Are GRE words useful in American daily life?

[Wes Bucey]

Dear Wes, Thanks very much for your detailed explaination. As I am a non-native speaker, I am unable to identify which is useful and which is not. I guess I have to recite all the words in the list, but It will be a lot of work.

If, as you look up a dictionary definition of a word, it is described as a "type of" something else (a frigate is a "type of" ship), then you can get the idea that one word is more specialized than the other and can comfortably use the more general word instead of the specialized word UNLESS you are dealing with a specialized industry where the specific word is necessary.

I imagine you spent some time with a dictionary looking up many of my words used in the previous posts because I tend to use a larger variety of vocabulary words than many other native English speaker/writers.

Think of the situation for people using English as a second or alternate language:
It most cases, they will be using very general words in casual conversations, and specialized words only in conjunction with an industry in which they will be working. In many cases, specialized words within industries have evolved from the language in which that industry first arose. Therefore, most specialized words in aerospace and automotive arose out of English and are used throughout the world, much the same as air controllers throughout the world use English in communication with commercial pilots.

No native English speaker normally learns the meanings of words unless they first encounter them in use. Only a very few people study words to learn meanings regardless if they will ever see or use that word again in their lifetimes.

Referring to the list of words you provided, I have looked at that list and can attach some sort of meaning to much more than 90% of them, but I doubt if even I have ever used more than 25% of them in a normal conversation despite the fact that I meet many people from different walks of life, who use specialized jargon in their careers. For example, I know that "otitis media" is an infection of the middle ear, but even when I talk with my physician, he and I are both comfortable with using the term "earache" in conversation, but he would most likely WRITE "otitis media" as the diagnosis in a medical record.

Therefore, I wouldn't use vocabulary lists intended for people embarking on graduate school education, but would more likely steer non-native English speakers to less advanced vocabulary lists such as those intended for students in elementary or high school. This list (https://www.flocabulary.com/6th-grade-vocabulary-word-list/) is a challenging list intended for sixth grade native English speakers. I doubt there are many sixth graders in Chicago who could get 100% correct if they had to write out definitions for every word versus choosing the correct answer from a group of four definitions in a multiple choice test.

Think back to what I wrote earlier about levels of vocabulary: a lot depends on the context in which the word is encountered or used. Certainly, very few six grade students would use all the words in that list in normal conversation over the course of a year.

One word, in particular, strikes me: "minute." Its meaning depends on how it is pronounced in conversation or used in context. With one pronunciation it means "tiny" and the other "a unit of time" Sixth graders might use "minute" in describing a unit of time and NEVER use "minute" in describing something tiny in conversation.

Dear Wes. Thanks. I downloaded this list from the internet, I am not sure if the meaning or spelling of the word is correct. In addition, one of my cousin is studying in US, she onced sent me GRE vocabulary she once used as attached, but I can't understand the meaning of many words as the meaning of each word is explained in English. Having been English for many years, Still very poor. I wonder if there is any shortcut to improve my poor English.

As I wrote above - the list is probably too far advanced for your needs at this stage of your experience with English. There's an old saying:
"You have to crawl before you can walk; walk before you can run."

 

[TPMB4]

Calander is probably a bad spelling of calender which are a type of rollers used to consolidate materials. I've come across calenders in mineral processing days. It's used, for example, after wet processing to remove excess water.

Of course it is not really appropriate to a culinary grouping unless you get some kind of rollers to remove liquids in cooking. If my meaning is right then it is too specialist and only relevant to someone in a specialist field/industry.

I think Wes is right in suggesting you start with an easier list. My approach to a new language would be to learn words/phrases for holiday use then build up my vocabulary with use. Reading and speaking in the language being learnt will throw up words you don't know but they're probably more useful than learning specialist lists. I think a more naturally built up vocabulary is of more use, it's how English speakers get their vocabulary by using the language. Admittedly we have had longer to get our vocabularies to the levels they are.

 

[Stijloor]

Let's hear from the bi-lingual Members here at The Cove who have actually learned their second language. Many "native English speakers/writers" have no idea what it means to learn a second language and all the specific words, their interpretation, and slang that comes with it.

