max english.tips MASTER VOCABULARY How to learn the vocabulary that natives speakers use My name is Max and I’m from Argentina. Like you, I’m a non-native English speaker. I started to learn English in 2011 (yes, that recently) when after 2 years of very casually flirting with the idea of learning this language, I decided to get serious about it. I became fluent a couple of months after that, and from those days until now I’ve learned a lot more. Because I am not a native speaker, I can understand all the difficulties and frustrations that you have or are going through. Below I’m going to list some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind (and I’m sure yours too!) in my efforts to reach fluency: That’s me in the red t-shirt. > How do I even begin? > I can’t speak! It’s so hard! > How the heck did they become that fluent? Will I ever reach fluency? > OMG! I’m gonna make a fool out of myself! > When will I ever understand movies without subtitles! > They speak so fast I can’t understand Fortunately, I’ve always found different ways to overcome all those difficulties and now I can’t wait to share with you all about them. In this ocassion I will only focus on the vocabulary acquisition aspect of learning English. Perhaps another time we will get into the other many different things that go into learning English. Enjoy! Max max english.tips MASTER VOCABULARY This guide is free and you are welcome to share it with others. Three Vocabulary Learning Methods & Some Big Ideas: > Introduction > Vocabulary List > Active Vocabulary vs Passive Vocabulary > Key to Success: Use your English Every Day > Method One > Is Translating a Good Idea? > Method Two > What’s the Vocabulary that Natives Use? > Method Three METHOD ONE METHOD TWO METHOD THREE . Then. We assign words to specific objects or concepts. vocabulary is one of the three pillars of any spoken language. with grammar.How do I speak as fast as natives and lose my accent? 5 max english . vocabulary + grammar + pronunciation = language we can hear and speak One thing is the vocabulary. And lastly.How do I learn all these grammatical structures to speak perfectly? 3. we organize these words in a way that makes sense. That’s how we speak. grammar and pronunciation you naturally and progressively learn from the day your brain starts to absorb language.INTRODUCTION Broadly speaking. pronunciation is how we turn these ordered sequence (grammar) of words (vocabulary) into sounds that can be understood by the listener.How do I learn new words and not forget them? 2. This is when the following questions start to puzzle millions of people around the world who have the desire to speak a second language: 1. But one very different thing is the language you start to learn as a human being who is past his or her childhood. ” which is the vocabulary that very few non-native English speakers actually use.In Master Vocabulary. (why don’t they use it? Go to page 25). like “animal names” or “days of the week. more precisely “native speaker’s vocabulary.” but it’s specially useful for acquiring advanced vocabulary. 6 max english . I’m going to walk you through three vocabulary learning methods that tackle the first question: “How do I learn new words and not forget them?” This works for learninig the most essential pieces of vocabulary in English. which will further help us consolidate the learned vocabulary. The three vocabulary learning techniques I will teach to you in this guide rely on vocabulary lists.VOCABULARY LISTS Keeping a vocabulary list is critical for a number of reasons. . Three of the most important ones are: • We can use it for reference in the future. in a text file in your computer). • We can use it for reviewing. building a vocabulary list will force us to concentrate in each individual word or phrase because we will actively explore their key aspects of meaning. • And most importantly. We want these new phrases and words –or at least a portion of them– to exist somewhere in the form of a database (i. This together with the benefit of learning just from the process of writing down said word or phrase leads to an enhanced memory.e. ” Then. and it requires a greater memory effort to use. You might even admit you are short on words and say “What is this word I’m looking for?” or even “I don’t know how to say this in English. that one!” and you’ll feel a great relief. 8 passive vocabulary active vocabulary max english . This represents active vocabulary as being –metaphorically speaking– at the front of the brain. I’m sure you don’t have any problem saying something like “I love reading books” because all these four words are at the core of your active vocabulary. When this happens. Passive vocabulary is at the back. you will most likely struggle to remember the words you want to say.ACTIVE VOCABULARY VS PASSIVE VOCABULARY Your active vocabulary is the body of vocabulary that you can use spontaneously at any given moment. if someone guesses the words you’re trying to use you will say “Exactly. But. you interrumpt your speech and utter an “uhmmmm” more often than other times. or when you are talking about a topic you are not very familiar with. meaning easily available. when you want to say something that requires a more advanced use of words. When non-native English speakers go from hardly ever using their English to using it a lot. once again. watching TV or listening to an audio in English. passive vocabulary. If you learn new vocabulary by reading. 