STOP USING THE DICTIONARY To Learn English Words

You have to stop using the dictionary to learn new English words.

You heard me right.

And today I'm going to tell you, why are you ready?

Well, then I'm teacher, Tiffani let's jump right in.

Here's the important message.

You must stop using the dictionary to learn new English words.

In other words, If your goal is to speak English fluently, like a native

English speaker, you have to stop memorizing words from the dictionary.

If you only use the dictionary, you will never speak English

like a native English speaker.

Now, listen, I'm going to give you the solution.

So don't be discouraged.

You see, because when I was studying Korean in South Korea,

just like you, I was excited.

I was studying the dictionary.

I was memorizing tons of words.

I remember getting up early in the morning and memorizing tons of words.

But the problem was when I tried to use those dictionary words with

my Korean friends, they would, Mmm.

You don't sound natural.

We don't use those words.

TIFF and I would get frustrated because I was learning Korean words.

How come when I used them?

My friends told me I didn't sound like a Korean again.

I had to stop using the dictionary.

Let me give you some reasons.

There are many words in the dictionary that are truly not used by native

English speakers on a daily basis.

So you just like I did will get frustrated when you use a word from the

dictionary that no one uses in daily life, you'll get frustrated and discouraged.

Another reason why you can't just use the dictionary is because if you only.

Focus on the dictionary.

You will start to sound like a book instead of a natural English speaker.

you heard?

I did that.

When you only learn words from the dictionary, you'll start sounding like

written English instead of spoken English.

That's why you have to stop only using the diction.

The third reason is when you memorize words from the dictionary, you don't

learn how to use the words in context.

In other words, you don't know the right time and place to use the words.

How many times has this happened to you?

You learn a new word from the dictionary, and then you search for

example, sentences, because you don't know how to use the word in real life.

That's what happens when you only use the diction.

So what's the solution.

Let me break it down for you.

Like this.

The solution is to learn new English words from native English speakers

instead of only using the dictionary.

In other words, listen to real English conversations and pay attention to

the English words that native English speakers actually use in real.

Listen notice I said conversations between native English speakers.

So not watching an English lesson only you need to find a video or a podcast

where two native English speakers are speaking to each other about a topic.

Then as you listen, you'll learn new words.

So let me break it down.

Like.

First, you're going to find a conversation about a topic that you are interested in.

What do you like speaking about already in your own language?

Now, as you listen to the conversation, you're going to write

down the words that you don't know.

You see, I told you to stop using the dictionary alone, but you're

still going to be learning new words.

It's just that the starting point will not be the dictionary.

The starting point will be real conversations between

native English speakers.

So you'll know for a fact, listen, the words that I'm learning are

words that native English speakers actually use in real life.

Exactly.

All right.

Write down the words that you don't.

Next after listening to the conversation.

Notice I said after listening to the conversation, don't pause.

Just write the words down as you listen.

And after you listen to the conversation, then take out your dictionary and look up

the words that you wrote down and try to make your own sentences using the words.

Notice I said the first, the starting point is the

conversation, not the dictionary.

That's the.

Sometimes you take out the dictionary and just start learning words.

No, start with the conversations.

Then you have the words that native English speakers use.

Then look up the definitions after doing that.

Finally, listen to the conversation again, to see if you understand it.

This is a totally different way of learning new words and actually

applying them and using them in your real life so that you can

sound like a native English speaker.

Now, I want us to practice this together.

Let's practice.

Let's put this technique into practice with a short conversation about fashion.

Now, again, it seems very simple.

Start with the conversation between two native English speakers.

As you listen, write the words down that you don't know.

And then after you listen, learn the meanings of the

words and also make sentences.

So here we go.

I want you to check out.

Short clip from a conversation I had with teacher Carly.

We actually went over this very briefly in the last lesson.

You can check it out if you didn't see it.

So I want you to listen to this short clip, this conversation,

Carly and I had about fashion.

I love it.

All right, so I'll get started.

The first question I wanna ask you is.

What is fashionable in your city nowadays?

Um, like, do you like the current fashion?

And if so, why?

If not, why not?

Like, so what's the kind of the current, you know what I'm saying?

The trendy fashion statement right now.

Okay.

