English
Tiếng Việt
Which is More Important to Learn English, Words or Grammar?
Posted date 18/08/2016
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Posted date 18/08/2016
6.237 view
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The importance of learning English today is undeniable. We have read a lot about how to learn English in general and how to learn the English language system (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, discourse) and skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) in books or on the Internet.
Dr. Dang Ngoc Huong - Head of Department
I. Problem statement
The importance of learning English today is undeniable. Discussing how to learn English in general and how to learn the English language system (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, discourse) and skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) up to now, we have read a lot in books or on the Internet. However, the reality is that when learning English, according to my own observations and teaching experience, I see that many learners have not yet determined their English language knowledge as well as do not know which skills to focus on and choose the appropriate learning method. As a result, learners are overwhelmed by too many requirements and demands in a lesson, during the learning process and many people become confused and bewildered by this situation. Most learners often focus on grammar, spend most of their time memorizing rules and doing grammar exercises in the hope of doing well on exams. Some learners focus on memorizing words, taking advantage of every opportunity to memorize words, setting a target of increasing the number of words for each study session, in order to listen and read well. So when learning English, should we learn more grammar or vocabulary?
II. Learning vocabulary and grammar is like climbing a mountain
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Everyone knows that learning grammar is important, grammar knowledge and skills are a measure of language proficiency. Therefore, every English proficiency test tests grammar (Grammar or Language Use). However, grammar is only important to the extent that it is. In communication (speaking and writing), readers and listeners often pay more attention to what others want to say (what) than to grammar (how). If you write the following paragraph in an exam, it will certainly have many grammar errors, but if you read and listen, readers and listeners will probably understand most of the content.
It is a * well-acknowledge fact that every living thing * has its own physical boundary that * separates it from its external environment. All individual * creatures can, in effect, * say, "This is me, but over there is not me." Then, outside of our own individual space, we have another space * that is very important to us. This we call our territory. Most of animals can * get be very * clear about where their territory begins and * end. Dogs create zones around them. Birds have territory which they defend as their own and return year after year. People, too, have * develop their territory to an almost * unbelieve extent, though for some reason * we do not like to talk about this openly. Our culture * has been made us feel guilty when we find ourselves * are angry because, for example, we think someone * took over a chair that we feel rightly * belonging to us.
It is a fact that every living being has its own physical boundaries that separate it from the outside world. Therefore, every living being can say, “Here I am, but there is no me outside.” And then, outside our own personal body space, there is another space that is very important to us. This is what we call our territory. Most animals have a very clear idea of where their territory begins and ends. Dogs have their own areas around them. Birds have their own designated territories, where they fly back every year. Similarly, humans have always been territorial to an almost unbelievable extent, although for some reason we do not like to talk about it openly. Our culture has trained us to feel guilty when we find ourselves upset because, for example, we see someone taking up a seat that we feel is rightfully ours.
It is undeniable that in communication, vocabulary is very important in receiving and producing information and speech. Therefore, if a learner knows many words, he will have an advantage when listening, reading, writing and speaking English. However, if he only focuses on learning vocabulary with the idea that only words create information and speech, disregarding grammar, not knowing how to use those words (grammar), then the question is whether many words are useful. Let's imagine a hypothetical situation between two Vietnamese people practicing English communication playing the roles of a mother and a child as below, surely the English listener will only scratch his head.
- What's wrong with you, honey ?
- My eyes hurt so much! ( Wrong: my eye hurts very! Correct: My eye is terribly painful, mummy)
- Let me see. Oh, no star where. Correct: Let me see . Well, that's nothing. No worries
III. How to learn English grammar and vocabulary effectively?
- For learning grammar
English grammar is different from Vietnamese grammar in many aspects: the rules of word usage, paragraphs, clauses and sentences. However, there are two basic advantages for Vietnamese people to learn English. First, the writing and pronunciation of English are mostly similar to Vietnamese. And the order of sentence elements such as subject, predicate, object and adverbial are basically the same: I love Vietnam / I love Vietnam . There are many things to learn about English grammar, but perhaps learners should pay attention to the following two basic contents:
1. Regarding Morphology. English is an inflectional language, so when writing sentences, learners should pay attention to the endings of words in the sentence. First of all, learners should pay special attention to the endings/suffixes of words in the sentence, for example: -s/-es (plural) of nouns; -y, –full, -er (comparative) of adjectives; -(e)s, -ed, -ing of verbs. Next, in the sentence, the word type determines the type of word combination: verbs can be combined with nouns: read books , adjectives with nouns: smart phone , adverbs with verbs, rain heavily and when combining words, the form must change, this is also different from Vietnamese: one child/two child ren , I am /she is /they are ,….
