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MASTER
VOCABULARY
My name is Max and Im from Argentina. Like you, Im a non-native English speaker. I started to learn English in 2011 (yes, that recently) when
after 2 years of very casually flirting with the idea of learning this language, I decided to get serious about it. I became fluent a couple of months
after that, and from those days until now Ive learned a lot more.
Because I am not a native speaker, I can understand all the difficulties
and frustrations that you have or are going through. Below Im going
to list some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind (and Im sure
yours too!) in my efforts to reach fluency:
Enjoy!
Max
max english.tips
MASTER VOCABULARY
This guide is free and you are welcome to share it with others.
METHOD
ONE
METHOD
TWO
METHOD
THREE
INTRODUCTION
Broadly speaking, vocabulary is one of the three pillars of any spoken language. We assign words to specific objects
or concepts. Then, with grammar, we organize these words in a way that makes sense. And lastly, pronunciation is
how we turn these ordered sequence (grammar) of words (vocabulary) into sounds that can be understood by the
listener. Thats how we speak.
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In Master Vocabulary, Im going to walk you through three vocabulary learning methods that tackle the first question: How do I learn new words and not forget them?
This works for learninig the most essential pieces of vocabulary in English, like animal names or days of the
week, but its specially useful for acquiring advanced vocabulary; more precisely native speakers vocabulary,
which is the vocabulary that very few non-native English speakers actually use. (why dont they use it? Go to page
25).
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VOCABULARY LISTS
Keeping a vocabulary list is critical for a number of reasons. Three of the most important ones are:
We can use it for reference in the future.
We can use it for reviewing, which will further help us
consolidate the learned vocabulary.
And most importantly, building a vocabulary list will
force us to concentrate in each individual word or
phrase because we will actively explore their key aspects of meaning. This together with the benefit of
learning just from the process of writing down said
word or phrase leads to an enhanced memory.
The three vocabulary learning techniques I will teach to
you in this guide rely on vocabulary lists. We want these
new phrases and words or at least a portion of them
to exist somewhere in the form of a database (i.e. in a
text file in your computer).
passive
vocabulary
active
vocabulary
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When you stop to retrieve the elusive words from your memory, you are trying to use
vocabulary that is in the passive vocabulary area of your brain. Your passive vocabulary is comprised of all the words and phrases that you know, but hardly ever use.
When non-native English speakers go from hardly ever using their English to using it a
lot, their speaking skills improve dramatically. One of the reasons why this happens is
because they have the opportunity to engage plenty of vocabulary they already knew
but didnt have the chance to use.
This means that their progress is not just marked by how many new words they learn.
A key reason lies in the fact that their active vocabulary has been enlarged with formerly passive vocabulary. However, if they suddenly stop using the language on a regular basis, their active vocabulary will start to shrink, as much of it will become, once
again, passive vocabulary.
When you bump into a new word, there is a process it has to go through for it to become part of your active vocabulary. When you learn it in a significant way like in a real
life situation, this word is more likely to penetrate into your memory. If you learn new
vocabulary by reading, watching TV or listening to an audio in English, engaging with it
by going through the process of writing it down in your list will also increase the chances it will stick in your memory and be available when you need to use it.
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METHOD #1
This is the simplest and less novel of the three vocabulary building meth-
cousin: primo
od you will learn in this guide, and for this reason its also the most widely aunt: tia
used. Its a very plain formula: English word equals learners native lanuncle: tio
guage word. This method is generally used at the beginning stage of the
nephew/niece: sobrino/a
grandmother: abuela
to so that the student can start speaking. To the right is what this simple
Fruits
cow: vaca
apple: manzana
horse: caballo
orange: naranja
pig: puerco
pear: pera
goat: cabra
watermelon: sandia
roast: gallo
pineapple: pina
Behold: observar
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Many also swear by the practice of not just learning individual words, but also word groups. This is indeed a more
effective way to learn vocabulary because: a) you will become more aware of the context where the word is more
likely to appear; b) you will get an idea of the words that usually collocate with the new word; and c) the surrounding words will magnify the meaning of the term in question and this will increase the chances you will remember it.