9 max english . When you learn it in a significant way like in a real life situation. their speaking skills improve dramatically. engaging with it by going through the process of writing it down in your list will also increase the chances it will stick in your memory and be available when you need to use it. as much of it will become. if they suddenly stop using the language on a regular basis. One of the reasons why this happens is because they have the opportunity to engage plenty of vocabulary they already knew but didn’t have the chance to use. this word is more likely to penetrate into your memory. This means that their progress is not just marked by how many new words they learn. Your passive vocabulary is comprised of all the words and phrases that you know. However. you are trying to use vocabulary that is in the passive vocabulary area of your brain. When you bump into a new word. there is a process it has to go through for it to become part of your active vocabulary. A key reason lies in the fact that their active vocabulary has been enlarged with formerly passive vocabulary.When you stop to retrieve the elusive words from your memory. but hardly ever use. their active vocabulary will start to shrink. the more you will predispone your brain to think in English as well as to consolidate recently learned vocabulary. it means getting exposure to the language as much as you can. whether it be speech or writing. The more you engange in the production of language. Using English doesn’t just mean speaking it. It’s only by putting your new knowledge into practice that you will be able to build on your improving skills. In your case. the more you will perdipone your brain to absorb new vocabulary. Any new piece of vocabulary you learn –or anything that you learn in life for that matter– is in the beginning a frail sprout that will only survive if you water it. Similarly. This is the only way you can rest assured your English will take stronger roots and it will become better in all its different aspects. the more you engange in the reception of language by listening and reading. The methods and vocabulary learning techniques that this guide teaches you are intended to maximize the natural benefits that you get from using the language on a daily basis. . The amount of time you can dedicate to enganging your brain in some kind of activity that involves the language is directly propotional to the results you can expect.KEY TO SUCCESS: USE YOUR ENGLISH EVERY DAY Nothing can beat the effectiveness of practicing what you learn. and vocabulary and second language acquisition is no exception to that. the water is the practice of using your English regularly. This method is generally used at the beginning stage of the nephew/niece: sobrino/a learning process. To the right is what this simple This is exemplified with Spanish equivalents system looks like. Although it’s not essential that you do this. like this: Farm animals Fruits Ways to say “see” cow: vaca apple: manzana Look at: mirar horse: caballo orange: naranja Peet at: espiar pig: puerco pear: pera Gaze: mirar fijamente goat: cabra watermelon: sandia Squint: mirar con ojos entrecerrados roast: gallo pineapple: pina Behold: observar 11 max english . a lot people like arranging words by semantic groups. It’s a very plain formula: English word equals learner’s native lanuncle: tio guage word. where the goal is to learn as many words as possible grandmother: abuela to so that the student can start speaking. and for this reason it’s also the most widely aunt: tia used. and this encourages them to keep learning vocabulary. Motivation is this method’s biggest intangible benefit.METHOD #1 This is the simplest and less novel of the three vocabulary building meth- cousin: primo od you will learn in this guide. A beginning English student will see results from doing this activity almost immediately. ” You should also notice from the sentence above that it’s not to be aware “in” or “on” something. but also word groups. Ex: “We’re fully aware of the risks.Many also swear by the practice of not just learning individual words.” If it’s the very first time you see this word you might miss the fact that this sentence is also telling you more about 12 max english . Looking up the word “to be aware” and finding out that it translates –in Spanish– to “ser conciente” is just one part of the puzzle. You might also want to take notice of “fully. This is indeed a more effective way to learn vocabulary because: a) you will become more aware of the context where the word is more likely to appear. the preposition that goes with this word is “of. Below is what a vocabulary list entry for this example would look like: to be fully aware of (sth): estar totalmente conciente de (algo).” Paying attention to the way a word interplays with other words in a phrase or sentence