The importance of learning English today is undeniable. Discussing how to learn English in general and how to learn the English language system (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, discourse) and skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) up to now, we have read a lot in books or on the Internet. However, the reality is that when learning English, according to my own observations and teaching experience, I see that many learners have not yet determined their English language knowledge as well as do not know which skills to focus on and choose the appropriate learning method. As a result, learners are overwhelmed by too many requirements and demands in a lesson, during the learning process and many people become confused and bewildered by this situation. Most learners often focus on grammar, spend most of their time memorizing rules and doing grammar exercises in the hope of doing well on exams. Some learners focus on memorizing words, taking advantage of every opportunity to memorize words, setting a target of increasing the number of words for each study session, in order to listen and read well. So when learning English, should we learn more grammar or vocabulary?
II. Learning vocabulary and grammar is like climbing a mountain
Everyone knows that learning grammar is important, grammar knowledge and skills are a measure of language proficiency. Therefore, every English proficiency test tests grammar (Grammar or Language Use). However, grammar is only important to the extent that it is. In communication (speaking and writing), readers and listeners often pay more attention to what others want to say (what) than to grammar (how). If you write the following paragraph in an exam, it will certainly have many grammar errors, but if you read and listen, readers and listeners will probably understand most of the content.It is a * well-acknowledge fact that every living thing * has its own physical boundary that * separates it from its external environment. All individual * creatures can, in effect, * say, "This is me, but over there is not me." Then, outside of our own individual space, we have another space * that is very important to us. This we call our territory. Most of animals can * get be very * clear about where their territory begins and * end. Dogs create zones around them. Birds have territory which they defend as their own and return year after year. People, too, have * develop their territory to an almost * unbelieve extent, though for some reason * we do not like to talk about this openly. Our culture * has been made us feel guilty when we find ourselves * are angry because, for example, we think someone * took over a chair that we feel rightly * belonging to us.
It is a fact that every living being has its own physical boundaries that separate it from the outside world. Therefore, every living being can say, “Here I am, but there is no me outside.” And then, outside our own personal body space, there is another space that is very important to us. This is what we call our territory. Most animals have a very clear idea of where their territory begins and ends. Dogs have their own areas around them. Birds have their own designated territories, where they fly back every year. Similarly, humans have always been territorial to an almost unbelievable extent, although for some reason we do not like to talk about it openly. Our culture has trained us to feel guilty when we find ourselves upset because, for example, we see someone taking up a seat that we feel is rightfully ours.
It is undeniable that in communication, vocabulary is very important in receiving and producing information and speech. Therefore, if a learner knows many words, he will have an advantage when listening, reading, writing and speaking English. However, if he only focuses on learning vocabulary with the idea that only words create information and speech, disregarding grammar, not knowing how to use those words (grammar), then the question is whether many words are useful. Let's imagine a hypothetical situation between two Vietnamese people practicing English communication playing the roles of a mother and a child as below, surely the English listener will only scratch his head.
- What's wrong with you, honey ?
- My eyes hurt so much! ( Wrong: my eye hurts very! Correct: My eye is terribly painful, mummy)
- Let me see. Oh, no star where. Correct: Let me see . Well, that's nothing. No worries
III. How to learn English grammar and vocabulary effectively?
- For learning grammar
English grammar is different from Vietnamese grammar in many aspects: the rules of word usage, paragraphs, clauses and sentences. However, there are two basic advantages for Vietnamese people to learn English. First, the writing and pronunciation of English are mostly similar to Vietnamese. And the order of sentence elements such as subject, predicate, object and adverbial are basically the same: I love Vietnam / I love Vietnam . There are many things to learn about English grammar, but perhaps learners should pay attention to the following two basic contents:
1. Regarding Morphology. English is an inflectional language, so when writing sentences, learners should pay attention to the endings of words in the sentence. First of all, learners should pay special attention to the endings/suffixes of words in the sentence, for example: -s/-es (plural) of nouns; -y, –full, -er (comparative) of adjectives; -(e)s, -ed, -ing of verbs. Next, in the sentence, the word type determines the type of word combination: verbs can be combined with nouns: read books , adjectives with nouns: smart phone , adverbs with verbs, rain heavily and when combining words, the form must change, this is also different from Vietnamese: one child/two child ren , I am /she is /they are ,….
2. For Syntax, learners should pay attention to the structure of the phrase. That is, the word order in noun phrases is often in the REVERSE order compared to Vietnamese: a big leather bag (a big leather bag). Secondly, in an adjective phrase , if there is a complement after it, there must be a PREPOSITION between the adjective and the complement: afraid of dogs (afraid of dogs), eager to learn, thirsty for knowledge (thirsty for knowledge). In particular, in an English sentence, a verb is required, and the verb must always have a form expressing the TIME the action occurs (tense): Look, the boy is crying/*cries (Look, the boy is crying/*cries), I've got/*I got this house (I have this house for 2 years).
To learn English grammar (morphology and syntax) effectively, learners must FIND grammar rules for themselves through listening and reading. Even if books or teachers show us grammar rules, if we understand them without practicing or applying them, we will not UNDERSTAND/LEARN anything, those rules will be quickly forgotten. Only when we study and re-study, use them over and over again in writing and speaking will we remember what those grammar rules are for, what effect they have in communication, only then will we remember and master those rules.
