- •The only real way to do smth
- •To be weak in smth prep I was always weak in the science subjects.
- •To make a mistake col Don’t worry, we all make mistakes. | You must try to learn from your mistakes.
- •To speak (up) in front of a group of people phr
- •To set (yourself) a target/goal syn to establish a target/goal col
- •Wide/limited vocabulary col
- •To come across smth phr
- •To look for smth phr
- •To keep a vocabulary notebook col
- •To record new vocabulary col
- •To remember smth naturally col
- •To have/speak with a strong/marked accent col
- •To acquire an accent col
Wide/limited vocabulary col
a monolingual dictionary term = using only one language
a bilingual dictionary term = using two languages
up-to-date examples col
to give an example
to build/develop/enlarge/expand vocabulary col A child’s vocabulary expands through learning.
to acquire / learn vocabulary col Learners of languages acquire vocabulary through practice.
to pick up (new words/English/the essentials phr = to learn smth by watching or listening to other people
the essentials = important basic facts or knowledge about a subject: the essentials of English grammar
To come across smth phr
To look for smth phr
To keep a vocabulary notebook col
To record new vocabulary col
to write smth down phr = to write smth on a piece of paper
to revise (new vocabulary) regularly col
To remember smth naturally col
to guess the meaning of words col
to work out (the meaning of words) phr = to find the answer to smth
colloquial language col/term = language used in conversation but not in formal speech or writing
to be used in daily life col
(collocations) to sound natural col
to sound wrong col
fixed/strong collocation term
open/weak collocation term
About how your progress is assessed
to do/sit/take a test col
to pass a test/exam col
to fail a test/exam col
to revise FOR an exam prep
to mark a test col
About how the instructor can help you
to explain smth clearly col
to come across/overcome obstacles col = obstacle is something that makes it difficult to achieve smth
to set homework SYN to give homework col
to give/set a test col
to give practice IN smth col/prep
past examination paper term = a set of exam questions on a particular subject
to work in pairs / groups
pairwork/groupwork
to monitor smb/your progress = to watch and check something over a period of time in order to see how it develops, so that you can make any necessary changes: Each student’s progress is closely monitored.
to measure your progress col
to give smb feedback col
to get/have/receive feedback col
positive/negative/useful/valuable feedback ABOUT/ON smth FROM smb col/prep
continuous assessment term = a system of giving a student a final mark/grade based on work done during a course of study rather than on one exam
regular assessment col
to do / give assessment col
to give advice ON/ABOUT smth prep
to give/pass on (good/handy/helpful) tips ON smth/FOR smb col/prep
to press smb FOR smth PHR = to make efforts to force smb to do smth: the Committee is pressing us FOR an immediate answer …
About learning habits
to develop learning habits/methods col
to get into the habit of doing smth col/PHR
to adopt a learning habit col
helpful / unhelpful habits wf
to make smth part of your study habits
to change your attitude TO/TOWARDS smth prep/col
to practise doing smth (reading aloud)
to practise smth over and over again
to translate FROM … INTO … prep
subtitled films term
chat-room term
to join smth e.g. a language club col
to get sth wrong idiom = to not understand a situation correctly
to have a try AT smth = to make an attempt
to make an attempt SYN to make a special effort to do smth col
to pay (special) attention TO smth col/prep
to plan ON smth/doing smth phr = to intend or expect to do smth
to get on well with smb/smth phr = to have a friendly relationship with smb
how about doing smth = used to make a suggestion: How about joining an evening class?
why not = used to make or agree to a suggestion: why not join a language club?
