Understand ANY English Word (No Dictionary Needed!)

Summary

In this video, Christian from Canguro English teaches a three-step technique to improve your ability to guess the meanings of unknown words in English. The steps include identifying parts of speech, analyzing surrounding vocabulary for context, and checking your guesses for accuracy. This method, proven to work in just 15 minutes, helps learners, especially beginners, enhance their guessing skills and increase the likelihood of guessing correctly up to 80% of the time. With practice, this technique allows learners to better understand and remember new vocabulary in real-life conversations and reading.

Takeaways

• 😀 Learning to guess word meanings from context is an essential skill for language learners.
• 😀 On average, learners passing the Cambridge C1 exam know between 3,750 and 4,500 words, which still leaves 5% of unknown words in a typical English novel.
• 😀 Most learners guess incorrectly about 75% of the time when trying to understand new words from context.
• 😀 By using a specific technique, learners can increase their guessing accuracy to 80%, guessing correctly 3 out of 4 times.
• 😀 Focus on unknown words that create communication problems, rather than attempting to guess every unfamiliar word.
• 😀 Step 1: Identify the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) of the unknown word to gain insights into its meaning.
• 😀 Common mistakes in guessing meanings often arise from incorrectly identifying the part of speech.
• 😀 Step 2: Use surrounding vocabulary and grammar words (e.g., and, but, because) to help infer the meaning of the unknown word.
• 😀 Identifying positive or negative connotations through surrounding words can be a quick and effective way to guess word meanings.
• 😀 Step 3: Guess the word’s meaning and check your guess to confirm its accuracy, either using a dictionary (for reading) or asking someone in conversation.
• 😀 Practicing this three-step technique consistently will improve word guessing skills, and taking tests like the Word Detective Test can track progress and areas for improvement.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is a three-step technique that helps learners guess the meaning of unknown English words from context and improve their vocabulary retention.

How many words do learners typically know when passing the Cambridge C1 exam?

Learners who pass the Cambridge C1 exam typically know between 3,750 and 4,500 words.

What percentage of a typical English fiction novel would be unknown to a learner with 4,500 words?

A learner with 4,500 words would know 95% of the words in a typical English fiction novel, leaving about 5% as unknown words, which equals roughly 15 unknown words per page.

What is the typical success rate for guessing the meaning of words without any technique?

On average, learners can guess the meaning of words correctly only about 25% of the time.

What success rate can learners achieve by using the three-step technique?

By using the three-step technique, learners can increase their guessing accuracy to 80%, meaning they will be correct three out of four times.

Why is it important to focus on unknown words that cause communication problems?

It’s important to focus on words that cause communication problems because there may be many unknown words in a text, and it's more efficient to focus on those that impede understanding.

What is the first step in the three-step technique?

The first step is identifying the part of speech of the unknown word, such as whether it is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.

How can identifying the part of speech help with guessing word meanings?

Identifying the part of speech gives vital clues about the word’s meaning. For instance, if it’s a verb, the word likely describes an action or state; if it’s a noun, it refers to a person, place, or thing.

What is the second step in the technique for guessing word meanings?

The second step is looking at the surrounding vocabulary, such as other words and phrases in the sentence, which provide context and help identify whether the unknown word is positive, negative, or related to cause and effect.

What is the third and final step of the technique?

The third step is to guess the meaning of the word and then check that guess. You can use a dictionary for written text or ask for confirmation in a conversation.