How Do Advanced Bilingual Professionals Build Their Business English Vocabulary?

All languages have patterns. According to linguists, 85% of English words follow typical English patterns from Latin, Greek, and French origins while 15% do not. Advanced bilingual readers have learned these rules, use them when reading a new word, and comprehend better. This is how they do it!

An English word can be made of parts:

Root word (only)

Prefix + Root Word

Root Word + Suffix

Prefix + Root word+ Suffix

Why is this important you ask? Because knowing these possible combinations helps you better understand an English word in the context of what you are reading without having to translate which slows you down.

1st – Root word. There are lists of root words in English that can stand alone and have meaning or combined with a prefix or suffix create another related word. Like the Arabic language in which certain consonant clusters indicate a grouping of words like “ktb” words relate to paper, office, letters, etc., these English root words can make many other words.

Did you know most English root words come from the Latin and Greek languages?

Check out this website to get a list of root words: https://education.yourdictionary.com/education/for-students-and-parents/greek-and-latin-word-roots.html

2nd – prefixes hold their own meanings. Combined with a root, you now have a related but unique term such as “un” (not) and “happy” = unhappy.

By learning to recognize prefixes in English word patterns, advanced bilingual professionals can figure out the approximate meaning of a word while reading with less use of a translator which takes time. This helps them read faster and smarter!

3rd – suffixes also carry their own meaning, but more importantly, they can change word functions from verbs to nouns, nouns to adjectives or adverbs. Pretty powerful parts of words. For example, the verb “govern” becomes a noun as the suffix “-ment” in added to make “government”.

Knowing these general rules and meaning gives bilingual readers an advantage when reading new words in financial documents or articles.

This website is a good place to start your analysis of English words and their meaning. https://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/prefixes_suffixes.pdf

Try this active reading strategy as you read professional journals, news, and business documents faster with more comprehension. By actively reading with increased fluency, you will build your business vocabulary and learn more English words to use in speaking and writing.

For more on English reading strategies, building your English business vocabulary, and improving your English communication skills, please contact me through LinkedIn. I’m here to coach you!