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Message board > Most used English words. Help please.
Most used English words. Help please.
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apayala
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Most used English words. Help please.
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I have some pupils who have quite an important lack of English vocabulary. They manage with verb tenses or sentence structures more or less but their lack of vocabulary is so big that it is really difficult for them to express in English all they would like to despite they may know how to make the sentences. Their ages are 16 and 17. I wonder if there exists some kind of dictionary (o pictionary even better) of the most 2,000 or 4,000 or 6,000 most used English words (nouns, adjectives, verbs...). They could study them little by little and improve their English vocabulary this way. Or something similar, I don�t know... Any suggestions, opinions or whatever please?
Thanks in advance
Ana |
2 Dec 2010
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Minka
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You can find lists (http://www.esldesk.com/vocabulary/words , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_common_words_in_English , http://www.world-english.org/english500.htm , http://www.insightin.com/esl/ ) but a dictionary? That �s a tough one. Maybe they should take a dictionary and work their way through one of these lists. Good luck!
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2 Dec 2010
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rnrlisa
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Great website!! Wordreference.com is also great for translating and examples of how to use the word. Good luck:-) |
2 Dec 2010
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almaz
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A dictionary isn �t the same as a vocabulary list and memorising words and meanings out of context can be counter-productive. Both teacher and student need to work together to come up with appropriate strategies to develop a wider vocabulary. I remember that Jim Scrivener had an interesting chapter on vocabulary in his �Learning Teaching � (Macmillan Heinemann) - if anyone has the book?
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2 Dec 2010
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Zora
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I don �t know how big your groups are and this may not work with larger groups but with my students, I will often take a word list (like today, we did The Weather) and ask them first to write what the word means in Spanish. The we go over the words, and then I will quite literally say to them, "Now make a sentence with "snowstorm"", after using all the words once in a sentence, I will then have them combine words, example: use "rainy and freezing" together in a sentence.
Another activity is having them tell you in English what a word means. For example: what does "freezing" mean? (btw, simple answers are ok, they can just say things like "very cold"... as long as they are trying to demonstrate the meaning, the "correctness" of the sentence is not that important.)
Also, I should mention that I do this orally, but it could also be done written - ALTHOUGH, I find if they do it orally, they remember it a tad bit better because they need to think about it first before saying it.
Hope this helps,
Linda
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2 Dec 2010
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apayala
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Thanks a lot to everybody!
Good night all
Ana |
2 Dec 2010
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Pelletrine
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 I guess that is your work ... you will find plenty of vocabulary pictionaries on this site. Even if they are quite old teenagers, they still need your guidance to aquire the vocab.
I don �t thiink you can expect them to handle lists of 2 000 to 6 000 words, all by themselves.
... even little by little....
It is quite wonderful they seem to manage structures.... so I guess you should structure your lessons on getting aquainted with vocabulary throughout different themes.
You could make a lesson on describing pictures, finding way in a town, pollution, jobs, needs versus wants, biotops, favorites in music..films... characters... pets...: each time you provide vocabulary.
I �m sure they will soon make a lot of progress :o)) |
2 Dec 2010
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Redbull
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Dear Apayala,
I can give you a word that has sooooooo many meanings:
One of the most interesting words in the English language today is the word ��F_ _K��.
It is a magical word just by its sound alone it can describe pain, pleasure, hate and love.
In English language, it falls into many grammatical categories.
It can be used as a verb both transitive, John f_ _ _ _d Mary and intransitive, Mary was f_ _ _ ed by John, and as a noun, Mary is a fine f_ _k.
It can be used as an objective, Mary is f_ _king beautiful.
As you can see there are not many words with the versatility of ��f_ _k��.
Besides the sexual meaning there are also the following uses:
Ignorance = f_ _ked if I know.
Trouble = I guess I�m f_ _ked now.
Fraud = I got f_ _ked over.
Aggression = f_ _k you!
Displeasure = What the f_ _k is going on here?
Difficulty = I can�t understand this f_ _king question!
Incompetence = He is a f_ _k off.
Suspicion = What the f_ _k are you doing?
Enjoyment = I had a f_ _king good time.
Request = Get the f_ _k out of here.
Hostility = I�m going to knock your f_ _king head off.
Greeting � How the f_ _k are you?
Apathy - Who gives a f_ _k?
Innovation - Get a f_ _king bigger drill.
Surprise � F_ _k, you scared the f_ _king shit out of me!
Anxiety � today is really f_ _ked up!
And it�s very healthy too. If every morning you do it as a transcendental meditation Just when you get up, first thing, repeat the mantra:
��F_ _k you�� ��F_ _k you�� ��F_ _k you�� ��F_ _k you�� ��F_ _k you�� five times.
It will help to clear your mind, throat too.
REDBULL GIVES YOU WINGS YOU KNOW. Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D7rWLzloOI |
3 Dec 2010
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libertybelle
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Just so you know Redbull - that word is horribly offending to a native speaker.
I never allow it in class. There has got to a limit to how low-life a language can get and that �s where I draw the line.
I sure hope you don �t use that language in class.
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3 Dec 2010
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foose1
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I totally agree with libertybelle REDBULL. I am surprised to see that your post hasn �t been removed by now. |
3 Dec 2010
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