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Vocabulary Program Benefits For ESL Students
The reason vocabulary is so important in learning English as a second language is that it is involved in every type of English language communication. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are all affected heavily by vocabulary. Improved vocabulary can take all these language skills up to the next level, and may be your ticket to getting the score you need on the TOEFL or IELTS.
There are two types of vocabulary: active and passive. Active vocabulary is the vocabulary you can recall effortlessly and use in writing and in conversation, while passive vocabulary is the vocabulary you understand when you are exposed to it through reading or listening. Passive vocabulary is hard to remember when there is a need for it to be actively used in conversation or writing, and it can be forgotten easily due to its limited uses in your everyday speech.
Vocabulary programs can have a key role in developing your English vocabulary. Learning words the old-fashioned way through reading and highlighting new words, or simply memorizing vocabulary lists, adds little to your active vocabulary. To use a word actively in your conversation, you need to have full understanding of its meaning and uses; this is a level that is hard to reach through traditional vocabulary learning methods. Vocabulary building through software, however, uses interactive learning methods, countless examples, and frequent tests to ensure that you fully grasp the meanings of the new words you're learning. Moreover, high quality vocabulary software uses scientific memory strategies to help you remember the newly learned words more easily, making them a part of your active vocabulary.
Another way vocabulary enhancement software is useful to ESL students is time efficiency. Good vocabulary improvement software uses learning strategies to make the process of learning new words not only effective and more fruitful, but also quicker. This can make the difference between success and failure if you are preparing for English language assessment tests like the TOEFL.