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How can I improve my vocabulary?

SLIDE 1

In this tutorial, you’ll find tips on how to improve your vocabulary.

SLIDE 2

First of all, how do you memorise a word ?

SLIDE 3

There are several ways of memorising a word.

For example, you can learn the meaning of a word, not necessarily in your mother tongue.

You can also learn how to pronounce the word.

It is advisable to learn the context in which a word is used, as well as its spelling, so that you can write it down later.

SLIDE 4

We discover that there are two reasons for learning vocabulary, either to understand it or to use it.

We learn vocabulary for two reasons, either to understand it or to use it.

Comprehension vocabulary is the vocabulary used by the people you’re talking to; you only need to understand it.

Expressive vocabulary, on the other hand, is what you use when you need to speak. You therefore need to memorise a lot of it, because you need it immediately.

SLIDE 5

To work on comprehension vocabulary, you need to do listening exercises on documents where native speakers are speaking in their own language. You can use the transcript to help you.

With the transcript, you can do vocabulary spotting exercises or fill-in-the-blanks exercises, and create a vocabulary list.

SLIDE 6

However, vocabulary lists are useful, but not enough. You need to do other activities.

If you want to keep your vocabulary list, you shouldn’t just make a list of words, but groups of words by theme or context.

SLIDE 7

Be careful not to memorise lists alone, as this is only a first step.

Particularly when it comes to expressive vocabulary.

SLIDE 8

To work on vocabulary for expression, you can do exercises in the textbooks, adapting them to your objectives, or writing exercises to re-use the words. Repeat several times to memorise the vocabulary.

SLIDE 9

But how do you learn vocabulary effectively ?
SLIDE 10

First of all, learn the vocabulary that will be useful to you. To do this, imagine yourself using these words.

Repeat as many times as you can. It’s better to do it 10 times at a time than right away.

SLIDE 11

Never give up!

Learning isn’t easy; you won’t be able to speak and think fluently in a foreign language in a month.

It takes time.

SLIDE 12

The most important thing is to get to know yourself and work regularly.

20 minutes a day is better than 3 hours a week.

So you have to persevere.

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• How can I work on my listening comprehension skills using the Internet ?

  Slider 1

  Think about internet radio I choose a radio station in the language I’m working in

  SLIDE 2

  What do I listen to on the radio?
  I choose a genre that interests me
  SLIDE 2a

  News, weather, sports results.
  Songs,
  Podcasts,
  interviews,
  Debates….
  SLIDE 3

  Preparing to listen Based on the theme of the document, I make a list of words I can expect to hear.

  SLIDE 4

  I’m looking in the press
  Information on the same subject
  SLIDE 4a

  To find out more about the subject I’m about to listen to
  SLIDE 5

  I set myself a goal before I listen
  SLIDE 5a

  I don’t have the transcript of the document
  I set myself a listening goal
  SLIDE 5aa

• I listen to make a summary
• I listen with another person and we compare what we have understood
• I listen to make a transcription
• I listen to find information that interests me
• I listen to find out who is talking to whom
• I listen to find out where it’s happening
• I listen to find out when it’s happening
• I listen to find out what’s going on
  SLIDE 5b

  I have the transcript of the document Before looking at the transcript, I listen to the document several times I listen and read the transcript at the same time to check my understanding I read the transcript first to find out what it’s about and then I listen I listen to find words that I have erased in the transcription (verbs, adjectives, etc.). adjectives …)

  SLIDE 6

  I’m listening to the document
  SLIDE 6a

  To confirm my hypotheses
  I spot the words I expected to hear
  I note the key words

  SLIDE 6b

  I carry out the tasks that correspond to my listening objectives
  SLIDE 7

  It’s up to you!

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How can I improve my pronunciation and intonation in a foreign language ?

BULLE 1

There are several steps :
1. Assess your difficulties
2. Practise to alleviate them
3. Talk to practise

BULLE 2

Assess your difficulties
Register

BULLE 2a

Diagnosis

• Listen to yourself again to pinpoint your problems
• Ask someone else (a teacher, a native speaker, another learner, etc.) to listen and give you feedback.

BULLE 3

Practise

• Isolated sounds
• Pairs of words with only one sound difference (in French tout/tu, in Italian inferno/inverno, in German rand/land…)

BULLE 4

Work on the sounds in words and sentences

BULLE 4a

Choose a podcast (preferably with a transcript)

• Listen to it
• Read the script once
• Then read it in short extracts and repeat, imitating the important elements (the way the words are grouped, the parts that are more accented, etc.).
  the way the words are grouped, the parts that are more accented, the places where the voice rises…)
• Record yourself and compare with the original
• Ask someone to comment on your recording

BULLE 4b

Read aloud
Practise with songs or poems, for example: this can help you to pay more attention to the rhythm and intonation of the language.

BULLE 5

Don’t forget…

• Oral documents are not models to be imitated at all costs, but rather « good examples ».
  The more examples you listen to, the more you practise, the better your pronunciation will be.

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