMollenburg]

Hi! What do you think is the best way to learn new vocabulary when you're going to an advanced level?

Also, after a conversation with someone I got the next doubt: Is it a good idea to learn the definition of the words in your native language? Or is it a bad idea?

Thanks!

Hi samuraivader,

Like many things in the world when it comes to learning a new skill and improving one’s ability, there are many different methods. I’m sure many athletes have arrived at the olympics with quite different training methods and training principles that their coaches have used. The main thing is to train, and remaining open to adjusting one’s training methods to improve as much as possible. Other things come into it, such as sleep, rest, and diet.

Learning a language has many similarities to training in sport (I think, at least) and perhaps just as many different methods of arriving at one’s goals. The main thing is you keep training (learning), and adjust your methods of learning to progress as best you can. This means too, that one must employ the methods that get you engaged and involved in the language. No sense in choosing the apparently best method if you hate it. Best to do what motivates you and keeps you progressing forward, all the while enjoying the journey. Having said that, sometimes I do feel the ‘no pain no gain’ statement holds true in certain areas of language learning. You’re not going to love all the ‘training’. You could go the easy way, but sometimes doing things that challenge you, will see faster/bigger gains in a shorter time.

Of course, much of what I relate above comes from recent years of experience, experience that I didn’t have a handful of years back and much of the same statements above were said by others more experienced in this field than myself, others who hover around this forum, like me, but have a lot of wise words to say, words that I have stolen from them above in some ways, but only because I now have the experience to back up what others have said as being true.

As I’ll say throughout this post, there’s many different methods. You can read read read and listen listen listen and that alone might work for you. You can use SRS or flashcard systems (paper or electronic) and you might swear by them. You might find a combination of both works really well. Of you could be like me and hold onto your training wheels (language courses) for much longer than most and swear by them. You might like to watch videos, read, and write down or highlight unknown words etc etc etc. You can only know by trying different methods, what works for you best. Of course there’s always intensive reading too (looking up the majority of words/expressions you don’t understand - what you do with those words I can’t tell you, again you’ll have to work it out).

What you do to retain new vocabulary as you advance could change. You might find SRS very useful in the beginning, not so much in the intermediate stages and then very useful again at the advanced stages. You may hate them at every stage. You might swear by reading with an electronic reader (eg. a kindle) and look up the worlds in the built in dictionary as you go... You’ll have to explore until you settle on a method or combination of methods that works for you.

Monolingual dictionaries (and other resources) vs bilingual. I don’t think it matters. Both have benefits. I own bilingual and monolingual dictionaries and I use a mixture of both. Were you trying for a complete absolute immersion environment, then go for monolingual resources only, but I personally don’t see much wrong with bilingual resources and the majority of my learning materials have been as such.
You can get lost sometimes if your language level and trust in learning from context aren’t high with monolingual resources. I don’t like that lost feeling. Bilingual resources have provided me with more clarity, even if that’s meant a stronger reliance on my native language.

[Pinecone]

Like many things in the world when it comes to learning a new skill and improving one’s ability, there are many different methods. I’m sure many athletes have arrived at the olympics with quite different training methods and training principles that their coaches have used. The main thing is to train, and remaining open to adjusting one’s training methods to improve as much as possible.

I agree with PeterMollenburg that the exact approach will vary from person to person. The trick to language learning is finding what motivates and is interesting to you and pivoting when what was working before is no longer working. I am glad you opened the topic. We may all pick up some new ideas!

I'll share below what is working for me to give you another set of ideas to play with while you figure out what works for you.

What I am discovering as I try and move to C1 in Nepali is what got me here won't get me there.

I can't rely on the vocabulary I am learning to be reinforced in everyday transactional and pleasantry type conversation. Since I am not a fan of learning random words without some context or reason to want to learn them, I am having to shift my habits to include more media consumption (print, audio, and video) as a means of increasing the occurrences of hearing less common words in context more frequently.

When I encounter words I don't understand, I jot them down in a notebook to go over with my tutor. My tutor helps me understand the most common meaning of the word as well as the nuances of how and when to use the word. As we talk about the word and use it in sample sentences it helps me make connections with the word which are important in the 'making it stick' process. I then enter the word, usage notes, and a recording of my tutor saying the word into WordClimber (the word collection / vocabulary review system I use) for later review.

By the time I am finished with my word capturing process I've heard and used the word numerous times, but I still have work to do to move it into my active vocabulary. The next stage for me is to do vocabulary reviews. I spend 10-15 min a day on those to keep words fresh and primed for recognizing or using the word in the wild.

The words become cemented in my brain the more times I hear and recognize them in context and the more times I use them. To that end I replay or reread original sources; consume new media; and intentionally try and work new words into conversation.

It is very much cyclical (hearing, reviewing, conversing). At some magical moment (which frustratingly seems to differ from word to word) the word sticks and is in my active vocabulary!

This is what is helping me learn important but less common vocabulary. I look forward to reading what others have to say.