helps us absorb more information about the the patterns and typical uses of the word. This will make our vocabulary more complete and efficient because you will see how it’s really used in English today. b) you will get an idea of the words that usually collocate with the new word. Let’s say you stumble upon the word “aware” for the first time: We’re fully aware of the risks. and c) the surrounding words will magnify the meaning of the term in question and this will increase the chances you will remember it.” which is the word that collocates with “aware” to mean “very. Looking at new vocabulary in this way will also lead you to realize about other word combinations. We have seen that method #1 has two formats. You might miss this the first time. It’s telling you that “aware” is most times used with a situation that causes us to have a negative feeling. but by engaging with vocabulary in this way will predispone you to later realize about these details. One that is very simple and consists of equating an English word to its corresponding word in the learner’s native language. danger.the usage of this word. We say to be aware of an issue. and another that captures more information about the surrounding words. main word contextual words 13 equivalent of main and contextual words example sentence max english . You have learned “to be aware of something.” but soon you will realize that “to become aware of something” or “to be made aware of something” imply different things. Format A to be aware: ser/estar consciente Format B to be fully aware of: estar totalmente consciente de. the quicker you will be able to master the full range of word combinations a word has. Ex: We’re fully aware of the risks. problem. etc. The more input you receive. ” not belong in a place (socially): no encajar en algun lugar/grupo. In the right I have included some notes that account for the small changes these word groups have in the example sentences..” As you receive more input you’ll realize that in some cases people would say “belong with a group” but not “in people. Once they begin the process they see results almost immediately.. This phrase is often preceded by “it” but it’s also common to have a phrase before it. etc. Here they encounter the first hump in their efforts to speak another language. In the left side of the diagram below are some entry examples of format B.” “Your help means a lot to us. We say “with people” and “in a group. Ex: “It’s funny you would mention that place because I’m just back from it.” “It’s funny you would recommend their service because from my experience they don’t do a good job.” max english . but isn’t very proactive yet. him.” “I want to show everybody that I belong in the first steam squad. which motivates them to make a bigger commitment with their learning and hopefully advance to a most effective system for building their vocabulary: format B or a personal version of it that does a similar job.” The entry was made with “mention” but we also note that other verbs can go in its place.” it’s funny you should mention (that/sth): que curioso que menciones (algo). and this is not knowing enough words to express the most basic ideas. it means a lot to me: es muy importante para mi.The moment format 1 is the most effective is when a person is just starting to learn the language. These examples tell us that this expression follows a pattern. Ex: “Someone that judgmental doesn’t belong with us. Vocabulary lists are the obvious solution for this. them. Extra information between parenthesis can be helpful. 14 We can use different object pronouns: us. like “recommend. Ex: “It means a lot to us that people appreciates our work. As you start to learn more and more ways to express ideas in English. you will gradually lose the dependency to base those thoughts in your mother tongue. This is indeed very true. you will become a great translator and a fluent English speaker at the same time. This will only and naturally happen in the early stages of a someone’s English learning. Like Method 1. However.” If anything. It will not hinder your ability to think in English and it makes no sense to fight it since it will always exist if you know more than one language. there’s no point in forcing yourself to think in English when it’s still too soon. Method 2 uses translation as a learning technique. this doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from using translation as a learning strategy. . it will only bring frustration.IS TRANSLATING A GOOD IDEA? Most English teachers argue that in order to be fluent. But. So. The only thing that will keep you from being able to think in English is not knowing enough English. because of this widespread sentiment in the English learning world people have erroneously given translation a bad name and have also unecessarily given way too much emphasis to the idea of “thinking in English. and then translate it to English. You will be surprised by how much translation as a learning strategy will improve your ability to thinking in English. this will actually never happen if you dedicate enough time to using your English.” Thinking in English is unquestionably something learners have to strive for. While it’s true that it isn’t a good idea to first think what you want to say in your native language. Translation is never a disservice to your fluency or ability to “think in English. you should think in English and never translate. . For the sake of explanation.METHOD #2 In its core. The purpose of doing this is so that you have time to say the word in English that corresponds to the L1 equivalent. equivalent and examples. you will find out from your own voice 16 max english .. please! new word L1 equivalent example This is how you will read it and record it: soltar . either way. you might not even recall it. As you record yourself reading the entry from your vocabulary list. please! 