So right now I'm currently in like Northwest Atlanta and I'm

in like a little suburban area.

So a lot of times you just see.

Sweatpants leggings and like athletic wear it's called ath leisure.

Yes.

Um, you feel that a lot.

And when I first moved here, I was like, Ew, never.

How dare they wear athletic clothes when they're not going to the gym?

But, you know, ever since COVID started.

And I basically, I work from home and I don't really do much.

Exactly.

I have turned into one of those people that wear athletic clothes,

even when I'm not going to the gym.

Yes.

I, I have adapted to all the other moms in this area and I wear

sweatpants or leggings, hoodies.

Different like different workout shirts just to go to the store and

people look at me like, oh, she must have just worked out good for her.

And I'm like, I just spent seven hours on Netflix.

and then I came here to get me some grocer wearing these clothes.

You know, now you can tell that I was having a wonderful time

speaking with Carly about fashion.

But during that short clip, that short real English conversation

between two native English speakers, there were so many new words

connected to the topic that popped.

So again, putting into practice what I'm teaching.

You start with the conversations, not with the dictionary.

So now we have watched the conversation.

Here's the first word I want to teach you from that conversation.

During the conversation, I asked her this question, what

is fashionable in your city?

Nowaday?

The word, fashionable, fashionable.

Well, this word looking it up, right?

It means following a style that is popular at a particular time.

Ah, okay.

Kind of following what is popular, what is trendy?

That was another word.

Now let's make some sentences.

All right.

So we understand this word.

Here's the first sentence.

She always wears fashionable clothes.

Ah, makes sense.

Fashionable clothes.

Second tattoos are very fashionable among young people this year.

That's true.

Young people.

It's kind of popular for them to get tattoos.

You see fashionable and finally, sentence three.

There are many choices available for fashionable snow boots.

Fashionable snow boots.

So you see in the conversation, I said, what is fashionable in your city?

Nowadays?

We looked it up.

Now we understand the meaning.

And we also have some example sentences starting with the conversation first.

Now the other word that came up during the conversation was F.

Leisure.

I know this is a brand new word for you, but we as native English speakers

use this word and you're not gonna find it in a regular book or just by

searching through the dictionary without knowing what Americans actually use.

So in the conversation, this is what was said.

So a lot of times you just see sweatpants leggings and like athletic wear.

Oh, it's called AF leisure.

So ath leisure, a fashion trend characterized by athletic

clothing that is both comfortable and aesthetically appealing.

So now you understand odds kind of like nowadays, a lot of women enjoy

wearing leggings out or leggings and sweaters, but they're really cute.

They don't look like they're just sitting at home.

They look very fashionable.

Why?

Because.

Enjoying a leisure.

All right.

Makes sense.

Right.

So example sentences.

Here we go.

The first one is ath.

Leisure is perfect for traveling.

I honestly love ath leisure.

Whenever I travel.

This is my choice of fashion.

It's comfortable and it looks good as well.

Sentence two.

We like to wear a leisure outfits nowadays.

You're seeing how it's used now in real conversations.

And finally the AF leisure trend grew out of women wearing yoga pants.

And that's actually true.

So now again, we have this second word that came up during the

conversation I was having with teacher Carly, but we started with the

conversation, not with the dictionary.

So we know for a fact, this is a word that native English speakers actually use.

And what about this one during the conversation?

This is what was said.

I have adapted to all the other moms in this area.

And I wear sweatpants or leggings or hoodies teacher.

Carly said that right now.

Again, right here.

We see adapted.

So we have adapt, right?

She was speaking about the past tense, but the word is adapt and it just means

to adjust or modify something to a particular situation or a circumstance.

So now we have a connection, a trigger in our brains.

Why.

The conversation.

We heard it first.

She used the word adapt, and now we understand to adjust or modify something

to a particular situation or circumstance.

Let me change to match the circumstance.

Here's an example sentence that will help you understand this word even more.

It's amazing how quickly people adapt, just like teacher Carly

adapted to her situation.

Sentence two James needed to adapt to a new weather pattern.

He had to adjust or modify things.

And finally, after Lou lost one arm in a car accident, he had

to adapt to a prosthetic limb.

He had to change or adjust.

Makes sense.

Right?

So again, what did we do?

