Link to original video by IELTS Advantage

IELTS Vocabulary Mini-Course: Lesson 3 - Step by Step Vocabulary Plan

Short Summary:

This video focuses on providing a practical step-by-step plan for improving IELTS vocabulary. It emphasizes the importance of input through reading and listening, followed by noticing new words, guessing their meanings from context, and noting them down with detailed information. The video highlights the crucial role of regular review and active use of new vocabulary in sentences and conversations. The speaker emphasizes that there are no shortcuts or magic hacks for vocabulary improvement, and consistent effort is key.

Detailed Summary:

Section 1: Introduction and Review

The video begins by reviewing the previous lessons on vocabulary myths and identifying high-level vocabulary.
It emphasizes the importance of understanding what doesn't work in vocabulary learning, such as memorizing lists of words without context.
The speaker introduces the main topic of the lesson: a step-by-step plan for improving vocabulary.

Section 2: Step 1 - Input

The speaker emphasizes the need for vocabulary input through reading and listening.
He suggests reading books, articles, or any English material that is enjoyable.
He advises against relying on vocabulary lists or translations, as they are ineffective.

Section 3: Step 2 - What to Read and Listen To

The speaker addresses the common question of what materials to choose for vocabulary input.
He emphasizes the importance of reading and listening to content that is enjoyable, as it promotes engagement and learning.
He suggests using news websites like BBC News, focusing on topics like education, health, science, and technology, which are frequently encountered in IELTS writing tasks.

Section 4: Step 3 - Notice and Guess

The speaker explains the importance of noticing new words and guessing their meanings from context.
He encourages viewers to underline or note down unfamiliar words and try to deduce their meanings based on surrounding words, the title, and the overall context.
He highlights the importance of this skill for both the IELTS test and real-life communication in English-speaking environments.

Section 5: Step 4 - Note Down New Words

The speaker recommends using a notebook to record new vocabulary.
He suggests including the word, its definition, pronunciation, examples, synonyms, antonyms, collocations, and other relevant information.
He emphasizes the importance of recording detailed information to aid in memorization and effective use of the word.

Section 6: Step 5 - Review and Use

The speaker stresses the importance of regular review and active use of new vocabulary.
He suggests reviewing words regularly, writing sentences or speaking about them in context.
He encourages viewers to get feedback on their use of new vocabulary to ensure accuracy and appropriate collocations.

Section 7: Conclusion

The speaker summarizes the five steps of the vocabulary improvement plan: input, notice, guess, note, and review.
He emphasizes the importance of making these steps a habit and dedicating consistent time to vocabulary development.
He reiterates that there are no shortcuts to vocabulary improvement and encourages viewers to embrace the process.
He provides a link to a free guide containing the vocabulary improvement plan.
He concludes by encouraging viewers to contact him with any questions or concerns about the IELTS test.

Notable Quotes:

"Just reading and listening is not really going to improve your vocabulary, you're going to have to take a few more steps."
"The main thing is just read something you enjoy reading or listen to something you enjoy listening to."
"It doesn't matter if it is a book about cricket or gardening or football or celebrity gossip, it doesn't really matter as long as it's in English and you really enjoy it."
"The goal is to be able to use them in sentences and in a sentence correctly after all."
"There's no magic hack, there's no magic shortcut that you can take."
"This is not only going to improve your IELTS scores but when you move to that English-speaking country of your dreams you're going to be able to have a much richer life because you'll be able to actually communicate with people effectively."