3-sec L1 equiv.. This will maximize your vocabulary acquisition by engaging all your muscle. visual and auditory memory. When you go back to listen to the recording. which is meant to give you some time for you to SAY the word in English as you’re listening to the recording. example). This is what an entry looks like on paper: let go of: soltar >> Let go of the door handle.. you will listen to the equivalent first. here’s the special trick. . this vocabulary building technique is another type of vocabulary list. L1 equivalent. gap example Listen to the audio recording for this entry here. But. you will purposely leave a 3-second silent gap after the L1 equivalent (L1 means native language).. Take a look at the below example. and then the 3-second gap. You might or might not guess the correct word.. You do this to later listen to yourself read each word along with its definition. this entry only has its bare essentials (English word. . What makes this method especially effective is that you will speak and record each word you write down on your vocabular list. >> Let go of the door handle. but it’s also so much more than just that. ” Therefore. thus making you remember more and better. and anything that’s a game your brain will engage in a more active way. as in the example “how to let go of someone who you deeply loved. Let’s take a look in the next page at what a more complete entry looks like. As we will see next. or it will make you remember it if you weren’t able to recall it at all. if you explore this phrase on online dictionaries maybe you will realize it’s also used metaphorically. a second example with this usage might be a good idea. If you can’t recall the word in English. next time you probably will. The expression “to let go of sth” probably doesn’t need to be defined in a much more thorough way. then you leave the 3-second gap (a little less. The example is what will tell you whether or not you said the correct word in the 3-second gap. the word will stick with you for a very long time. don’t worry. To review.immediately after as the recording goes on. you first read the word in your native language. and when you make one of these. Anatomy of Defitinion Entries The example entry in the previous page is a simplified version since it’s made up of just the English word + the L1 equivalent + one example. 17 max english . a little more. when you record it. It’s up to you how brief or how complete you want an entry to be. these entries can become very thorough. it’s irrelevant) and lastly you read the example sentence. For some vocabulary that might be just enough. This adds a gamified experience to the process. Although. desvalijar >> When you ransack.” max english .. How do we account for that second meaning? Here’s how this second definition (which I’ve underlined below) fits into the entry format. having three of them is a good idea because in this way you will grasp more context and collocations than if you just had one. In the recording the “/” is “also.. that’s okay.. this is what it looks like: English word/phrase: [monolingual definition] L1 equivalent >> Example 1 >> Example 2 >> Example 3 The you read and record this following this structure: L1 equivalent then [monolingual definition] then . 2 & 3. then Example 1. You might include in your entry as many of them as you consider necessary.ransack: [go hurriedly through a place stealing things and causing damage] saquear. Listen to a recording of the entry on the word “ransack. burning books and chairs in the street. but if you consider that less than that is enough. As for the example sentences. steal some of them. Listen to how this is recording here. and killed who they killed >> Protesters ransacked an office of the Brotherhood’s political party.” Note: this entry has two L1 equivalents. Let’s now take a look at a word that has two meanings. ransacked houses. If we break down the format of this entry. and leave a huge mess behind >> The soldiers opened fire. 18 step aside: [move to one side] moverse a un costado. you rifle through things.3-second gap.. hacerse a un lado / [retire from an office so someone else can take over] dar un paso al costado >> Would you step aside for my uncle and his walker? >> We had to step aside for the people in wheelchairs to get by >> Walter stepped aside for a younger person to take over. 1st monolingual and L1 equivalent 2st monolingual and L1 equivalent step aside: [move to