Lets say you stumble upon the word aware for the first time:
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the usage of this word. Its telling you that aware is most times used with a situation that causes us to have a negative feeling. We say to be aware of an issue, problem, danger, etc. You might miss this the first time, but by engaging with vocabulary in this way will predispone you to later realize about these details.
Looking at new vocabulary in this way will also lead you to realize about other word combinations. You have
learned to be aware of something, but soon you will realize that to become aware of something or to be made
aware of something imply different things. The more input you receive, the quicker you will be able to master the
full range of word combinations a word has.
We have seen that method #1 has two formats. One that is very simple and consists of equating an English word
to its corresponding word in the learners native language, and another that captures more information about the
surrounding words.
Format A
to be aware: ser/estar consciente
Format B
to be fully aware of: estar totalmente consciente de. Ex: Were fully aware of the risks.
main
word
contextual
words
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example sentence
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The moment format 1 is the most effective is when a person is just starting to learn the language, but isnt very proactive yet. Here they encounter the first hump in their efforts to speak another language, and this is not knowing
enough words to express the most basic ideas. Vocabulary lists are the obvious solution for this. Once they begin
the process they see results almost immediately, which motivates them to make a bigger commitment with their
learning and hopefully advance to a most effective system for building their vocabulary: format B or a personal version of it that does a similar job.
In the left side of the diagram below are some entry examples of format B. In the right I have included some notes
that account for the small changes these word groups have in the example sentences.
METHOD #2
In its core, this vocabulary building technique is another type of vocabulary list, but its also so much more than just
that. What makes this method especially effective is that you will speak and record each word you write down on
your vocabular list. You do this to later listen to yourself read each word along with its definition, equivalent and
examples. This will maximize your vocabulary acquisition by engaging all your muscle, visual and auditory memory.
But, heres the special trick. As you record yourself reading the entry from your vocabulary list, you will purposely
leave a 3-second silent gap after the L1 equivalent (L1 means native language). The purpose of doing this is so that
you have time to say the word in English that corresponds to the L1 equivalent. Take a look at the below example.
For the sake of explanation, this entry only has its bare essentials (English word, L1 equivalent, example).
This is what an entry looks like on paper:
let go of: soltar >> Let go of the door handle, please!
new
word
L1
equivalent
example
example
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immediately after as the recording goes on. If you cant recall the word in English, dont worry, next time you probably will.
This adds a gamified experience to the process, and anything thats a game your brain will engage in a more active
way, thus making you remember more and better.
To review, when you record it, you first read the word in your native language, then you leave the 3-second gap (a
little less, a little more; its irrelevant) and lastly you read the example sentence. The example is what will tell you
whether or not you said the correct word in the 3-second gap, or it will make you remember it if you werent able
to recall it at all.
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ransack: [go hurriedly through a place stealing things and causing damage] saquear, desvalijar >> When
you ransack, you rifle through things, steal some of them, and leave a huge mess behind >> The soldiers
opened fire, ransacked houses, and killed who they killed >> Protesters ransacked an office of the Brotherhoods political party, burning books and chairs in the street.
If we break down the format of this entry, this is what it looks like:
English word/phrase: [monolingual definition] L1 equivalent >> Example 1 >> Example 2 >> Example 3
The you read and record this following this structure:
L1 equivalent then [monolingual definition] then ...3-second gap... then Example 1, 2 & 3.
Listen to a recording of the entry on the word ransack.
Note: this entry has two L1 equivalents. You might include in your entry as many of them as you consider necessary.
As for the example sentences, having three of them is a good idea because in this way you will grasp more context
and collocations than if you just had one, but if you consider that less than that is enough, thats okay.
Lets now take a look at a word that has two meanings. How do we account for that second meaning? Heres how
this second definition (which Ive underlined below) fits into the entry format.
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step aside: [move to one side] moverse a un costado, hacerse a un lado / [retire from an office so someone else can take over] dar un paso al costado >> Would you step aside for my uncle and his walker?
>> We had to step aside for the people in wheelchairs to get by >> Walter stepped aside for a younger
person to take over. Listen to how this is recording here. In the recording the / is also.
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There are two sets of monolingual definitions and L1 equivalents separated by a slash /. We then have three sentence examples, the two first correspond to the first definition, and the last one to the second definiton.
