How do you expand your vocabulary?

[Deccius]

Hello Everyone,

This question does not really apply exclusively to learning English, so I hope it's alright if I ask it. I would like to know how one expands his/her vocabulary after completing the elementary stages of learning a language. The issue I am having is not understanding grammar, but rather accumulating a large vocabulary. I am currently learning German, and the best resource I have found to expand my vocabulary is reading (or listening) to German news broadcasts (and, of course, reading the posts here ). In addition, I am reading Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers from which I've obtained most of my German vocabulary. For those of you who are in the same situation, what methods to expand your vocabulary have you found to be most effective?

[StrinG-SorcereR]

Hi Deccius,

oh my gawsh, "Die Leiden des jungen Werthers" ?, ähm...with whom are you talking in German?...no , just kidding ...

Well, I improve my vocabulary like you, with books, however I have another source: I love to watch DVD's in English with English subtitles after I've watched it in German. So you can write out all the words/phrases you'd like to know and use, and as a really great secondary action you immediately know how to pronounce it correctly, if you aren't watching a silent movie ;

So yeah, magazines and gazettes or whatever are very useful too;
However, I guess the best way to improve a foreign language is reading books, and if you have a dictionary with you it is even better (sometimes I could go ballistic when I read thru an astonishing reading and there are words I don't know, which are very important to the context-aaahhhhhhh!!!-but you know that...)

movies, newspaper, books, and not to forget: communication !!!

See you!

Yours, SR

[Deccius]

oh my gawsh, "Die Leiden des jungen Werthers" ?, ähm...with whom are you talking in German?...no , just kidding ...

Why do you say this? Is the German vocabulary in the book outdated or uncommon? (I figure that it might be, considering that the book was written in 1774) While I'm on the topic of Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, I have a question for any German speaker who can answer it. I'll probably feel stupid after asking this, but I'll ask it anyway. What does "seyn" mean in English? It's not in my dictionary, and I can't find any definition on the Internet.
Back to the actual topic of this thread...
I agree with you, StrinG, about watching films in the language one is learning. (Unfortunately for me German DVDs are rather scarce where I live) I think that by watching films you can dramatically improve your aural skills.

[Deccius]

"Seyn" does appear to be an old spelling of the word "sein". I have found other examples of a "y" where I would have expected an "i" (e.g. "bey" instead of "bei", "May" instead of "Mai", etc.). Did the pronunciation of this spelling differ from the modern pronunciation at all? Here's an example of "seyn" used in context:

"Ich will das Gegenwärtige genießen, und das Vergangene soll mir vergangen seyn."

P.S. Thanks for your help!

[raincat]

Hi, Deccius

pronounciation doesn't differ between "sein" and "seyn" or "Mai" and May.

I'm really impressed by your book's choice. I by myself love the old German. Sometimes it seems to me much richer of nuances than the modern language and I hope you also enjoy it. But isn't it really difficult for a non-native speaker to understand Goethe's Werther?

bye/raincat

P.S. Reading English literature is my way to gain better language feeling, too.

[Deccius]

Thanks for your help, raincat! Indeed, it is difficult for me to read Goethe, however it is doable. Sometimes I feel like I need someone to guide me through the more complex passages from the book. I often find myself reading and rereading the same line just to understand it. Eventually, it does make sense to me! I'm sure that the pace at which I read will pick up as I progress through the novel.

[Rinoa89]

for me, I best learn vocabulary if placed in a situation where I have to use the verb. Real life situations, not classroom situations. Then I tie a personal memory with the word and it stays with me forever. It becomes so much easier than. I have learned a lot from talking to people on here. My teacher is always very surprised when I use a word or phrase she hasn't taught. gg

[Wandelröschen]

Hallo,

I am reading two newspapers

Spotlight, Spotlight business and read on.

In the evening I am attending an english course at
the Volkshochschule in my town.

Are there an english word for Volkshochschule.
I don't know.

[Gast]

Hallo,

I am reading two newspapers

Spotlight, Spotlight business and read on.

Excuse me, but these are three, not two, aren't they?

[Wandelröschen]

Thank you for your information. I can't
find a word for adult education centre.

I have learn about a new word.
Thank you.

[Plasio]

I improve my English by reading books and i write any Vocabels in my vocabulary book which i don't understand and of course look them up in a dictionary. It helps me a lot in addition to expand my vocabulary. Maybe you know the book "the courios inccident of the dog in the night time", it's really great and interesting but also very difficult.