A Different Approach to Learning Vocabulary (Part 2)

A Different Approach to Learning Vocabulary (Part 2)

Last time, we discussed how rote memorization of English vocabulary is a laborious and unrewarding method, and that the best way to learn new words is to find their roots.

How did our predecessors create English vocabulary?

Last time, I asked you about the connection between extradition bill, anti-extradition, and tradition. I believe everyone could see at a glance that they all contain the word "tradition." This is not a coincidence, but rather a reflection of a shared underlying connection. Let's start with the shortest word, tradition, which is defined in the dictionary as "a belief or behavior passed down within a group." If we explain it in more detail, it relates to "passing on a system." Extradition adds the prefix "ex," meaning "outside." Therefore, extradition refers to the process of sending someone outside of that established system. Once you understand the meaning of the components, you will understand why the fugitive law is called extradition.

The System of English Vocabulary

I enjoy sharing positive quotes from famous people with my students in class, such as when Albert Einstein said, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." This way, while teaching English, I can also encourage my students to keep working hard and improving themselves.

One day in my new high school class, I casually wrote "When work is pleasure, life is joy" on the blackboard. I thought the students would understand the sentence, but several students asked in unison what "joy" and "pleasure" meant. I paused for a moment and then asked them: "Do you know what 'enjoy' and 'please' mean?" They replied in unison: "Of course we do!" It turns out that students are learning each English word in isolation, which explains why they find learning so difficult.

In fact, "enjoy" and "pleasure" originate from the roots "joy" and "please." "Joy" means happiness, and "en-" is a verb prefix meaning "to make." "Enjoy" thus means "to make something enjoyable," which translates to the Chinese word for "to enjoy." "Please," in addition to meaning "to request," can also act as a verb meaning "to make happy" or an adjective "pleased," meaning happy or satisfied. The suffix "-ure" turns "please" into a noun, meaning "pleasure." From this, it is clear that the English vocabulary system is built by assembling new words from different parts.

The Difference in Word-Creation Thinking Between Chinese and English

Chinese prefers to use different descriptive words to express various states. This is why when students write or speak, they find it difficult to apply the English vocabulary they have memorized, because the logic behind word creation in Chinese and English is different. Influenced by their mother tongue, students naturally apply Chinese thinking to learn English vocabulary. In other words, as long as students understand the differences between English and Chinese word-creation logic and change their original learning habits, they will be able to learn English effectively with ease.

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

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