one side] moverse a un costado. this can seem tedious in the beginnig but even after a very short period of time engaging in this practice you will see noticeable improvements. We then have three sentence examples. It means absorbing vocabulary in a way that you can use it like a native English speaker. I suggest you still make the effort to do it. Exploring into the Meaning of Words Curiosity is the mother of all knowledge. grasping the essence of words and phrases through online dictionaries is still a great place to start. hacerse a un lado / [retire from an office so someone else can take over] dar un paso al costado >>Would you step aside for my uncle and his walker? >>We had to step aside for the people in wheelchairs to get by >>Walter stepped aside for a younger person to take over. and if you are interested in maximizing your vocabulary acquisition you have to be curious. However. Like many things that bring results. There are many things that come into play before you are able to do that. and the last one to the second definiton. and this doesn’t mean just piling new words and phrases on top of more words and phrases. If you aren’t initially too motivated to go deep in each word you learn. which in turn will spark your curiosity and motivation to learn more. like for example learning vocabulary in significant ways from actual life experiences and not only from dictionaries.There are two sets of monolingual definitions and L1 equivalents separated by a slash “/”. Master Vocabulary is all about learning as much vocabulary as possible. the two first correspond to the first definition. Al19 max english . flick: pelicula >> I wanted to see a Bruce Willis film. especially the underlined parts. skillful) impecable / [slippery] resbaloso >>that graph you just made looks slick >> slick performance >> There’s a lot of sloppy snow. When you do participate in a real English language setting. These parts enable us to capture the “loose ends” certain words have (to play the recordings click on first word). the road is really slick [OTHER MEANINGS: oil slick: mancha de aceite / slick back: hacerse el pelo hacia atras >>He slicks back his hair like a 1950s greaser] compel (to do sth): [to force or drive someone to do something] forzar. obligar >> I feel compelled to say that {me veo obligado a decir que} >> You can’t compel me to do that [OTHER MEANINGS: complelling: convincente. but my girlfriend insisted we see a chick flick {pelicula de mujeres}” [OTHER MEANINGS: flick through: hojear / flick sth away: quitarse algo de encima con un movimiento rápido >>the snake’s tongue flicked in and out >>she flicked her hair out of her eyes] synomyms slick: [sth that looks smooth and effortless in style] (>polished. persuasivo >> Compelling evidence >> His side of the argument was very compelling] synomym headfirst: [with the head in front] (>headlong) de cabeza / sin pensarlo. all your vocabulary knowledge will be further consolidated. precipitadamente >> I went headfirst down the stairs >> If a business idea comes their way Aries men they tend to plunge right in headfirst {lanzarse de cabeza} >> Students dive headfirst into iOS7” 20 max english . it gets close in terms of what you can learn and how it can prepare you to respond to advanced vocabulary. we can be more flexible in the way we format said entries.though it can’t replace real life English situations. In our efforts to absorb as much information as we can and still fit it into our entries. Pay attention to the entries format below. like Evernote. keep a text file for this. If it’s a piece of vocabulary that you are a little familiar with. When you notice a word you are not familiar with and because of this you can’t understand what’s being said. 1) To discover new vocabulary you have to expose yourself to List of words and phrases (on Evernote) to explore later the language.How to Make a Method Two List: Step by Step We have already seen what the entries look like in our vocabulary list and how we recorde them. Let’s now take a look at the process behind it. You can use apps that sync your cell phone and desktop computer’s notes. so that you can use it as an example in the definition entry. write down the vocabulary in a note-taking app on your phone. Keep a list of words to look up later and just keep enjoying what you’re watching/ reading/listening to. The best practice is also include the sentence in which that word or phrase appears. listening to music or podcasts or reading things you enjoy. 