INTERMEDIATE (B1) LEVEL ARTICLE
How big is your vocabulary?
When I was teaching English, lots of my students
would
ask me:
"How long will it be until my English is perfect?"
If you have ever wondered that, then prepare to be disappointed. The answer is... never! Did you know that English is the biggest language in the world? According to the Global Language Monitor, there are 1,025,110 words words in English. Of course, most of these are technical/specialist words, so you don't need to know them. So how many words do you need to know to get by in English? An average 21-year-old university graduate will have mastered about 20,000 words, while a 12-year-old English speaking kid knows 12,000. By this age, kids are able to read books quite proficiently, so you probably don't even need this many. In 1992 David Hirsh and Paul Nation performed a study and found that you only need to know 5000 words in order to be able to comfortably read a novel for pleasure in English.
I bet you are curious how many words you know in English, aren't you? I certainly was, so I had a little search on the internet and uncovered a few sites that can estimate your vocabulary size. The best site I found is Prolingua.co.jp because they have a nice, simple testing method (other ones I tried were TestYourVocab.com and VocabularySize.com). After you have finished, you can compare your vocabulary size with that of an English speaker (stats at the bottom of the page).
"How long will it be until my English is perfect?"
If you have ever wondered that, then prepare to be disappointed. The answer is... never! Did you know that English is the biggest language in the world? According to the Global Language Monitor, there are 1,025,110 words words in English. Of course, most of these are technical/specialist words, so you don't need to know them. So how many words do you need to know to get by in English? An average 21-year-old university graduate will have mastered about 20,000 words, while a 12-year-old English speaking kid knows 12,000. By this age, kids are able to read books quite proficiently, so you probably don't even need this many. In 1992 David Hirsh and Paul Nation performed a study and found that you only need to know 5000 words in order to be able to comfortably read a novel for pleasure in English.
I bet you are curious how many words you know in English, aren't you? I certainly was, so I had a little search on the internet and uncovered a few sites that can estimate your vocabulary size. The best site I found is Prolingua.co.jp because they have a nice, simple testing method (other ones I tried were TestYourVocab.com and VocabularySize.com). After you have finished, you can compare your vocabulary size with that of an English speaker (stats at the bottom of the page).
So, how did you do? My
tally
was 21,600 words, which
puts me in with
'most college graduates and professional people'. I must admit, I was hoping to be in the top
bracket,
but it gives me a target for the future.
Knowing your vocabulary size is all good and well, but it doesn't actually tell you how to improve it, and the other question that my students would ask was:
"How can I learn more words?"
Well, knowledge of vocabulary items is not binary - you can know or not know a word, but you can also partially know a word (this is why we sometimes say "it's on the tip of my tongue" ). When you learn words, you first learn to use them passively (you understand when you hear them, but you don't remember them well enough to say them yourself), then you learn to use them actively (you say them).
Knowing your vocabulary size is all good and well, but it doesn't actually tell you how to improve it, and the other question that my students would ask was:
"How can I learn more words?"
Well, knowledge of vocabulary items is not binary - you can know or not know a word, but you can also partially know a word (this is why we sometimes say "it's on the tip of my tongue" ). When you learn words, you first learn to use them passively (you understand when you hear them, but you don't remember them well enough to say them yourself), then you learn to use them actively (you say them).
Passive vocabulary
To improve your passive vocabulary there are basically two methods:
- Do vocabulary exercises - yes, they can be boring, but this is absolutely the best way to discover important words quickly. CAUTION: when you study vocabulary exercises, don't repeat the same exercise. Do each exercise just once and then move on. If you forget the words you learn, don't worry. You will encounter them again somewhere else, and they will become a little bit stronger in your memory. That's how passive vocabulary works.
- Read - obviously! You should be reading for pleasure. Be careful to choose material that is suitable for your level (use The Full English Magazine!), and, importantly, don't obsess over every single word. Only look up words you don't know if they are essential to understand the story. You will remember a lot more if you are honestly enjoying the book.
Active vocabulary
So, you have some words in your passive vocabulary, how do you push them into your active vocabulary? Basically, you need to use them just once in a real life situation so your brain realises they are important, and then they will stick. But how can you use them if you don't remember them? Here are a few tips:
- Write out a short list of words you want to use today and keep them in your pocket. If you manage to use them, give them a tick. The next day, make a fresh list (taking the same list will discourage you).
- Find someone else who's studying English and tell them you want to have a conversation about a topic related to your words. They will be happy to do this because they want to learn too!
-
There are many good websites where you can play word games or do specific vocab building exercises. Here are a couple to try:
- knoword.org is very good for improving your recall of words, but is quite high level. Some learning games are free, but you have to pay for others.
- duolingo.com is a free site that works on both passive and active vocabulary. It encourages you to practise for a set time every day.
One final thing to
bear in mind:
When you knew only one word and you learnt a second, that was a 100% increase in your vocabulary size. When you learnt your third word, it was a 50% increase, and when you learnt your fourth, it was only a 33% increase. Even though you learn words at a constant rate, it feels like you are not improving as quickly because the percentage increase in your vocabulary is not constant. This illusion can lead language learners to feel disappointed in their progress. In this case, it's good to keep your old study notebooks. If you feel down, take a look back at what you were studying a month or two ago... you'll probably be surprised how much you have improved.
When you knew only one word and you learnt a second, that was a 100% increase in your vocabulary size. When you learnt your third word, it was a 50% increase, and when you learnt your fourth, it was only a 33% increase. Even though you learn words at a constant rate, it feels like you are not improving as quickly because the percentage increase in your vocabulary is not constant. This illusion can lead language learners to feel disappointed in their progress. In this case, it's good to keep your old study notebooks. If you feel down, take a look back at what you were studying a month or two ago... you'll probably be surprised how much you have improved.
