VOCABULARY: Exactly How to Learn Vocabulary for Conversation

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, Rachel, how can I improve my vocabulary?

Some people are focused on test prep

and some people simply want to be able to express themselves in conversation.

To improve your vocabulary in a helpful way,

you not only need to be using a good method but you need to be using the right words.

In this video you’re getting both.

We’re going to study definitions, all in English of course,

to help you understand these words as English words

this will prevent you from thinking of it as a translation of your own a language,

and this will help you think in English.

Don’t look these words up in a translating dictionary.

I’ll give you a simple definition and enough examples for you to get it.

What words are we choosing?

We are using the Academic Word List.

This is amazing if you’re preparing for the TOEFL exam or the IELTS exam.

You need to know the Academic Word list to do well on those exams.

But they are also going to help round out your conversational vocabulary.

The Academic Word list does not include words that are in the 2000 most common words in English list,

so it’s the next level.

A little bit more sophistication.

These are words you can expect to encounter on a daily basis in everyday life,

newspapers, on TV, and so on.

You’re going to learn, REALLY LEARN, 5 words today.

We’ll study the words, definitions, and sample sentences,

then we’ll go to Youglish to find real-word examples of these words

to help you complete your understanding of them.

The first word is analysis.

Are you comfortable saying this word?

uh-NAL-uh-sis.

Analysis.

Pay attention to the vowels and watch my mouth.

It’s not AA, it’s uh.

uh-NAL-us-sis.

That first sound is the schwa.

You know what? Let's watch it up close and in slow motion so you can really study the mouth movement.

Analysis.

Analysis.

Analysis.

Analysis.

Analysis.

Analysis.

Analysis.

It’s a noun. It means to study something closely,

to look at all the parts and details and see how they all affect each other, how they’re related to each other.

It is an explanation of the nature and meaning of something.

You analyze something to try to really understand it.

Do you see what I did there?

Analyze.

I used the verb form.

Analysis is four syllables with second syllable stress.

Analyze – three syllables, first syllable stress.

Analysis, analyze.

I did an analysis of the article to study her writing style.

The DNA analysis came back. You are not the father.

The water was analysis revealed that our water has high levels of lead.

Before making a decision, they performed a cost-benefit analysis.

A cost-benefit analysis is when you add up all the benefits of a situation or action

and then subtract all the costs associated with taking that action, this is to help somebody to make a decision.

The plural of analysis is NOT analysises.

We change the way we spell it.

We change the I to an E and we also change the pronunciation.

Analyses.

Analyses is the plural.

So instead of ending in ‘is’ it ends in ‘eez’.

‘Analysis’.

Analyses.

Have you ever heard the word psychoanalysis?

This is a method of explaining and treating mental and emotional problems

by having the patient talk about dreams,

feelings, memories,

and all of this to is someone who is a therapist trained

in psychoanalysis.

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Our next word is approach.

It’s a verb.

You’ll see the form approaches, also approaching, and approached.

Here the ED ending makes a T sound.

Approached.

Approached.

Stress on the second syllable, again we have a schwa in the first syllable.

Approach.

Let's watch this up-close.

Approach.

Approach.

Approach.

Approach.

Approach.

Approach.

This word can be used a couple of different ways.

You can approach something or someone by moving physically, closer and closer.

The train is approaching the station.

It can also be used for time, as time passes,

you come closer to a future planned event, you approach it.

We’re approaching the holidays.

You can approach a thing: We are quickly approaching our fundraising goal of $100,000.

We also use this word to mean a way of thinking about something,

a way of dealing with something.

How do you approach stress?

Or, I approach cooking the way my mom did: leftovers are wonderful.

I can also use this as an adjective in the form ‘approachable’.

He’s not very approachable.

That means, he’s not easy to talk to, or to start a conversation with, or to deal with.

The opposite:

She’s very approachable.

This means she’s friendly, easy to talk to.

What do you think? Are you approachable?

Our next word is 'area'. This is a noun. Three syllables.

Area.

Area.

Let's look at this word up-close.

Area.

Area.

Area.

Area.

Area.

Area.

This is part of a larger space.

In this area we’ll have the food buffet, and in this area the bar for drinks.

You can also think of it as meaning ‘section’ or ‘part’.

Real estate is very expensive in the bay area.

The area by the pool is always very crowded.

We can also use it to talk about the amount of space inside a shape:

You need to be able to calculate the area of a circle, a rectangle, and triangle.

It can also be a field of study:

He’s an expert in the area of mathematics.

The next word is assessment.

It’s a noun.

Assessment. Three syllables. Second syllable stress.

Let's look up-close.

Assessment.

Assessment.

Assessment.

Assessment.

Assessment.

Assessment.

This is the act of making a judgment about something.

The verb is to assess.

The school assessment test will tell us how well the students understand the concepts.

I don’t agree with your assessment of the problem.

You think we need to wait and see if things get better, I think we need to do something right away.

Assessment.

The next word is assume.

This is a verb.

Assume. Two syllables. Second syllable stress.

Let's look up-close.

Assume.

Assume.

Assume.

Assume.

Assume.

Assume.

This word means to think something is true, or probably true, without actually knowing if it’s true.

Do you think the test will be hard?

I assume so, but we’ll see tomorrow when we take the test.

I assumed he would be honest, but he lied to me.

It can also mean to begin something, like a job.

She assumed the role of director in February.

Those are our first 5 words.

Now lets go to Youglish and listen to more sample sentences with these words

to continue to develop our understanding of how to use these words.

