Mastering, Expanding and Retaining Vocabulary for Professional Success
Gemma Keeling
Helping professionals achieve fluency in English so communicating at work is no longer a nightmare ? English Language Coaching CEO of the Year UK (2023) Language Tutor of the Year (2024-2025) ??
Have you ever found yourself in a work situation where the words you needed to express your ideas didn’t come to you? Have you experienced the frustration of forgetting words during important meetings or conversations? You're not alone. Many professionals face these challenges, especially when English is not their first language.?
In my recent LinkedIn Live event, we looked at the important topic of developing your vocabulary for effective communication. Today, I want to share key insights from that training, helping you bridge the gap between passive and active language.
Before we dive into the strategies, let's briefly introduce Beyond English Fluency for those who are new. Beyond English Fluency dives into topics and shares strategies around communication that go beyond language. I help Design and Tech professionals to not only survive using English at work but thrive in international work environments.
Challenging the “I need to learn more vocabulary" approach:
When struggling to find the right words in English, many people believe that immersing themselves in more English or learning more vocabulary is the solution. While immersion is beneficial for developing listening and passive language skills, it may not address the specific challenges professionals face when they forget words in crucial work situations.
Understanding Passive Language vs. Active Language
To overcome vocabulary limitations, it's essential to understand the difference between passive and active language.
Passive language refers to the words and phrases we understand and recognise when we hear or read them. On the other hand, active language comprises the vocabulary we can actively retrieve and use in our own speech and writing.
While professionals at an advanced level of English proficiency typically possess a vocabulary range of around 3000 to 5000 words, it's essential to focus on transforming passive language into active language for effective communication. What that means is, we might be able to understand 1000s of words in English, but in conversation, we can’t use them.
Strategies to Transform Passive Vocabulary into Active Vocabulary:
Build on the language that you already know. Instead of focusing solely on acquiring new words, let's explore strategies to improve and build upon your existing vocabulary foundation. We want to take the language that we understand and turn it into language we feel confident using. These approaches will enhance comprehension, retention, and the ability to retrieve words and phrases at the right time.
Review and Reinforce:
Regularly revisit words and phrases you've previously encountered to reinforce your understanding and recall. This can be done through flashcards, vocabulary lists, or even incorporating them into your daily writing and speaking practice.
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Adopt a Vocabulary-Curiosity Approach:?Take note of those passive words that you are aware of but aren't yet comfortable using confidently. When it comes to being able to feel more confident in vocabulary and English, having an inquisitive mindset towards language and making it a regular practice to identify and compile common words and expressions that you encountered will help bridge the gap from language you understand to language you can use.?
Contextual learning:?Spend time engaging in topics that relate to your field and industry. This will help to deepen your understanding and improve language retention. Read articles, books, or industry-specific materials that expose you to words and phrases relevant to your professional field.
Practice the language:?Incorporate the vocabulary and phrases you have in your passive vocabulary and you’ve acquired through contextual learning into your daily conversations, writing, and presentations. Actively using words and phrases in relevant contexts helps solidify them in your active language repertoire.
By implementing these strategies, you will start to transform your passive vocabulary into active vocabulary, allowing you to confidently express complex ideas and thrive in professional environments.
It's not just about the number of words you know, but how effectively you can use them to express your thoughts and ideas. It’s about working smarter, not harder! Focus on building a strong foundation and continuously refine your active language skills to achieve success in your professional life.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and send a direct message or leave a comment, and I'll be happy to help.
I’d love to know, what strategies or techniques have you found helpful in mastering English vocabulary?
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Check out the following resources:
English communication skills coach for medical science liaisons and other scientists and health care professionals
1 年Most of this is great advice for ALL English learners (even all language learners!), not just Tech & Design professionals. On your phone or in a notebook, keep a short list of English words that you would like to use (or use more often). When you are reading or listening to English and notice a word like that, take a second to write it down if you can. Go through that list at the end of the day, and try using any you can in sentences. As they become easy to use, move them to a review list and add new words. If you practice just 10 words a week until they're very familiar, you'll add 520 words a year to your active, usable vocabulary!