1st monolingual and L1 equivalent
step aside: [move to one side] moverse a un costado, hacerse a un lado / [retire from an office so someone else can take over] dar un paso al costado >>Would you step aside for my uncle and his walker?
>>We had to step aside for the people in wheelchairs to get by >>Walter stepped aside for a younger
person to take over.
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though it cant replace real life English situations, it gets close in terms of what you can learn and how it can prepare you to respond to advanced vocabulary. When you do participate in a real English language setting, all your
vocabulary knowledge will be further consolidated.
In our efforts to absorb as much information as we can and still fit it into our entries, we can be more flexible in the
way we format said entries. Pay attention to the entries format below, especially the underlined parts. These parts
enable us to capture the loose ends certain words have (to play the recordings click on first word).
flick: pelicula >> I wanted to see a Bruce Willis film, but my girlfriend insisted we see a chick flick {pelicula de mujeres} [OTHER MEANINGS: flick through: hojear / flick sth away: quitarse algo de encima con
un movimiento rpido >>the snakes tongue flicked in and out >>she flicked her hair out of her eyes]
synomyms
slick: [sth that looks smooth and effortless in style] (>polished, skillful) impecable / [slippery] resbaloso
>>that graph you just made looks slick >> slick performance >> Theres a lot of sloppy snow, the road is
really slick [OTHER MEANINGS: oil slick: mancha de aceite / slick back: hacerse el pelo hacia atras >>He
slicks back his hair like a 1950s greaser]
compel (to do sth): [to force or drive someone to do something] forzar, obligar >> I feel compelled to say
that {me veo obligado a decir que} >> You cant compel me to do that [OTHER MEANINGS: complelling:
convincente, persuasivo >> Compelling evidence >> His side of the argument was very compelling]
synomym
headfirst: [with the head in front] (>headlong) de cabeza / sin pensarlo, precipitadamente >> I went
headfirst down the stairs >> If a business idea comes their way Aries men they tend to plunge right in
headfirst {lanzarse de cabeza} >> Students dive headfirst into iOS7
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2) When you have some free time, look up the vocabulary you have collected in your note-taking app or text file.
You can just google these words and you will get results from the top online dictioaries. If you have a favorite dictionary, you can look up the new vocabulary directly on its website. In my opinion, the best dictionaries for our purpose are:
Vocabulary.com (American; this one provides very insightful and friendly definitions).
Collins Dictionary (American)
Oxford Dictionaries (British; the most complete one, plenty of example sentences)
Cambridge Dictionary (British)
For L1 equivalents, the best options are www.wordreference.com and www.linguee.es. The forum of Word Reference will occasionally come in handy as well.
3) Once you find a clear and concise definition, copy it and past it into your vocabulary list. Do the same with the L1
equivalent and the example sentences. I suggest you have the entry format ready on your vocabulary list, so that
you just fill in the blanks, like this:
: [] >> >> >>
: [] >> >> >>
: [] >> >> >>
: [] >> >> >>
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You can also add synonyms between parantheses, like this: (> synonym 1, synonym 2). Place this in between the
monolingual definition and the L1 equivalent. Heres an example of an entry.
spill: derramar, volcar >> Crude oil spilled into the ocean >> The milk spilled across the floor >> The wine
spilled onto the table Listen to the recording of this entry here.
Like in the entry on spill, sometimes entries dont need a monolingual definition. Dont add one if you think the L1
equivalent is enough. On the other hand, keep in mind that the example sentences should be relevant and preferably add more context to the usage of the word in question.
brawl: [noisy quarrel or fight] (>melee) ria, pelea >> Fans were brawling in the streets after the game
>> the brawl broke out in the bar. Play recording.
In the above example, the first example shows that brawl can be used as a verb. The second one is collocated with
the phrasal verb break out. By doing this you learn new vocabulary that goes beyond the particular word youre looking up, and this is how you start to make the lexical connections in your mind that make you a much more competent
speaker.
4) The fourth step is recording. You can make one audio recording per entry but I suggest you do one for every three
entries so that you dont end up with so many audio files.
