Should I focus on vocabulary, grammar or pronunciation?
While there is no single “correct” answer to this question, this article is here to share our thoughts on the issue and present you with a number of methods that might prove helpful for these purposes.
To start, an individual’s preferences in these regards of language learning would be dependent on what their immediate situation calls for. If you find yourself wanting to consume a lot of content-heavy material, such as reading sci-fi fiction or technology-related news, you would encounter a lot of contextual lexicon and even specialized jargon. If you’re not used to the subject matter, they can turn out to be quite cumbersome reads, as going through them would involve either consulting a dictionary or doing a quick research on Google. Of course, this is only one example, as it’s entirely possible to encounter new vocabulary from other mediums such as video or music as well.
If you’re someone who needs to use the language professionally, paying extra mind to grammar is likely to be a foremost consideration. After all, firing off a text message to a friend is very different from writing an email to a client. These two scenarios are guided by vastly different grammatical rules — it’s commonly observed that grammatical accuracy isn’t much of a deal in casual conversation. On the other hand, you’re likely to want to give close attention to the aforementioned email letter, so as to ensure that is well-structured, clearly written, and contains an appropriate level of formality.
Wanting to focus on pronunciation seems to be the thing that people who have to constantly interact with native speakers would care most about. And vice versa, speaking constantly with native speakers is also likely to be the most effective method you’ll have for improving pronunciation! You might also need to speak to impress or ace that oral examination. With all that’s been said, it really does depend on what sort of situations you expect to most often use your newly acquired language in.
Here is a number of activities that could boost one or more aspects listed in the query. You’ll see that some even overlap with some the examples used above:
Reading: helps vocabulary and grammar. You can boost this method by using a double-language dictionary or a search engine to research the meanings of new words as you read. The kind of texts you choose to read is an important factor, as you can expect to pick up proper language from news articles, but not from comic books
Watching videos: helps vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Again, the type of media you decide to consume is a big factor. A video platform like TED Talks, which features professionals speaking on every topic imaginable, will certainly give you insight on formal language, well-constructed speeches, as well as topic-specific terms and phrases
Listening to music: might help with vocabulary. While this seems like it could be a fun way to learn, music lyrics don’t tend to adhere strictly to grammatical rules, and are quite likely to confuse you in regards to pronunciation
Using FluentUp: guarantees to help with vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Our courses are taught by certified native speakers based in their countries, and are highly flexible in the sense that not only are you able to decide the timings and amount of courses you’ll like to take, they are also personalized to your unique needs and requirements. Check them out here!