The jury is out on exactly how many times you have to encounter a new word before it becomes part of your working vocabulary. But let’s play safe and say it’s around 10 times. This is what the research seems to suggest. This means that we have to hear or see a word used in context at least ten times before we can be sure of its meaning. I personally think this figure is a little optimistic. Although it is true, there are some words that are easier to remember than others. And some words that never seem to sink in.
For example, I have seen and heard the word for ‘cliff’ in Spanish probably over 300 times over the years, and I still have a moment of doubt when I need to use it. For some reason it is a tricky word. However, there are an army of linguists who would say that the main reason I have never learned it is because I have never tried to. I have never written it down.
According to linguists, there are two ways we learn new vocabulary when learning a foreign language. One is deliberate and one is incidental. In deliberate learning, you are paying specific attention to the word and consciously deciding to try to learn it. Incidental learning is when we just pick things up from repeated exposure. The new words just ‘sink in’ without us having to specifically focus on them. This comes from things like reading, listening to songs or watching series in the target language. To learn incidentally we need lots and lots of exposure to the language. In contrast, to learn deliberately we have to make a cognitive effort to focus on the word.
So, what is the best way to learn vocabulary?
In the last 25 years that I have spent helping people learn English, I have seen thousands of students approach new vocabulary in a similar way. In a language class, when they encounter a new word, they write it down, often with a translation. Their ‘vocabulary notebook’ gets fatter and fatter if it is a real-world one, and longer and longer if it’s a digital one. In this case they are making a deliberate effort to learn new vocabulary. But is this the most effective way to learn new words?
The short answer is: No. But it’s a start.
For me a vocabulary list is like a shopping list. A shopping list tells you what you need to buy. If you keep looking at your shopping list, you may start to remember it fleetingly, but you won’t get any food in your cupboards unless you actually get your shopping bag, leave the house, go to the supermarket and buy the food (for the sake of this analogy can we forget online shopping for today!?).
The vocabulary list is the same thing. It is the shopping list. It is a list of your intention to learn. But if you want to actually learn the vocabulary, you need to make a deliberate effort to remember it and use it. To learn the vocabulary, you need to do something with it.
Here are some suggestions to help you learn the vocabulary
- True sentences
Keep a vocabulary journal where you write down new words, their meanings, and example sentences. The sentences must be true! It’s even better if they are personalised – or related to people that you know. Review and update this journal regularly. - Test yourself
Copy-paste your list into an AI tool like ChatGPT and ask it to generate multiple-choice comprehension questions. You can even ask the AI tool to pitch this at your language level; A2 or B1 for example. - Flashcards
Create flashcards with the foreign word on one side and the translation on the other. Apps like Anki or Quizlet can help automate this process and use spaced repetition to reinforce learning. - Labeling
Label objects around your home with their names in the target language. Seeing these labels daily helps reinforce the vocabulary. - Language Apps
Use language learning apps like Duolingo, Memrise, or Babbel that gamify vocabulary learning and provide regular practice. - Thematic Vocabulary
Take the word lists and organize them in a way that makes sense to you. Organizing words into themes can be one way to do this - Contextual Learning
Read books, articles, or watch videos in the target language. Highlight and note down new words, then look up their meanings and use them in sentences. For more information you can see my article called Noticing: the key to speed up the process of learning a language. - Regular Usage and Practice
Incorporate new words into your daily life by writing short stories, diary entries, or social media posts in the target language. Use the new vocabulary as much as possible to help it stick.
What is the Spanish word for ‘cliff’? (Pause while I look it up on Google Translate)…..It’s ‘acantilado’. Now I have actually written it down, will I remember it next time I need it? If I follow at least two of the suggestions above, I am sure I will. Hopefully, writing this article has helped get the word into my ‘memory cupboard’.