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5) Once you make recordings for the new vocabulary, save the audio files. After doing steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 you will
feel you have mastered the new vocabulary. Reviewing by playing the audio recordings will ensure the vocabulary
stays fresh in your mind. Below are more entry examples (click on first word to listen to the recordings).
smuggle: [to import illegally] contrabandear / pasar a escondidas >> They smuggled the drugs through
customs >>They smuggled immigrants across the border >>We smuggled his favorite sandwich past the
nurse.
pop into: [alternative to come into mind] se me ocurre / [enter a place to visit quickly] entrar de golpe
>>something pops into your mind and you think, Wow, this is a REALLY great idea! >>Why dont you
pop in and see us this afternoon? >>All I have to do on the way home is pop into the drugstore.
patch: [a piece of cloth that covers a hole in a item of clothing] parche >>She wore a sweater with
patches on the elbows >> You can download this patch from our website. >> [a bald patch >> I dont
want to have a bald patch when Im 40 / eye patch: parche de ojo / shoulder patch: insignia / road patch
>> Beware of the road patches on the street / rough patch on gums: fueguito]
cheapskate: (similar to stingy) poco generoso, codito >> These fucking bunch of cheapskates should provide breakfast >> You only got me a half pint - you cheapskate! >> He got his his mother a pen for 50c as
a christmas present. What a cheapskate!
heart to heart conversation/talk/chat/discussion: [conversation concerned with personal problems or
intimate feelings] conversacion intima >>a heart-to-heart talk >>he took me aside for a little heart-toheart >>to have a heart-to-heart talk with sb.
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brains. This makes your brain work extra hard to constantly keep these elusive words from falling off your
active vocabulary (or just learn them). Thus, for your brain its significantly easier to say could you inform
me on something than could you fill me in on something. Although both sentences are correct, this shows
how your brain would tend to gravitate towards vocabulary patterns that are closer to what you are familiar
with in yuor native language.
Below are some random sentences framed in the high correspondance non-native way and in the low correspondance native way. They express the same idea, though the wording is clearly different.
HC Advanced non-native
Sorry for the bad news, but...
Hes contributed a lot.
He made you a favor to let you know.
I cant promise you that.
Ill use that in the future.
In the minute 3 in the video.
He has a lot of tattos.
I started gimnastics but I didnt continue.
Im still feeling bad about that loss.
LC Native
Sorry to break it to you, but...
Hes contributed as much as anyone.
He went out of his way to let you know.
Dont hold me to it.
Ill use that going forward.
3 minutes into the video.
Hes all tattooed up.
I started gimnastics but I didnt stick with it.
That loss is still eating at me.
This is just illistrative of possible differences between a native and a non-native speaker way of expressing
the same idea. This does not mean that the HC sentences are incorrect. Its worth noting that when natives
use formal language, there tends to be a lot more correspondance between the English and the other Romance languages. The language in the native side of this chart is fairly informal.
tion purposes.
Finally, Method 3 is meant to absorb as much LC vocabulary as possible. For this reason, the note-taking aspect of it is significanly simpler than Method 2.
METHOD #3
If I taught someone English from scratch, I would suggest they learn vocabulary following the three vocabulary techniques presented in this guide. I would tell them that in the first 3 to 6 months, they follow Method 1 to acquire as
much vocabulary as they can. Then, I would suggest Method 2 for the next year and a half or until they reach 2000
Method 2 entries. Finally, at roughly around the start of her 3rd year of immersion in the language, Method 3 replaces Method 2. Youre ready for method 3 when you can understand 95% of spoken English.
Note: If you have reached this point in the guide you surely are ahead of method 1, but can you start
from method 3 and skip method 2? You might have been studying English for more than 3 years, but
that doesnt mean you cant benefit from method 2. I suggest you start from method 2 regardless of
your level. If you have been learning English for more than 3 years, do 1000 entries instead of 2000. Ultimately, it isnt about the number of entries you have in your vocabulary list, what it really comes down
to is that if you have 1000 entries, you have been exposed to English for a long time, and this beyond
any vocabulary building technique is what is going to make your English better in all its aspects.
If you feel Method 2 isnt for you regardless of how long you have been learning the language, then feel
free to try out Method 3.
