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由上图我们可以看出，对于英语初学者而言，牢记3000个高频词是首要的任务。哪些单词属于高频词呢？有本叫Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English（《朗文当代英语字典》）的字典。在这本字典中，3000个高频词已经用红色字体标注出来，所以初学者使用这本字典是个不错的选择。
掌握了3000个高频词后，要想再上一个台阶，就需要额外学习4000个单词。如此，拥有7000单词量的你就可以读懂英文原著、杂志以及科技书籍95%的内容了。
前3000个单词你必须老老实实去学，而后4000个单词的学习你却是可以寻求一些捷径的。北外的文秋芳教授在有限的时间里着重为我们指明了一条捷径——灵活运用前缀、词根和后缀。
视频讲稿：
I know
students are happy with the word "shortcuts". Everybody would like
to find a shortcut to learn something. So finding shortcuts cope
with the 4,000 more words. Now there are many strategies or
different types of shortcuts. Within this one hour, I'm not able to
talk to all of them. So I focus on some of
them.
Ok. Now stage 2 vocabulary learning, I say, learning strategies for
dealing with these words since the words themselves do not deserve
learning time. So try to learn them by using strategies. Do not
learn them individually like you learning the first 3,000
words.
Why do the stage-two words not deserve learning
time?
Ok.Why do the stage 2 words not deserve learning time? And there
are too many low-frequency words. Learners will need many of these
words only once or twice. Any efforts
spent learning them will not be repaid by needing them on other
occasions. It is far better to spend time on strategies that you
can use them to deal with these words than to spend time on
individual words. Now what I've said here does not
mean you need not learn them. But you learn them differently. You
still have to learn them.
Importance of
vocabulary strategies
Now importance of vocabulary strategies, I just say one sentence:
most vocabulary strategies are
applicable to a wide range of vocabulary and useful at all stages
of vocabulary
learning.
Using prefixes, roots and suffixes
So I have to emphasize these strategies are also useful for learning the first 3,000 words, not simply for these 4,000 words. But these strategies are particularly important, particularly important for these 4,000 words.
Actually, I just want to introduce to you one strategy here, that is, using prefixes, roots and suffixes to analyze the words into different parts.
People might say why should we use prefixes, roots and suffixes. Now I try to give you the reason. The reason is given by Nation. He said, "One half of general words and two thirds of all academic, technical, low-frequency words are derived from Latin, French or Greek." This indicates the importance of learning the meanings of roots and affixes.
You see one half of general words and two thirds of all low-frequency words are related to Latin, French or Greek. So it's very very important for us to use prefixes, roots and suffixes in vocabulary learning.
Prefix, in Chinese, 前缀。Root，词根。The last one, suffix, 后缀。Now I give you a simple example to illustrate what is prefix, what is root, what is suffix.
"Place". Now
this is a common word. Now this is a root. Then you can add 're'
Another simple example. That's the word "unwisely". "unwisely". "wise" is a root, "unwise" prefix plus root. And then "unwisely". It is an adverb. Right? Prefix, root, suffix.
Up to now, I'm
sure you've known what is a prefix, what is a root and what is a
suffix. Is that right? Very simple. Right? I'm sure you know that.
Ok. I'll give a more difficult word. And also I'll show you how can
we figure out the meaning of this word.
Word analysis
You can analyze the word in terms of
prefix, root and suffix. Now it is the process of separating the
word into its parts. Then using the meanings of those parts to
figure out the meaning of the original word. Now
this is called word analysis.
Now the word "retrospect". "Retro-" means back, "spect" means look. Ok. Look back. Look back. Just look back to a time in past. If you consult the dictionary, from this dictionary, it says "Retrospect means think back to a time in past." You see. Is it similar to this? Very similar to this, right? To what you have guessed. Effective.
This kind of word analysis is effective in guessing the meaning of words, but not always correct. But not always correct. You still need to use contextual clues. And the prefix, suffix, root, may give you some clues. They are not always correct. You may guess the meaning of the word and try to check it in the context.
Remember the sum of the meaning of their parts is not the same as the meaning of the word, not necessarily the same. So still you have to warn yourself this kind of guessing is not 100% correct. So you have to look at the context.
Ok. Now I give you a group of words. You see all these words contain one part, that is, the root, s-p-e-c-t, spect. Spect means look. Right. So inspect, inspector, inspection, speculate, speculator, speculation, speculative, spectacular and spectacle. Can you guess the meaning of these words?
First of all, inspect, to study, to research, very similar to the meaning of word. Inspect, you consult the word in the dictionary. It means "to examine something carefully". Right? Similar to what you have guessed. "Inspector". That's easier. Right? What does it mean? "-or" means a person who inspects. Right? Easier. Inspection. Yes. The act or the action of inspecting. You see you have learned three words easily. Right? And also you can see the (words) speculate, speculator, speculation, speculative, spectacular and spectacle. All these words contain one root, that is, spect, means look. If you have, if you know the meaning of this root, it's easier for you to guess the meaning of this group of words.
Of course, you have to check your guess in the context. Don't too trust yourself. Sometimes it might be wrong. So guess it first, then try to look at it in context. See then whether your guess is right or wrong.
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