Vocab Victor creator Dr. Heidi’s blog on all thing vocabulary. For teachers and students!!
We here at Vocab Victor are BIG FANS of word games… because we love games, and we love words! Playing word games can help improve your vocabulary and keep your mind sharp… and it’s fun!!! There are lots of word games online; here are some sites with a lot of options: Arkadium.com has a page devote to free word games you can play online: Arkadium’s Page Link. The games are fun, but be aware: The site is ad supported so prepare for a lot of popups and required video viewing in order to play. [read more]
The IELTS test is one of the most widely-used English language proficiency tests in the world. It is used to meet English requirements for college entrance, work, and immigration. If you take the IELTS test, it will assess your ability to read, write, listen, and speak in English. There are many ways to prepare for IELTS. One of the best things you can do is to take a practice test so that you know what to expect. [read more]
A good essay presents a strong central idea (thesis) and supports this idea through discussion. The key to strong essay writing is to learn the essay vocabulary that will connect your ideas to make sure your reader follows your train of thought. Here are some good words to use in an essay. Many of these words have similar meanings and functions. A good way to improve your essay vocabulary is by studying the words in a sentence. [read more]
Improve your vocabulary for ASVAB Are you joining the United States military and getting ready to take the ASVAB test? You can improve your score on the word knowledge section by strengthening your English language vocabulary. Vocab Victor is a fun word game that will help you prepare! The word knowledge section Questions on the word knowledge section of ASVAB want you to choose the correct synonym for a word (a synonym is a word that means the same thing as another word, like big and large). [read more]
Language apps for home-bound high schoolers by Janice Binder Comparison review of DuoLingo, Magoosh, and Vocab Victor! As a mom with a smart high schooler stuck at home during this COVID-19 crisis, I was looking for something that would keep my child’s brain functioning and lure him off endless hours of Minecraft. I found a couple of educational game apps to keep him occupied. I said I would try them first to make sure they weren’t totally “lame” and beneath his abilities. [read more]
Vocab Victor has always been Your Personal Word Tutor. Our word lists, your students can focus their studies on words at their exact learning zone. Vocab Victor’s word lists were created by a team of linguists – vocabulary experts Dr. Charles Browne, Dr. Brent Culligan and Joseph Phillips – who spent years analyzing texts to select the most helpful words for learners. Dr. Browne’s team developed four lists – a total of over 6,500 words – the New General Service List (NGSL) for beginner and intermediate learners, the New Academic Word List (NAWL) to help students succeed at the college level, the TOEIC list to help students prepare for the Test of English for International Communication®, and the Business Service List for students working in or studying for fields in business. [read more]
One way for students to improve their vocabulary studies is to use a vocabulary notebook. I’ve create a free template you can use to create an interactive notebook; to download it: Get the free template. Incorporating a vocabulary notebook into a language classroom is a great way to encourage students to focus on learning words: It gives them a way to collect all their words in one place It provides a framework for elaborating knowledge about words See How do I remember words This Vocab Victor template features a way for students to quiz themselves by groups of ten words Over time, notebooks will show them their vocabulary progress (and can also be used for review) Research shows that students remember things better when they write out their notes by hand The notebook centers vocabulary as worthy of time and attention Here is a video showing how to set up and use the template: [read more]
Words! They are everywhere! So. Many. Words. You see them, learn them, then forget them! Why? Why? What is the secret to memorizing words? Two types of memory The brain has two kinds of memory – short-term memory, and long-term memory. When you look at a phone number on a piece of paper, then dial it – that’s short term memory. You only remember it for as long as you need it. [read more]
As a teacher, you know it is important to help your students improve their vocabulary. But it’s not easy to know which activites help build vocabulary skills. Here, I’ve adapted eight vocabulary activities from the excellent book, How Vocabulary is Learned, by Stuart Webb & Paul Nation. Because vocabulary is remembered best when it is used productively, I have integrated Flipgrid tasks for all of the activities. (If you’re not using Flipgrid, a free video bulletin board for your class, you should check it out! [read more]
It is one thing to know the meaning of a word. It is another thing to know how to use the word in a sentence. Think about synonyms – words that mean the same thing. For example, gaze ◄ ► look construct ◄ ► build Which word do you choose? When do you choose it? This article will tell you how to use a linguistic tool called a corpus to gain a deeper knowledge for words. [read more]