Method 3 is notably easy to do, and because your body of passive and active vocabulary is considerably sizeable after doing Method 2, you can manage without dictionaries. This is because the vocabulary you have learned enables
you to be much better at guessing the meaning of words and phrases by context. This notion is based on the principle that the more you know, the easier it is for you to learn more. Your memory isnt like a box that can
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only be filled up to the point in which nothing else can fit in. On the contrary, the
more vocabulary you know, the more solid the interconnection of the vocabulary
stored in your passive and active memory will be. Your brain has more data to relate
new vocabulary to, and this means there is less chance of forgetting. In more technical terms, your brain is a neural network that help you assess and find patterns in the
new data that enters your mind.
For example, you probably know all the words in the sentence we cast a wide net to
get our ads in front of a lot of people. If you do, your previous knowledge will help
you internalize the expression to cast a wide net (to do sth). Your memory here is
aided by a very clear imagery of a fisherman casting (you probably know this is a another word for throw) a net to catch fish.
How it works
Like in Method 2, for Method 3 you will write down pieces of vocabulary on a note-taking app on your phone or on
a text file on your computer. As I suggested before, you might want to keep your phone and computer synced with
Evernote or another similar app. After this, you will, again, record yourself reading sentences. Method 3 is 10x faster to do than Method 2, as you will find out below where we will go through this method step by step.
1) When you read, watch TV, listen to music or a podcast, you will come across words, phrases and expressions that
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either you dont know but can somewhat guess the meaning of, or you know but dont use. If its the latter, you
know the reason why you dont use it is simply because this word or phrase is in your passive knowledge. Whichever the case is, you will write down this piece of vocabulary along with the whole sentence it appears in on your
note-taking app or text file. See the examples below.
It was my job to keep a tally of all the tickets we sold.
The difference is not so cut and dry.
I got all weirded out when I talked to her.
2-hour tailback on the road and Im stuck in the car with my ex (cola de autos).
The interface is ever so slightly different.
Larry only likes girls who hang on his every word.
Nobody is saying that. Youre just digging for leverage now. (ventaja en discucion)
They kind of file you away in their minds as a certain kind of person.
GE was really forward-thinking in their ability to think like a publisher.
And then it dawned on me.
Ill put my ass on the line. Fuck it, Im gonna go for it.
Take your mind out of the gutter, come on!
You cant pass for 22, you look almost 30.
The thief made a break for it when the officer looked the other way (escape).
His main job was being a cop but on the side he sold water purifiers.
Watch Kanye West repeatedly get his ass handed to him.
You wont see him sugar-coat the truth.
I dont really remember all the things I got done this week. Its like a blur.
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Its important that you write down the word or phrase together with the sentence it occurrs in. If you are not completely sure youre guessing the correct meaning of a word or phrase, you can quickly look it up on the dictionary.
However, you dont need to copy definitions, examples or equivalents as in method 2. At this point in your vocabulary learning process, you will most likely remember it without doing that.
2) When you find the time, record yourself reading out the sentences. I suggest that you make one recording for every 20 or so sentences if you dont want to end up with an ungodly amount of recordings. Heres the recording with
the sentences from the last page. You might want to name the recording file with a number or something that helps
you keep it organized (for example: recording 1, 2, 3, etc.).
3) Lastly, save these recordings in your cell phone or MP3 player and listen to them from time to time to keep the
vocabulary fresh in your mind. You can set your own routine by, say, listening to them at a specific date every month
or you can just do it whenever you like. These recordings are very practical in the sense that you can listen to them
while you do other activities like commuting, walking, cleaning, etc.
Because this method takes so little time to do and yet can be extremely effective to learn and remember new vocabulary, you may keep doing this for as long as you wish. You will keep growing your vocabulary on your list and on
your brain, both passive and active.
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Thank you!
Id like to thank you for taking the time to check out Master Vocabulary. I hope youve
found some value in it and can use it as a guide to help you improve your English by developing the mindset and perception to improve your vocabulary.
If for whatever reason you got this guide without ever subscribing to my email list
(which is totally okay because I realize people love to share things like this), then please
head on over to MaxEnglish.tips and subscribe to my email list there.
Lastly, if you enjoyed this book, please give me a shout out on Facebook or Twitter and
share Master Vocabulary!
Cheers, best of luck and I look forward to serving you again soon!
Max
http://www.maxenglish.tips