21 max english . If you’re on your computer. You don’t need to look it up right away. The best way to do this from home is watching TV in English. that’s when you write it down. you can still benefit from making an entry on that word or phrase. If you’re on the go. com and www.2) When you have some free time. Collins Dictionary (American) Oxford Dictionaries (British. so that you just fill in the blanks.linguee.es. The forum of Word Reference will occasionally come in handy as well. the best options are www. 3) Once you find a clear and concise definition. the most complete one. you can look up the new vocabulary directly on its website. I suggest you have the entry format ready on your vocabulary list. like this: : [] >> >> >> : [] >> >> >> : [] >> >> >> : [] >> >> >> 22 max english . look up the vocabulary you have collected in your note-taking app or text file.com (American. If you have a favorite dictionary. the best dictionaries for our purpose are: Vocabulary.wordreference. In my opinion. copy it and past it into your vocabulary list. plenty of example sentences) Cambridge Dictionary (British) For L1 equivalents. Do the same with the L1 equivalent and the example sentences. You can just google these words and you will get results from the top online dictioaries. this one provides very insightful and friendly definitions). Play recording. brawl: [noisy quarrel or fight] (>melee) riña. Here’s an example of an entry. Don’t add one if you think the L1 equivalent is enough.” sometimes entries don’t need a monolingual definition. spill: derramar. You can make one audio recording per entry but I suggest you do one for every three entries so that you don’t end up with so many audio files.” By doing this you learn new vocabulary that goes beyond the particular word you’re looking up. 4) The fourth step is recording. Place this in between the monolingual definition and the L1 equivalent. 23 max english . like this: (> synonym 1. synonym 2).Remember this is the format: English word: [monolingual defition] L1 equivalent >> example 1 >> example 2 >> example 3 You can also add synonyms between parantheses. In the above example. keep in mind that the example sentences should be relevant and preferably add more context to the usage of the word in question. volcar >> Crude oil spilled into the ocean >> The milk spilled across the floor >> The wine spilled onto the table” Listen to the recording of this entry here. the first example shows that “brawl” can be used as a verb. The second one is collocated with the phrasal verb “break out. Like in the entry on “spill. pelea >> Fans were brawling in the streets after the game >> the brawl broke out in the bar. On the other hand. and this is how you start to make the lexical connections in your mind that make you a much more competent speaker. Reviewing by playing the audio recordings will ensure the vocabulary stays fresh in your mind. 2. codito >> These fucking bunch of cheapskates should provide breakfast >> You only got me a half pint . smuggle: [to import illegally] contrabandear / pasar a escondidas >> They smuggled the drugs through customs >>They smuggled immigrants across the border >>We smuggled his favorite sandwich past the nurse. 24 max english . pop into: [alternative to come into mind] se me ocurre / [enter a place to visit quickly] entrar de golpe >>something pops into your mind and you think. patch: [a piece of cloth that covers a hole in a item of clothing] parche >>She wore a sweater with patches on the elbows >> You can download this patch from our website. Below are more entry examples (click on first word to listen to the recordings). What a cheapskate! heart to heart conversation/talk/chat/discussion: [conversation concerned with personal problems or intimate feelings] conversacion intima >>a heart-to-heart talk >>he took me aside for a little heart-toheart >>to have a heart-to-heart talk with sb.you cheapskate! >> He got his his mother a pen for 50c as a christmas present. save the audio files. this is a REALLY great idea! >>Why don’t you pop in and see us this afternoon? >>All I have to do on the way home is pop into the drugstore. After doing steps 1. 3 and 4 you will feel you have mastered the new vocabulary. “Wow.5) Once you make recordings for the new vocabulary. >> [a bald patch >> I don’t want to have a bald patch when I’m 40 / eye patch: parche de ojo / shoulder patch: insignia / road patch >> Beware of the road patches on the street / rough patch on gums: fueguito] cheapskate: (similar to stingy) poco generoso. which studies the differences and similarities between two languages. This science is used to explain why some features in the language you are trying to learn are more difficult than others. If your native language is any of the Romance languages. This is because there is a lack of correspondance between your native language and English. learners will make the mistake of saying “how does he look?” or something similar. There’s a higher wordby-word correspondace in the first question than in the second. mastering the sentence “what’s his name” is considerably easier than mastering “what does he look like?” A lot of times. One of the most common low correspondance features of English are phrasal verbs. Learners apply the avoidance strategy with phrasal verbs because they don’t fit with a pre-established linguist concept in their . For example. However.WHAT’S THE VOCABULARY THAT ONLY NATIVES USE? In order to get a better grasp on what “native vocabulary” actually is. because they’re easier) and also quite a few low corresponance value features. In linguistics there’s a subfield called Contrastive analysis. High Correspondance (HC) vs Low Correspondance (LC) The vocabulary that advanced non-native English speakers use is comprised of almost all the features of English that have a