[English Learning] English Vocabulary Study Methods to Improve Speaking and Expand Vocabulary

This was a comment made to me by a mom friend I met at the park after I complained, "I don't have confidence in my English..." I don't know her background in detail, but she is an immigrant who came to Canada a few years ago and says English is not her native language.
It goes without saying, but I was made to realize that even if your English level is good enough to do your job without issues, as long as you are not a native speaker, you must keep learning English.

Studying English is a long long journey. An English coach once told me this, and language learning is truly profound with no single correct answer. I think the desire to acquire it as quickly and efficiently as possible is common to all English learners, but my impression is that in the end, while trying various study methods, it comes down to the sheer volume of study.

Now then. English learning is like a swamp or a deep forest, but regarding vocabulary acquisition, I have a study method that I personally feel is the best. It is extremely plain and not at all novel, but I would like to share it along with my personal experience.

So, what is my English ability like in the first place?

I have Eiken Pre-1st grade, and my TOEIC score from a few years ago is around 900. My score on the VERSANT speaking test I took recently is 72 (out of 90). My CEFR, an international indicator for measuring language skills, is B2+.

By the way, the VERSANT speaking test is evaluated on four items: (1) Sentence Mastery, (2) Vocabulary, (3) Fluency, and (4) Pronunciation, but I always get the best score in Vocabulary.

The Versant vocabulary test is not difficult, so I don't think it would hold up for TOEFL or IELTS, but at the stage of "speaking," it seems I am at a level where I can handle various situations and topics without any problems.

It is said that English is a language that avoids repeating the same words and expressions, so paraphrasing becomes extremely important. Strengthening vocabulary is a very important element in English learning.

Here is my super steady English vocabulary study method!!

The English vocabulary study method I am about to share is more for those who want to "increase the vocabulary they can actually use" rather than "memorize a lot of English words at once!"

1. Prepare an English vocabulary book. One that you think is a little easy might be just right.

2. Write English sentences using the English words.

3. Have it corrected by generative AI.

4. Check the corrected parts and read the corrected sentences aloud several times.

It is very plain.
The image below is from when I was actually doing this. I would have each chapter of the English vocabulary book I was using corrected, print it out, and use a red pen. There are many mistakes in tenses, definite articles, and prepositions, which is embarrassing...

Here is the prompt I used when asking ChatGPT for corrections. For some reason, I entered it in English, but I think you can get corrections without any problems in Japanese as well.

A few tips

You don't need anything complicated; you just have to do it! But for what it's worth, I'll write down some tips or things I've noticed.

• Start with simple words. Knowing a word and being able to use it are two completely different things. Be careful, because if you start with difficult words right away, you won't be able to construct English sentences at all.

• Read the corrected English sentences aloud. The level of retention varies depending on whether you read them aloud or not.

• Since the accuracy of generative AI is still in development, have a native speaker, such as an online English conversation coach, check your corrected English sentences

I am a self-confessed procrastinator, and knowing that I would never stick to it on my own, I started taking English conversation coaching (TORAIZ) right after I arrived in Canada.The only reason I managed to finish one English vocabulary book was because of the pressure of having promised my coach I would.

Aside (memories of my high school exchange program, etc.)

Actually, this English vocabulary learning method is something I used during my exchange program by asking my host mother to correct my work. As I wrote in another article, I had a bit of a rough start with my first host family because we didn't quite click... The host family I stayed with after moving to a different city supported me as much as they could when I was feeling down at the time.I think writing English sentences every day and having my host mother check them was a great way to communicate. She also told me it was helpful for her to understand my English level.(Some exchange students have great pronunciation and can speak fluently but don't understand difficult concepts, while others are the opposite. I was more the latter.)

I am truly grateful.

The English vocabulary book I used was Atsu's Distinction 2000. The app was also very well-made, so I bought both the physical book and the app and used them for shadowing and other exercises. When I was in high school, I think it was Duo 3.0.

Also, the coaching English conversation service TORAIZ that I used sometimes runs a friend referral campaign, so if you are interested in a discount, please ask them if you can apply a discount using the name "Aino Sato." (This is not a PR article. I'm not sure if they are currently running a campaign...)

That's all! I would be happy if this is even a little bit helpful to you.