Struggling with vocabulary? Quizlet can help
Question: What is one of the most important building blocks of language?
Answer: Vocabulary
Vocabulary is essentially the words and phrases of a language. Often, there is a huge focus on grammar when learning languages, and vocabulary is overlooked. Having a detailed knowledge of grammar is all well and good, but you can only use grammar if you also have a good knowledge of … you guessed it, words and phrases!
Question: So what’s the best way to learn vocabulary?
Answer: it depends. Everyone learns differently, so what works best for you may not work for other people.
Question: I want to build up my vocabulary, but I’m really not sure where to start. What should I do?
Answer: If you’re new to language learning, or if you want to shake up your study methods for vocabulary, flashcards are a good starting point. There are loads of flashcard apps available, but my favourite is Quizlet.
Quizlet allows you to make bilingual flashcard sets, with the vocabulary in both your first language and the language you’re learning. Although it has a paid version, the free version still has loads of handy features, and I find it meets all my vocabulary needs. In addition to the flashcard functions, it also has little tests and games to help words stick in your head.
The important thing when using flashcards is not to create one huge collection full of random vocabulary. When I make flashcards, I divide them by topic, ending up with one set of flashcards with weather vocabulary, one with animals and so on. See below for a screenshot of my Czech flashcard sets:
It is also important to use the flashcards and practise a little vocabulary every day. Luckily, Quizlet has tracks your streak (just like Duolingo), so if you struggle with finding the motivation to practise, the desire to maintain your streak should help!
Do you use any other flashcard apps or software? Or do you have any tips for learning vocabulary? Let me know in the comments!
Note: this is not a paid promotion. All views are my own.