- Learn vocabulary
English vocabulary can be divided into 3 classes, basic vocabulary class ( basic words ) includes simple words, talking about familiar objects and concepts, used in daily communication: house, school, good, beautiful, ... We can learn these words through pictures, English lessons at the beginning stage or learn in English-Vietnamese dictionary. The second class of vocabulary includes common words, used in many types of documents, communication situations (common words) . We should learn these words through books, newspapers or English-English dictionary to avoid having to translate into Vietnamese: coincidence, reluctant, analysis , .... English-Vietnamese dictionary is only to help check the accuracy of the meaning of the word after we have guessed the meaning through the communication situation. The third class of words is the class of words that are only used in specialized fields, in certain communication situations (special words) ; Buddhism, hegemony, ...
To learn English words effectively, you must know how to choose the vocabulary class you need to learn, and the appropriate learning method: through pictures, through notes, through reading different types of texts, through listening and watching, etc. But one thing is certain, no beginner can know all the words in a text, no one can know all the words in a language. Therefore, many times we have to guess the meaning of words, practice guessing a lot to get used to it: guessing the meaning based on the position of the word in the sentence, based on the words that come before or after in the text, guessing the meaning of words based on the topic or communication situation. But one thing that is not easy to do is, learning words cannot be rushed to chase quantity, learning words is not only knowing the meaning but also knowing how to use them. According to recorded documents, an average English person only uses about 5,000 words for daily communication. Therefore, practicing reading, listening, speaking, and writing the words we learn with the support of solid grammar rules will help us master every situation when taking exams or communicating.
IV. Conclusion
Learning English is like learning to climb a mountain, the climber must climb with both hands. Learning English also requires learning vocabulary and grammar at the same time. Learning vocabulary to serve communication and learning grammar to use vocabulary effectively. Learners must not be impatient, not learn too much vocabulary or too many grammar rules at once, but must learn slowly, according to their ability. At the same time, the learning process in general and English in particular is a process that requires great PERSISTENCE to overcome oneself. No matter how good the instructor or teacher is, how many books and tools there are, the learner still has to SELF-STUDY, the climber still has to use all his or her ability to move step by step. And the most important thing is that the learner must have DETERMINATION. Because, no matter how high or low the mountain of learning English is, if we are not determined to conquer it, we can only watch others conquer it!
To learn English grammar (morphology and syntax) effectively, learners must FIND grammar rules for themselves through listening and reading. Even if books or teachers show us grammar rules, if we understand them without practicing or applying them, we will not UNDERSTAND/LEARN anything, those rules will be quickly forgotten. Only when we study and re-study, use them over and over again in writing and speaking will we remember what those grammar rules are for, what effect they have in communication, only then will we remember and master those rules.
- Learn vocabulary
English vocabulary can be divided into 3 classes, basic vocabulary class ( basic words ) includes simple words, talking about familiar objects and concepts, used in daily communication: house, school, good, beautiful, ... We can learn these words through pictures, English lessons at the beginning stage or learn in English-Vietnamese dictionary. The second class of vocabulary includes common words, used in many types of documents, communication situations (common words) . We should learn these words through books, newspapers or English-English dictionary to avoid having to translate into Vietnamese: coincidence, reluctant, analysis , .... English-Vietnamese dictionary is only to help check the accuracy of the meaning of the word after we have guessed the meaning through the communication situation. The third class of words is the class of words that are only used in specialized fields, in certain communication situations (special words) ; Buddhism, hegemony, ...
To learn English words effectively, you must know how to choose the vocabulary class you need to learn, and the appropriate learning method: through pictures, through notes, through reading different types of texts, through listening and watching, etc. But one thing is certain, no beginner can know all the words in a text, no one can know all the words in a language. Therefore, many times we have to guess the meaning of words, practice guessing a lot to get used to it: guessing the meaning based on the position of the word in the sentence, based on the words that come before or after in the text, guessing the meaning of words based on the topic or communication situation. But one thing that is not easy to do is, learning words cannot be rushed to chase quantity, learning words is not only knowing the meaning but also knowing how to use them. According to recorded documents, an average English person only uses about 5,000 words for daily communication. Therefore, practicing reading, listening, speaking, and writing the words we learn with the support of solid grammar rules will help us master every situation when taking exams or communicating.
IV. Conclusion
Learning English is like learning to climb a mountain, the climber must climb with both hands. Learning English also requires learning vocabulary and grammar at the same time. Learning vocabulary to serve communication and learning grammar to use vocabulary effectively. Learners must not be impatient, not learn too much vocabulary or too many grammar rules at once, but must learn slowly, according to their ability. At the same time, the learning process in general and English in particular is a process that requires great PERSISTENCE to overcome oneself. No matter how good the instructor or teacher is, how many books and tools there are, the learner still has to SELF-STUDY, the climber still has to use all his or her ability to move step by step. And the most important thing is that the learner must have DETERMINATION. Because, no matter how high or low the mountain of learning English is, if we are not determined to conquer it, we can only watch others conquer it!
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