When and how to use a dictionary – and when NOT to use a dictionary!

TRANSCRIPT

So, before I look at a few examples of when you should look for a word in the dictionary, I want to stress that if you really, really want to build your vocabulary quickly and have a very wide range of vocabulary, use an English to English dictionary. I'm going to give you a couple of examples of which dictionaries to use after, but English to English. Now, I've had many students who use English to whatever language, English to Spanish, English to Japanese, English to whatever language is their native language and vice versa. This is good for a very quick check, but don't make it a habit. Okay? Get yourself an English to English dictionary-you can get the book, I'll show you one in a second-or get online and find the apps for the more common dictionaries. Now, the reason I say this is because you will have to look for meanings of words, and if you don't understand the explanation of the meaning, you will probably learn more words in that explanation and then you can look those up. So you're actually going to build your vocabulary exponentially. "Exponentially", very quickly and to a large degree, without end, so you can go very quickly.

So, let's look at three sentences, and I underlined the words we're focusing on. Okay? "Salivate", "plethora", "mitigate". Now, you may know these words, you may not, but these are a little bit higher end words, they're not very common. So we're going to think about what to do.

First, use context. What I want you to do is I want you to try to guess the meaning of a word before you go to the dictionary. "The hungry dog began to salivate when it saw the steak on the table." Now, most of you have seen a dog, most of you have probably seen a hungry dog. Now, you think of a hungry dog, you think of a steak, what do most dogs do? Even what do humans do? Dogs do it more obviously, they start to salivate. They start... The little wet stuff comes out of their mouths. Right? That wet stuff is "saliva". Dogs have it, you have it, I have it, human beings have it, too. It helps us to eat and digest our food. Now, because of the context, because you have a hungry dog and because you have a steak, it seems pretty obvious that "salivate" means to start emitting or getting... Letting out saliva. Now, another thing to keep in mind: The next sentence will probably use this word, "saliva". So: "The dog began to salivate, and all the saliva gathered in a pool on the floor. So then when I walked by it and I slipped and hurt myself, it's the dog's fault, not my fault." Okay? So, now, do I need to or should you go look at this...? Look for this word in the dictionary? No. You can guess the sentence. You probably are right in your guess of what this means. The next sentence will probably confirm it. Just move on. Don't worry about this word. It's easy. Now you have a new word in your head.

[obolochka]

*Important advices by Adam*
1) First, use context to keep in mind
2) skip a very high-end word (If you see it again or the third time, then yes, look it up so you have it in your vocabulary base.)
3) If you need to know this word to be able to make sense
out of the whole paragraph, then of course, look it up.
4) search engine - Just type: "Use 'mitigate'"-or whatever word-"in a sentence."
5) If you really want to improve your language quickly, you have to build vocabulary. If you want to build vocabulary, you have to read.
And conclusion:
18:52 Be patient, be motivated, be hard working, and I guarantee you your English will improve very quickly and you'll be able
to speak about anything, read anything, write about anything because you will have the vocabulary for it.

[goldfishbrainjohn]

Thank you very much. You are the greatest teacher who I've ever seen.

[stefanburczymucha]

You are doing great job Adam, thank you!

[brentkim]

Thank you Adam! Although I have learned English for several years, I do not know how to use English dictionary correctly. This channel obviously makes my English skill better and better. thank you

[I]

Simply the best English teacher ever. Although I've known all of this it's just pleasant to listen.

[vikaro]

I wish all the native- speakers spoke English like you do! Your pronunciation is always clear as well as you explanation. Good job, thank you!

[nechachby]

Your are the best teacher in YouTube !!!! Thank you very much !!!! I've learned many things with your videos !!!!

[leandrosanchotene]

I really liked to watch your lessons. I live in a town in the south of Brazil nearby Argentina and I studied at a english course for a couple of years with brazilians teachers called CCAA . I have to say that It's very better when I watch your videos. Thank you very much.

[kamolkutfiddinov]

Thank you, for your patience and sharing your knowledge. I love watching your lessons

[DamianTeAyuda]

Very good explanation. I practice my English in this way.

[saph]

After learning these words I then translated them to German and medieval English, very helpful indeed

[lizzy]

Thank you for teaching us how to use the dictionary. It's very helpful.😊

[AdHooks]

Adam is the BEST teacher I have ever seen.

[ngocthinhyame]

thanks for your video, it's very useful. Because I'm come from Vietnam, i always use eng-viet dict. And now, I feel so excited when using eng-eng dict, i can learn more new vocabularies and guess the meaning of them.
Thank you so much and keep going, i always support you, Adam!

[michaeldemintsev]

There is no denying that different words and phrases are used in various meanings, but sometimes it is hard to understand complicated words unified together in phrases and you have to think a lot about meaning of this words, especially when you are not native.
Thank you for this lesson, recommendations are very useful, that's why I continue watching your lessons)

[renatodeganilau]

I'm from Brazil and I do like your teaching, very clear and understandably

[jairoeuzebio]

Hi Adam, this lesson is very important. Many students have problems to improve their English because they use the dictionary incorrectly. Thanks a lot.

[nguyenngocvinhquang]

it's a very helpful video. Thank You Adam!

[sandeepvarma]

Adam's explanation really great thank you so much Adam.

[mauriciotrujillo]

Hi Adam, I am Mauricio I follow you some months ago, Currently I am learning English, my level is not very good, but I feel very well because when you explain something almost always I can understand you. You know explain fine, I think that you are a good teacher, although many times I can´t understand all that you say, I can understand the main idea of the class and I try to keep in my mind your recomedations about the topic. Please forgive me for my bad writer. I hope you can understand me. Have a good time and thank you for your help and for your explanations too.