We first listened to the conversation.

Then we wrote down the words as we were listening and finally

looked them up at the end and also had some example sentences.

So again, the key is you must start with the conversation between

two native English speakers, then go to the dictionary, stop

using the dictionary as your.

Option or the first thing you use go to the conversations first and you

will improve your English and start sounding like a native English speaker.

Now, honestly, what I taught you today is actually step two of a five step method.

I teach to my students, teaching them how to speak English, like a native.

And if you wanna keep studying with me and learn even more about this five

step method that will help you start sound like a native English speaker.

All you have to do is go to www.englishfluencyplan.com again,

www.englishfluencyplan.com.

We're looking forward to you joining our family and finally learning

how to speak English fluently.

I'll talk to you next time, but as always remember to speak English.

You still there you know what time it is?

It's story time.

A, I said it's story time.

Like I kind of slowed it down there.

all right.

Today's story puts a smile on my face today's story.

I've told this story a long time ago, maybe about two years ago, a year or two.

about my niece.

So I am an early bird and I am a teacher.

I'm your English teacher, but I also teach a Bible class on Saturday mornings.

Because I teach this Bible class on Saturday mornings.

I have to get up early on Saturday mornings to prepare for the class.

So many times I get up at 4:00 AM on Saturdays to teach the class

or to prepare for the class.

So on this Saturday morning, my niece just happened to be

staying with us at this time.

I was staying with my parents.

So I was.

The office that I had at their house.

And I was preparing the lesson for the Bible study, right?

It was about four 30 in the morning.

At that time I had been up for a while and I was organizing the slides

and organizing the information.

And my niece, actually, both of them were sleeping in the room across from my

office, my other niece at the time, she was about 10 years old, uh, 11 years old.

And my youngest niece was about three years old.

And she had a habit of every time she woke up the youngest niece, she

would always want to come into my room and I always let her come in,

but it was four 30 in the morning.

So the expectation was that they wouldn't be up for another two hours.

So around four 30, I'm really focused and creating slides and working hard.

I hear this little

at my door.

I said, wait a minute.

I.

I'm the only one awake.

So I kept working and then I heard the noise again, and I realized

someone was knocking at my door and I knew it was my youngest niece.

So I said, come in, she opens the door, hide TT.

She calls me TT and she had her blanket or her little Teddy bear.

And she looked at me.

Like, can I come in?

And I said, you can come in.

So she walked in, I said, okay, shut, shut the door lightly.

So she closed the door because she didn't.

I told her don't wake anybody else up.

My parents were sleeping.

My other niece was sleeping.

So she came in and she sat on my lap.

I said, TT is working.

I'm I'm creating this, you know, we have a Bible study today.

So TT has to make the slides.

She said, okay.

She sat on my lap.

And again, she was small.

She was sitting on my lap and I was working on my computer trying to

create the slides for our Bible class.

And about five minutes later, Again, she was just watching me.

She said, TT.

I said, yes, baby.

She said, why are you up so early?

. I said, what now?

Remember I did this every Saturday morning.

I'm a grown woman preparing for a class this three year old looks

at me and says, why are you awake?

Why are you up so early?

So I looked at her and like, I was half smiling.

I.

Why are you awake?

And she just laughed because she knew what she was doing.

I said, you are up and you shouldn't be awake.

TTDs to be awake.

And she just laughed and we both laughed.

And of course I kissed her and I truly love my nieces.

And I remember moments like those moments, like, um, moments where

their little personalities come out.

And at that moment, her personality came out.

She's just a child.

She loves, she's very inquisitive.

She wants to know what's happening.

But at that moment she knew I shouldn't be awake, but I want to be with TT.

I should be sleeping, but I wanna be with TT and she stayed with me.

She didn't go back to bed.

She stayed with me for the next three hours as I prepared the Bible study class.

So I will never forget that moment.

why are you up so early?

so maybe your nieces or nephews have done something like that to you asked

you a question and you've been in shock.

Hopefully you have amazing, uh, memories as well.

If not remember to start making them right now.

All right.

Again, I hope you enjoy today's lesson.

If you wanna keep studying with me, don't forget to hit the link in the description

and go to www dot English, fluency.com.

I'll talk to you next time.