First, analysis.

How it would be workable and what the cost-benefit analysis might be.

There’s that phrase ‘cost-benefit analysis’ that we discussed already.

Analysis: a study of something.

You study all the costs associated with a decision or action,

and you study the benefits to help you make that decision.

Should you or should you not do something.

In this sample sentence, Hillary Clinton says the government should do a cost-benefit analysis

to determine if providing a particular service is beneficial, is worth it.

Let’s see the clip again.

Here’s another clip.

Ok, this is getting heavy.

This is talking about the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995

where DNA analysis was used to help identify people.

DNA analysis.

Analysis the study of something.

The study of someone’s DNA to identify more about that person.

Let’s see that clips again.

One more clip.

Insight derived from our analysis, that means insight,

understanding something, understanding gained from the analysis.

This makes sense.

They do an analysis, an in-depth study, and they learned something, they gained insight.

In this case, they gained insight into how you should market to people

interested in having a smart home.

That is, someone who has one or more of these home devices connected to the internet like

an Amazon Alexa or a google hub.

Let’s see that clip one more time.

Analysis, a study of something.

Before we move on to approach,

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Okay, our next word is ‘approach’.

Take a light approach to dying.

Here the word is being used not in physically moving towards something,

but in the way we think about something, understand something.

How do you approach dying?

That’s like asking, how do you think about dying?

A light approach to something is to think of it think of it as fun, light-hearted, as opposed to serious.

She takes a light approach to life.

She always seems happy and positive.

He does not want people to take a light approach to dying, he knows it is serious,

but he has a way he wants us to think about it.

Let’s listen to the whole sentence.

Let’s see another example of this word in use.

Approach the front of a courtroom.

Physically move in space closer to the front of the courtroom.

Let’s see that again.

And one more clip for ‘approach’.

Approach to stress.

There isn’t a place called stress that we are physically moving towards.

So here it’s being used in way that means, how do you think about this, how do you relate to this idea.

How do you approach stress.

Do you try to reduce it, do you think it’s bad for your health, do you think it’s no big deal?

Let’s see that clip again.

And now, the word area

Area.

This can mean part of a larger space.

The surface area of Tucson

this is the surface of the earth, but only the area that is the city of Tucson.

A section of the surface of the earth.

Let’s watch the clip again.

Another example sentence

This is the area around New York City – that includes three states,

New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

This is part of the US.

The tri-state area.

Let’s see that clip again.

And one last clip for ‘area’.

In an area of Ethiopia, in a part of Ethiopia.

Area: something that is part of a larger space.

Let’s see that clip again.

Let’s move on to assessment. Here’s the first sentence.

A fair assessment: a fair judgment to make based on what you’ve just said.

A fair assessment, a reasonable conclusion.

Let’s see that clip again.

Another sentence with ‘assessment’.

You do an assessment early on.

You look at their situation and you make a judgment about their ability to rebuilt a house

that was wiped out in a natural disaster.

You make an assessment, you make a judgment.

Now this is really similar to another word we’re studying, analysis, which is a study of something.

And usually you study something to make conclusions about it.

So you could say we’ve done an analysis of your situation, and we’ve made an assessment

that you need help rebuilding your home.

We’ve done a study, and we’ve made this judgment.

Let’s see that clip again.

Our last sentence for ‘assessment.’

In my assessment of it...

That's like saying: in my judgment of it, or in my opinion.

My assessment of it.

Let’s see that clip again.

We have one last word to study.

Assume.

To think something is true without knowing that it’s true.

You might even assume.

You might even think it’s true based on some factors without actually asking the people.

Are you framing him?

You’re assuming it.

You think it’s true without knowing for sure.

Let’s see that clip again.

Our next clip for Assume:

He’s interviewing a band, and he assumes that they’re going to be playing in a bigger venue.

He doesn’t know it, he’s guessing it’s true.

They confirm he’s right, they say yes.

Let’s see that clip again.

Our last clip for ‘assume’.

Focus groups assume that people can tell you what’s wrong and what's right.

If you use focus groups for this, you’re assuming that they work.

You think that they work without actually knowing that they work.

But in this particular case, research shows that they don’t work.

So assuming that is incorrect.

Let’s take a look at that again.

Remember: Analysis is a study of something.

Approach is to move toward something, or, a way of thinking about something.

Area is something that is part of a larger space.

Assessment is a judgment of something.

To assume is to think something is true without knowing it’s true.

Analysis and Assessment are actually pretty similar and in some sentences, you could use either one.

An analysis is an in-depth study of something

– usually when you study something, you do that to make conclusions, to make judgments about it.

And an assessment is to make a judgment about something.

So for example, in this sentence, both ‘analysis’ and ‘assessment’ make sense:

After reading your ___, I can make an informed decision.

After reading your analysis, that is, your in-depth study,

or, after reading your judgment, your conclusions,

your assessment.

I can make an informed decision.

These both work.

We’ve just studied the first five words of Band 1 of the Academic Word list.

We studied several contexts to help you understand how to use this word.

Do you like this kind of video?

Let me know in the comments, like this video, and be sure to share it.

This is how I know you want to see more of this kind of video.

We’ve got a lot more useful words that we could study in the Academic word list.

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Since you’re interested in increasing your vocabulary,

go ahead and check out this video

that goes over general tips for increasing your English vocabulary and your confidence in your vocabulary.

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I make a new video on the English language every Tuesday.

That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.