It is amazing how much you can learn by keeping a vocabulary dictionary. Students who do this increase their language ability much more quickly than those who do not. This is because:
How to Keep a Vocabulary Dictionary - Buy yourself a book with a minimum of thirty pages in it. Open the first double page spread (as you would an English book - from left to right) and write ‘A,a’ in the top left corner, now turn the page (or pages depending on how big your book is) and write ‘B,b’ in the top left corner. Next, turn the page (or pages) and write ‘C,c’ in the top left corner, and so on until you have a double page spread for every letter of the alphabet. Here is an example:
A,a
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B,b
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Don’t forget to leave some pages at the back for special pieces of vocabulary like words that are difficult to spell or belong to special groups.
After study sessions you can transfer the vocabulary that you have learned to your vocabulary dictionary under the letter that it begins with. Look at it in your dictionary and don’t forget to include:
Here is an example of how to update your vocabulary dictionary:
B,b I saw a bear in the zoo bear up
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Academic Words 1 - Academic Words 2 - Academic Words 3 - Academic Words 4 - Academic Words 5 - Academic Words 6 - Academic Words 7 - Academic Words 8 - Academic Words 9 - Academic Words 10 - Academic Words 11
Assignment Vocabulary - Beginners Word List - Parts of Speech Transformations I - Word Roots and Elements - Vocabulary Dictionary
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Free English Vocabulary Lessons Within the vocabulary section of EVOLVE there are lessons based on the academic word list which was compiled in order of frequency by LALS, Victoria University of Wellington. The lessons ensure that the student becomes familiar with the new vocabulary and can really use it in their own text. Also under this section you will find advice on learning and retaining vocabulary and some short cuts to understanding new words using word roots. |
Free English Grammar Lessons Grammar is the first part of a language that can cause us confusion. Many natvie speakers don't know the finer points of grammar so it can be a difficult task to try to learn the grammar of another language. Our grammar section takes you through all the main grammar points and offers exercises to check understanding throughout. There are lessons on parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives...) right through to lessons on reported speech and relative clauses at the more advanced levels. Just remember that grammar is a set of rules that have been developed as a guide to the language, the language is not based on the rules. |
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Free English Reading Lessons The reading section is divided into two main sections, the holiday lesson plan section where you can find lessons based on British festivities for every month of the year, and then there is the current affairs section where new lessons are constantly added. All lessons focus on vocabulary, understanding of a text and a discussion session, which can bring about lively debate in any classroom. |
Free English Writing Lessons Our writing advice guides students from the alphabet up. There is advice on spelling rules, punctuation and oration. Another feature of the writing section includes lesson plans based on sentence structure, which can be used in conjunction with the lesson plans on grammar. At the advanced level there is advice on how to fulfil academic writng tasks. Finally there are many IELTS style writing topics to inspire students to write. |
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Free English Speaking Lessons One of the most vital things to learn in good speech and pronunciation is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) - armed with this and a good dictionary, students will never mispronounce a word again. To practice speech there are conversation prompts in this section and also featured are some debates and enjoyable exercises to conduct in a group. |
Free English Listening Lessons The listening section focuses on our currnet affairs podcasts which are unique to EVOLVE and can be accompanied by the lesson plans that focus on both listening and understanding and also feature elements of vocabulary and grammar to give a well rounded listening session. Apart from this there is advice on listening to lectures and gap fill exercises for famous songs which have been selected to relate to grammar points. |
| Free English Forum | Free English Games |
| In the EVOLVE Forum we offer students and teachers the chance to get together. Whether you are an ESL teacher looking for a job, or a confused student looking for some help, the EVOLVE forum can offer you support. It costs nothing to post on the forum and can introduce you to the ESL community at large. Why not share some helpful advice or make new friends in our penpal network? | Games can lighten the tone of an otherwise boring session, as well as having a genuine didactic place as a part of a class. All of the games in this session have been carefully considered and included for their educational merit. |