Working on your pronunciation
To have/speak with a strong/marked accent col
To acquire an accent col
to record your voice
to imitate smb/smth (native speakers of English)
to copy smb/smth
Your first steps in English
to take time to do smth col = to need a particular amount of time: It takes years to master a language.
to master a language col
to direct your efforts col
to have only rudimentary (=basic) language skills: His understanding of the language is very rudimentary.
to make a sentence col
to converse WITH smb prep = to have a conversation with smb: She enjoyed the chance to converse with another French speaker.
to make yourself understood: Can you make yourself understood in Russian?
to communicate your ideas/feelings/thoughts TO smb col/prep
to express/explain yourself
to get your meaning/message/idea across in English phr = to succeed in communicating your idea to someone
to hypothesize smth / that … = to suggest a way of explaining smth when you do not know about it; to form a hypothesis
innate/inborn faculty FOR doing smth = ability for doing smth you are born with: Many people believe that language is an innate human faculty.
to have an instinctive sense OF smth col = a feeling based on instinct, not thought or training: Some people write well, without necessarily knowing the ‘rules’ of grammar, because they have a good ear, an instinctive sense of language.
to work tirelessly to do smth col = to put a lot of hard work and energy into smth over a long period of time
to discover/have a talent/gift FOR smth = to find a talent that was hidden/to have a talent FOR smth: I do not have a talent for languages but … | Why on Earth have I decided, that I don’t have a talent for languages if I never actually worked on them?
to get down to smth phr = to begin to do smth; to give serious attention to smth: I always find it hard to get down to revising.
to write a (rough) draft col/term = a written version of smth that is not yet in its final form
About endangered languages OR about languages at risk and consequences
linguistic minority term
minority language term = a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory
a decline of a language
frightening statistics
endangered/threatened language term = language that may soon no longer exist
dying-out languages = languages that may soon die out
to be IN danger of dying
languages disappear col
to become extinct col = no longer in existence: The UN atlas of endangered languages lists some 230 languages that have become extinct since 1950.
your/the last gasp idiom = when you/smth can no longer continue living, fighting, existing, etc: a language AT its last gasp
to have a (little) chance of smth/doing smth = She has only a slim chance of passing the exam. | I think to have any chance of learning a language you have to use it everyday.
to lose a language
to cause (irreparable) damage col = to do harm that is too bad or too serious to put it right
to represent a threat TO smth col/prep
to have a negative effect ON smth col/prep
to lower the status of a language
to give a language status
Why do languages disappear?
natural disaster col/term
to displace (people/communities)
a trouble spot col
genocide term
cultural assimilation col/term
to be deeply shaming col
a feeling of shame (about using your language)
to despise smb
to be hostile / indifferent TO smth
to be of no use (in the modern world)
to cause resentment / to be resentful
to be defiant towards smb
local people/culture
to complain about smth
influx of outsiders/tourists
to destroy your culture
to cause conflict
How to preserve minority languages
to ignore a problem
unstudied language
to get linguists into the field
to support the community with language teachers
to publish grammars/dictionaries]
to do research INTO smth / ON the Internet col = to make a serious study of a subject, in order to discover new facts or test new ideas
to do fieldwork col/term
to find smth out phr
to gather information col
a source of information col
to preserve/maintain linguistic diversity term/col
to keep smth going
to save/to rescue/study endangered/threatened languages col
to keep a language alive col = continuing to exist: In order to keep languages alive, they need native speakers, young native speakers, who will pass the language on to their children.
survival OF smth (a language)
to take positive actions col
to contribute TO smth = to increase, improve or add to smth: This book contributes little TO our understanding of the subject. | Immigrants have contributed TO British culture in many ways.
to make a discovery col = to learn about smth that was not know about before
Miscellaneous
to have smth IN common (WITH smth/smb) idiom = to have the same features, characteristics, etc: The two cultures have a lot in common.
a considerable achievement col = a thing that smb has done successfully: It’s really impressive to be able to speak a foreign language. It’s a considerable achievement that your friends will envy and employers will love!
Information about dictionaries
an alphabetical dictionary term/wf alphabet - alphabetical
thesaurus term
monolingual dictionary term
bilingual dictionary term
dictionary of synonyms term
dictionary of false friends term
CD-ROM or online dictionary term
Idioms
drive sb round the bend = make smb angry/crazy
kill two birds with one stone
in the blink of an eye
a bone of contention
as dry as a bone
rough and ready
cool, calm and collected
to cut a long story short
to pass the buck
to act the fool/goat
by hook or by crook
be at loggerheads with
to pay through the nose
pros and cons
to have second thoughts
as free as a bird
to give sb a free hand
well-to-do
out of the blue
to put your foot down
put the cat among the pigeons
to lie through one’s teeth