A SENSE OF ENGLISH

Words are the bricks of language. There are so many, and learning them is the most time-consuming aspect of language study.

Grammar rules and sentence structures can be mastered comparatively quickly, but learning words is never ending, even in our mother tongue.

In spoken English, the number of different words that the average person uses in everyday life is remarkably low. I don’t wish to make sweeping statements, but at least in part, this is due to the fact that people read less than they used to.

It is probably also true to say that the type of written material that people do read nowadays does not expose them to the same range of words as in the past.

This trend becomes increasingly hard to reverse, as budding authors have to make sure their works – in terms of sentence complexity and vocabulary used – are at the level of the average reader. If not, publishers will not be interested.

The IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System) tests a student’s ability to cope with the language demands of studying at undergraduate or postgraduate level in an English university.

The Cambridge website has compiled a list of vocabulary deemed to be “must know” in order to gain success in IELTS. This is a good starting point for any non-native speaker wanting to improve their English communication skills.

IELTS makes use of articles on a wide range of topics and while it has a clear academic focus, it provides, at the same time, an extremely practical base for general English.

Let me demonstrate what I mean by giving some practical ideas for gaining mastery over the use of words.

The other day I picked out an article at random from an IELTS textbook. It was an informative article, talking about the development and evolution of universities in Britain, and word ‘research’ appeared twice.

Understanding the meaning of a word is a first step. However, the full sense of a word can only be properly attained when you know how to use it yourself.

Understanding something when you hear it or read it is what I call “passive knowledge”. The opposite of that is “active knowledge”, which is when you are able to use the word or phrase in a way that makes sense both contextually and grammatically.

To gain “active knowledge” over a word like ‘research’ you should first of all establish what sort of word it is, e.g. a noun or a verb or whatever.

‘Research’ is both a noun and a verb, and in addition to whatever good study books about vocabulary you may have, a large Collins or Oxford English dictionary is essential.

Look at the contexts in which the word is used. Can you research animals, for example? Is the word commonly used in any specific context? Religious research? Scientific research? Or are there other words that would be more correct to use in those cases?

Look also at any particular words that may be used in association with your key word. Apart from the verb ‘to do’, is there another verb that is often used in conjunction with ‘research’?

One day I will write a book that deals with the usage of words in all their suitable contexts.

This involves exploring the nuance of meaning between words and is – to my view – key to serious language study. My philosophy centres on the potential to cultivate, over time and through persistent exposure to ‘real English’ (i.e. as spoken and written by natives), ‘A Sense of English’.

This is the place to strive for; the point where the language ‘gets inside of you’, and becomes instinctive rather than improvised.


609 Words


See all of Charlie de Wirtz’s previously published articles on his blog www.asenseofenglish.blogspot.com

Charlie de Wirtz is a highly experienced international teacher of English and Spanish and the author of two books, Spanish with Carlos (ISBN: 978 0954608804) and A Sense of English (ISBN: 978 0954608842). He also proofreads personal statements, university essays and dissertations for university students.