How to Express Yourself with Intermediate Vocabulary
Do you find yourself using the same adjectives over and over again? I'm British and study Spanish, but even when I’m speaking English, I describe experiences as “good”, “nice”, “really good” or “okay” over and over again.
Is it a problem for language learners? I can feel like a bit of an idiot if I describe everything in Spanish as “bueno” or “interesante”, but how much does it matter?
A good narrative does not need a hundred adjectives. Adding little details and your own personality is just as important. At the beginner stage, it is easier to memorise adjectives than to master irregular verbs. When you’re at the intermediate stage, a bigger vocabulary is great, but you should practice or show off all the sentence structures you’ve learned.
How could it work? Are you seeing New Year's Eve fireworks? You could say they were astonishing, incredible or breathtaking, or you say they were “great” and then add a few details:
We loved it! I could have watched it for an hour. It was the perfect end to the day.
This example has simple vocabulary, but demonstrates the strengths of someone with intermediate English. If you don’t know lots of descriptive words, you can still express your reactions.
The best way to improve your vocabulary is by reading and writing as much as you can. You can improve your fluidity by speaking and listening, but your vocab will grow more slowly.
A smaller vocab set does not stop you from expressing yourself: think about your reactions, your opinions and your feelings.
January 15, 2020
