How can we better understand the meaning of English words?

How can we better understand the meaning of English words?

Why didn't you tell me something interesting first? The history of Chinese is 3,000 years, while the history of English is only about half that of Chinese characters. So you can think that English is half as simple as Chinese (this may not be accurate, but this concept is very important for understanding the following, especially for English learners whose mother tongue is Chinese). As a result, Chinese uses different words to express abstract concepts and concrete expressions, while English mostly uses the same word to express abstract and concrete expressions, or uses the same word to express the same abstract meaning. The most direct way to improve vocabulary is to read a lot. There are no shortcuts or alternatives. The reason for this is easy to understand. The more you read, the more chances you have to master new words. Memorizing the word list in isolation may make you think that your vocabulary is increasing, but it is just an illusion. It is difficult to remember the meaning of words in this way, and more importantly, the words learned in this way will not be used freely in writing.

Here are some ways to remember words.

One-point method or three-point method

The three-point method is to use a pencil to point a point to the left of a word in the dictionary when you look it up for the first time. When you look up the word for the second time, continue to click on a point. Please remember this word at the third point! Obviously, any word that appears three times in a short time is worth entering your permanent memory.

Second, use vocabulary cards or special notebooks to learn vocabulary.

When I was studying English in college, my teacher suggested that we use a 3×5 study card to remember words. I find this size card very effective. Vocabulary cards can be easily tied with rubber bands and carried around. You can quickly review the newly learned vocabulary before the exam. When vocabulary cards accumulate to a certain number, they can be classified according to part of speech and divided into several bundles for learning. The specific operation steps of the vocabulary card are as follows:

Write down the complete sentences in which words appear on one side of the vocabulary card, underline the words to be memorized, and write down the part of speech and phonetic symbols. On the other hand, write down the meaning of the word, its varieties and etymology.

Fourthly, cultivate interest in etymology.

About 60% of English words come from Latin introduced through French. Another word 15% comes from Greek. Many English words come from unusual sources. For example, the word Hejira comes from Arabic and means to fly. Specifically, it refers to the journey of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. Another example is narcissism, which originated from Greek mythology. The remaining 25% vocabulary comes from original English, also known as Anglo-Saxon. They are the cornerstones of the English vocabulary building. The sun, the moon, walking, boys, houses and so on all belong to this category.

Finally, it must be remembered that the only way to improve your vocabulary is to read a lot. Only by perseverance can climbing english reach the peak of learning.