high correspondance value (simply. let’s talk science for a little bit. you probably wouldn’t have any trouble asking “what kind of car is this?” but asking “whose car is this?” is proven to be more complicated for learners. even advanced non-native English speakers miss an enourmous amount of low correspondance vocabulary that –of course– native speakers use naturally. but. there tends to be a lot more correspondance between the English and the other Romance languages. • He went out of his way to let you know. • I started gimnastics but I didn’t continue. • He’s all tattooed up. Below are some random sentences framed in the high correspondance non-native way and in the low correspondance native way. • Don’t hold me to it. Thus. • I’ll use that in the future. though the wording is clearly different. This makes your brain work extra hard to constantly keep these elusive words from falling off your active vocabulary (or just learn them).” Although both sentences are correct. this shows how your brain would tend to gravitate towards vocabulary patterns that are closer to what you are familiar with in yuor native language. • I’m still feeling bad about that loss.. It’s worth noting that when natives use formal language.. HC Advanced non-native • Sorry for the bad news. • I started gimnastics but I didn’t stick with it. • He made you a favor to let you know. • 3 minutes into the video.brains. • I’ll use that going forward.. • That loss is still eating at me. but. for your brain it’s significantly easier to say “could you inform me on something” than “could you fill me in on something. .. • In the minute 3 in the video. • I can’t promise you that. This is just illistrative of possible differences between a native and a non-native speaker way of expressing the same idea. This does not mean that the HC sentences are incorrect. • He’s contributed a lot. • He’s contributed as much as anyone. The language in the native side of this chart is fairly informal. LC Native • Sorry to break it to you. • He has a lot of tattos. They express the same idea. One of the goals of Master Vocabulary is to develop the perception that you need to recognize. what’s the vocabulary that only natives use? What I mean by ‘native speakers vocabulary” is the LC vocabulary that the majority of advanced speakers don’t seem to develop the awareness needed to absorb and start using. Finally. Method 3 is meant to absorb as much LC vocabulary as possible. . For this reason. Method 1 in Master Vocabulary is intended to deal mainly with HC vocabulary (i.e. easier vocabulary). harder vocabulary). Method 2 is meant to tackle LC vocabulary (i. and also some of the HC for consolida- tion purposes.So. learn and reproduce this type of vocabulary. the note-taking aspect of it is significanly simpler than Method 2.e. I would suggest Method 2 for the next year and a half or until they reach 2000 Method 2 entries. Ultimately. but can you start from method 3 and skip method 2? You might have been studying English for more than 3 years. Then. If you feel Method 2 isn’t for you regardless of how long you have been learning the language. you can manage without dictionaries. but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from method 2. and this beyond any vocabulary building technique is what is going to make your English better in all its aspects. you have been exposed to English for a long time. at roughly around the start of her 3rd year of immersion in the language. If you have been learning English for more than 3 years. it isn’t about the number of entries you have in your vocabulary list. they follow Method 1 to acquire as much vocabulary as they can. the easier it is for you to learn more. Finally. Your memory isn’t like a box that can 28 max english . what it really comes down to is that if you have 1000 entries. I would suggest they learn vocabulary following the three vocabulary techniques presented in this guide. do 1000 entries instead of 2000. then feel free to try out Method 3.METHOD #3 If I taught someone English from scratch. Note: If you have reached this point in the guide you surely are ahead of method 1. This notion is based on the principle that the more you know. Method 3 replaces Method 2. This is because the vocabulary you have learned enables you to be much better at guessing the meaning of words and phrases by context. I would tell them that in the first 3 to 6 months. I suggest you start from method 2 regardless of your level. You’re ready for method 3 when you can understand 95% of spoken English. Method 3 is notably easy to do. and because your body of passive and active vocabulary is considerably sizeable after doing Method 2. Method 3 is 10x faster to do than Method 2. After this. again. you might want to keep your phone and computer synced with Evernote or another similar app. How it works Like in Method 2. As I suggested before. 