Why Learn 1000 Words in a Foreign Language?
Language is like a brick house, and words are bricks. In order to understand 80% of speech, you need to memorize the 1000 most common words in your target language.
In this article, I will show how to build vocabulary from the 1000 most common words without self-torture and boring activities.
How to Learn 1000 Words in a Foreign Language the Right Way
It is important to memorize the words in a foreign language before you start using them. There are many ways to memorize words, but the most effective way is by using a word list with the 1000 most common words in any language.
The first step is to pick a list of 1000 words in your target language. This will be your starting point for learning a new language.
Let’s suppose you’re just starting to learn a language. In our Fast Language Mastery method, I recommend learning at least one or more grammar subjects per day. What’s more, I recommend combining grammar learning and vocabulary building.
Divide the list of 1000 words by 33 words per day. It would be 999 words for 30 days. On the 30th day, learn 34 words to make it 1000.
Why? Because while learning grammar, you need to practice using the grammar. For example, you learn verb conjugation in the present tense today. Practice conjugating verbs and building sentences using today’s list of 33 words. The next day, for example, you learn to conjugate verbs in the past tense – use the next day’s list of 33 words, and so on.
10 Useful Tips to Learn 1000 Words in a Foreign Language
Along with grammar practice, there should be vocabulary-building activities every day too. And here are my favorite vocabulary-building activities:
Use words in a context
Write down associations for each word
Write a diary every day and write down new words
Play the game “guess the word” (describe a word without using it)
Draw a word
Writing/Talking about “Today’s topic”. Check out the article “How to learn a language in 30 days” to learn more about this method.
Write down most forgettable words, and most often use words.
Have today’s vocabulary list on your desktop.
Have flashcards at your desk and check them from time to time.
Grammar practice along with Today’s vocabulary list.
In order to build vocabulary maximally effectively, I created 23 printable worksheets that you can print out and use for daily language learning. Organize your learning process by using the worksheets and save tens of hours a week, and speed up your learning by 300% or more.
Get the printable worksheets here:
How to memorize new vocabulary: Memory trigger hacks
To memorize new information, including vocabulary in a foreign language, you need to trigger your brain to do so. Along with the traditional methods mentioned above, there are advanced methods that are meant to trigger your memory to move new words into long-term memory.
Interval repetition
Here is a method of interval repetition. Write down a list of words with their translations. Repeat them:
1st repetition – morning
2nd repetition – in 3-4 hours
3rd repetition – 9-12 hours
4th repetition – 24 hours
5th repetition – 7 days
6th repetition – 1 month
7th repetition – 3 months
What’s better, if you write down all these words with a context and write a new context every time you repeat them (but keeping the first context as well!),
Long interval repetition
Repeat the words every 8 weeks. I.e. 13 times a year. Write down a list of words with a context, and repeat them every 2 months, or 8 weeks.
Forget and recall
Have you ever noticed that after a long pause, you may think that you forgot the language but suddenly speak it better than before? I noticed this many times, not only with languages but also with math and physics, when I had to help someone solve a task and had not done it for many years after finishing school.
This is an effect of refreshing memory. Try to make pause for a week and then repeat everything and continue learning.
Conclusion: The Complete Guide on How to Learn 1000 Words in a Foreign Language
As you may have noticed, there are multiple ways to learn 1000 words in a foreign language and build an active vocabulary. By knowing 1000 words, you can understand 80% of speech in any language, and after it becomes much easier to build vocabulary even further.
In order to have a clear picture of a language and know exactly how to learn languages easily and fast, almost effortlessly, I wrote the book “How to learn any foreign language almost effortlessly”. Download the FREE ebook now, and speed up your language learning.