I know! I experienced it!!

Living in the South...

 

[TPMB4]

Ever heard the northern English dialects? Also, tried to understand anyone from western Scotland around the Stranraer area? I think understanding them classes as a foreign language! It does help if you record the Stranraer natives speaking then play back at about quarter speed sometimes.

There's certainly complexity in most languages. Got a quad-lingual partner who's lived in Spain and S. America so I've had many an explanation of the differences between "versions" of Spanish. If I remember right its a difference in pronunciation and meaning in some cases.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Let's hear from the bi-lingual Members here at The Cove who have actually learned their second language. Many "native English speakers/writers" have no idea what it means to learn a second language and all the specific words, their interpretation, and slang that comes with it.

I know! I experienced it!!

Living in the South...

Yep. It is important to remember, however, that you have lived and worked there longer than many Cove readers have been alive!

One important part of learning other languages is that it has to be used to be retained. There was a period when I was "almost" fluent in Spanish at about a grade school level. After 30 years of being limited to only using it in brief spurts (gracias, da nada, adios, amigo, senor, senora, senorita, etc.), I can barely get through a menu in Spanish, let alone have a meaningful conversation.

That usage/practice has to come with people who are very willing to help one stumble through a conversation.

I do find that some of the record systems (Pimsleur, Rosetta, etc.) do help in learning conversational phrases, but they do require continual use - it is not "once and done." They still need interaction with real people using such phrases to help imprint them on the learner's brain and memory.

 

[Jim Wynne]

FYI:
I'm not sure where this so-called GRE word list originated, but there is one word that I came across in a grouping associated with cooking (one of my passions) that I can find no reference for: "calander"

(From the grouping, I presume it is a variant of "colander" or "cullender" which is a bowl shaped strainer (compare to a "China hat" which is a cone shaped strainer), but none of my searches turn up the spelling used in the list provided by OP. I haven't examined the list completely, but there may be many other words similarly undocumented as to accuracy.


I was once told by one of my chef instructors that "cullender" was the original word, having to do with culling products and cull is probably the root word for "collect"

First hit from Googling cullender

 

[harry]

Coming from a country where English is often a second or third language, I've noticed that people frequently have the wrong perception that they need to work on their vocabulary when the real problem is their inability to communicate.

Simply put, communication is about your ability to structure your thoughts and then express them so that others can understand what you want - there is no need to use high powered words, in fact the master communicators are those who can expressed their thoughts clearly using simple words that are easily understood by their audience.

A good example over here is Jim and a good way to learn is to read his posts and see how he used simple words to express his ideas and thoughts.

Coming back to vocabulary, 850 words is generally considered good enough for general usage but 1000 words would be better - especially if you are a non native speaker or one in an English as a second language environment.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Although as a native English speaker I might not be qualified to contribute anything here, I don't think that lists of words will be very helpful. When you encounter a word you don't understand, look it up. Not all of the words you look up will stick, but some will. As Harry suggests, the goal should be good communication, not an extensive vocabulary. If you concentrate on making yourself understood, and look up words you don't understand, your vocabulary will grow.

 

[TPMB4]

Perhaps the best word lists are the ones you build up yourself through use of the language. It is how you got your vocabulary for your first language Afterall, you listened, learned and used them.

If you don't use a word it might get forgotten but if encountered again you probably still understand it due to it's context in the sentence and a rough memory of it's meaning.

I agree with others in that a greater vocabulary does not make you a better communicator. Besides, if you live in an English speaking country and mix with them chances are you'll learn the words used in your contact group. In some areas I probably would not understand them despite being native English speaker. Slang is especially confusing to me.

 

[tongxiaozhi]

Thank you very much for all your replies. Your suggestions are very useful for me. Merely building up vocabulary won't improve my poor English, It seems that I have to learn how to better organize the words I already know. Currently I work in a European company in China and have many chances to write and read English, but rarely do I have the chance to speak. And,the problem is that I even don't what I write is right or wrong. I have a long way to go to improve my English. If you have any good suggestions or good experience, please share. I want to learn more, because good experience plus good English mean good jobs in China.Thanks very much,