1) When you read. you will come across words.” Your memory here is aided by a very clear imagery of a fisherman casting (you probably know this is a another word for “throw”) a net to catch fish. as you will find out below where we will go through this method step by step. watch TV. Your brain has more data to relate new vocabulary to. and this means there is less chance of forgetting. phrases and expressions that 29 max english . For example. the more solid the interconnection of the vocabulary stored in your passive and active memory will be. you probably know all the words in the sentence “we cast a wide net to Fisherman casting net get our ads in front of a lot of people. record yourself reading sentences.” If you do. your previous knowledge will help you internalize the expression “to cast a wide net (to do sth). listen to music or a podcast. you will. for Method 3 you will write down pieces of vocabulary on a note-taking app on your phone or on a text file on your computer. your brain is a neural network that help you assess and find patterns in the new data that enters your mind.only be filled up to the point in which nothing else can fit in. On the contrary. the Neural Network representation more vocabulary you know. In more technical terms. If it’s the latter. come on! • You can’t pass for 22. • Take your mind out of the gutter. Lastly. max english . I’m gonna go for it. but upon hearing them I realized I wasn’t using them. • The thief made a break for it when the officer looked the other way (escape). • Larry only likes girls who hang on his every word. • It was my job to keep a tally of all the tickets we sold. • I got all weirded out when I talked to her. • And then it dawned on me. You’re just digging for leverage now. • The interface is ever so slightly different. • GE was really forward-thinking in their ability to think like a publisher. Fuck it. See the examples below. • You won’t see him sugar-coat the truth. you will write down this piece of vocabulary –along with the whole sentence it appears in– on your note-taking app or text file. (ventaja en discucion) • They kind of file you away in their minds as a certain kind of person. you look almost 30. • Nobody is saying that. Whichever the case is. 30 These are some examples of sentences I read or heard and that caught my attention. so by going through the process of Method 3 I was able to turn this vocabulary into active vocabulary. • I don’t really remember all the things I got done this week. you know the reason why you don’t use it is simply because this word or phrase is in your passive knowledge. • Watch Kanye West repeatedly get his ass handed to him. I did know the majority of these words and phrases. • 2-hour tailback on the road and I’m stuck in the car with my ex (cola de autos).either you don’t know but can somewhat guess the meaning of. I didn’t only write down the specific word or phrase (which I’ve put in bold here for you to see). I also wrote down the whole sentence in which these pieces of vocabulary in question appeard. • His main job was being a cop but on the side he sold water purifiers. or you know but don’t use. • The difference is not so cut and dry. • I’ll put my ass on the line. It’s like a blur. say. save these recordings in your cell phone or MP3 player and listen to them from time to time to keep the vocabulary fresh in your mind. However. You can set your own routine by. If you are not completely sure you’re guessing the correct meaning of a word or phrase. cleaning. 2. etc. listening to them at a specific date every month or you can just do it whenever you like. I suggest that you make one recording for every 20 or so sentences if you don’t want to end up with an ungodly amount of recordings. Because this method takes so little time to do and yet can be extremely effective to learn and remember new vocabulary.It’s important that you write down the word or phrase together with the sentence it occurrs in. record yourself reading out the sentences. At this point in your vocabulary learning process. These recordings are very practical in the sense that you can listen to them while you do other activities like commuting. 2) When you find the time. You will keep growing your vocabulary on your list and on your brain. you may keep doing this for as long as you wish. walking. examples or equivalents as in method 2. you can quickly look it up on the dictionary. etc. you will most likely remember it without doing that. You might want to name the recording file with a number or something that helps you keep it organized (for example: recording 1. 31 max english . Here’s the recording with the sentences from the last page.). 3. you don’t need to copy definitions. both passive and active. 3) Lastly. maxenglish. I hope you’ve found some value in it and can use it as a guide to help you improve your English by developing the mindset and perception to improve your vocabulary. best of luck and I look forward to serving you again soon! Max http://www. Lastly. If for whatever reason you got this guide without ever subscribing to my email list (which is totally okay because I realize people love to share things like this).tips . then please head on over to MaxEnglish. please give me a shout out on Facebook or Twitter and share Master Vocabulary! Cheers.Thank you! I’d like to thank you for taking the time to check out Master Vocabulary.tips and subscribe to my email list there. if you enjoyed this book.