We all know how important vocabulary is when we are learning a language. finding the exact word for the idea you want to express is important for becoming a fluent, confident speaker. It is not unusual for learners of English to feel that they don’t know enough words. Here, in an extract from Better Speaking, Ngoc from Vietnam tells us how she feels.
One of my problems is my spoken English. Sometimes I try to say something but I don’t know the word so I feel… um… a bit confused and I stop because I don’t know how to say it or to say what I want to say. So I feel less confident in speaking and I stop myself from speaking sometimes.
Question a) What does Ngoc do if she cannot find the word she needs? Do you do the same thing?
Question b) What advice would you give to Ngoc to help her overcome this problem?
Answer
As Ngoc says, not having a wide vocabulary can have a serious effect on your confidence as a speaker. But how can you become more confident even if you don’t know a lot of words.The first thing to do is to think of what you do in your own language.When speaking in our own language, we often forget the word we need, or have problems finding the precise word for an idea we want to express.This doesn’t make us less confident – we simply find other ways to express what we want to say.
So how can you do this in English?
Explain what you mean Don’t worry if you can’t find the exact word you are searching for. Instead, try to explain what you mean.This is known as paraphrasing and is an important skill.You can give a short definition – for example, if you forget the word ‘envelope’, you might say ‘the thing you put a letter in before you post it’. Or you can give a description. So, instead of ‘elephant’ you could say ‘a big, grey animal with large ears.They live in Africa.’ You can even use your hands to demonstrate the meaning.
Start your sentence again If you simply stop when you reach a word you don’t know, the person who is listening to you will just stop listening. Remember that what you are saying is important to you and to them.To give yourself more time to think of a word or definition, go back to the beginning of your sentence and start again. It’s not unusual to hear native speakers of English say ‘What was I saying?’ before repeating what they’ve said. Remember – try to give yourself time to think.
Ask for help If you get stuck and really can’t think of the word you need, why not ask the person listening for help? You could say ‘I can’t think of the word I need’.Together, you and your listener might be able to find the words for the idea you want to express.Working together with the person who is listening will make life easier for you – and give you both a chance to practise speaking and listening.
Task Explaining what you mean
Look at the words and phrases below.Try to think of a definition or explanation for each word or phrase. Then try them out on some friends – can they identify the word or phrase from your explanation?
One of my problems is my spoken English. Sometimes I try to say something but I don’t know the word so I feel… um… a bit confused and I stop because I don’t know how to say it or to say what I want to say. So I feel less confident in speaking and I stop myself from speaking sometimes.
Question a) What does Ngoc do if she cannot find the word she needs? Do you do the same thing?
Question b) What advice would you give to Ngoc to help her overcome this problem?
Answer
- Ngoc stops speaking when she cannot find the words she needs. Because she cannot say what she wants to, she becomes less confident, and so she speaks less.
As Ngoc says, not having a wide vocabulary can have a serious effect on your confidence as a speaker. But how can you become more confident even if you don’t know a lot of words.The first thing to do is to think of what you do in your own language.When speaking in our own language, we often forget the word we need, or have problems finding the precise word for an idea we want to express.This doesn’t make us less confident – we simply find other ways to express what we want to say.
So how can you do this in English?
Explain what you mean Don’t worry if you can’t find the exact word you are searching for. Instead, try to explain what you mean.This is known as paraphrasing and is an important skill.You can give a short definition – for example, if you forget the word ‘envelope’, you might say ‘the thing you put a letter in before you post it’. Or you can give a description. So, instead of ‘elephant’ you could say ‘a big, grey animal with large ears.They live in Africa.’ You can even use your hands to demonstrate the meaning.
Start your sentence again If you simply stop when you reach a word you don’t know, the person who is listening to you will just stop listening. Remember that what you are saying is important to you and to them.To give yourself more time to think of a word or definition, go back to the beginning of your sentence and start again. It’s not unusual to hear native speakers of English say ‘What was I saying?’ before repeating what they’ve said. Remember – try to give yourself time to think.
Ask for help If you get stuck and really can’t think of the word you need, why not ask the person listening for help? You could say ‘I can’t think of the word I need’.Together, you and your listener might be able to find the words for the idea you want to express.Working together with the person who is listening will make life easier for you – and give you both a chance to practise speaking and listening.
Task Explaining what you mean
Look at the words and phrases below.Try to think of a definition or explanation for each word or phrase. Then try them out on some friends – can they identify the word or phrase from your explanation?
| a radio series | speaking fluently | vocabulary |
| bread | I feel confused | dictionary |
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