WORD SURFING

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Word Surfing helps you to use a vocabulary development strategy. Details of how to order spiral bound books will be available here soon. In the meantime ...

You can PRINT your free WS VOCABULARY BOOK (PDF) here.

Your organised vocabulary book will help you to quickly expand your active vocabulary - by actually using it as soon as possible.

Examples, Method, Strategy & Tests

Examples

*new words*	*connecting words 1*	*connecting words 2*
play	game	tennis
close	open	door
wheel	bicycle - two	car - four
cheap	expensive	money - shop



therefore	translation
however	translation

Method

1. Each Word Surfing Page is used for the development of personally chosen important words. These may come from your lessons, general reading or any other source.

2. You should only use translations if absolutely necessary. Words such as "moreover", "however", "despite" etc have fewer natural "connecting words" - and , in this case, it is probably better to start using them with the help of translations.

3. The “new words” entered above all have natural associations with lots of other words that may already be known.(connecting words)

4. Starting to learn such “new words” in this manner will give you a lot of good natural practice and help you to avoid the use of translations.

5. As your level improves you will be able to find “connecting words” for more and more of your “new words”.

6. It is possible to enter more than one word in the “connecting words 1” column – but it should only be one idea. e.g. wheel ..bicycle-two.

7. It is much more difficult to find natural “new words”for the words entered below (therefore & however) – and it will probably be easier for you to start learning them together with translations.

8. You should always enter words needing translations at the bottom of the page together with an example sentence in relevant page of your WS Book. (see pdf file)

How Word Surfing began

The Word Surfing idea originally came from talking to a large number of adult students and being told about the frustration that they feel in the vocabulary area. It also reflects their general lack of enthusiasm for language courses with too much early emphasis on grammatical instruction. Students consistently said that what they really wanted to learn was

Vocabulary – in order to lead to better understanding.
Conversation skills – in order to practice using their words.
Grammar skills.

This is perhaps an over-simplification, but the general message was clear. First, vocabulary. Second, practice. Third, grammar.

The need to learn grammar is definitely appreciated – but the main concerns seem to be understanding and communication. People want to be able to talk to each other.

So what were students actually doing about their vocabulary development? The general answer was “not very much”.

Most had tried to learn lists of translated words but had then virtually given up after an enthusiastic start. Some had tried card systems … but no-one seemed to be using this translation method long-term either. Others had tried putting little notices around the house … or used books with gap-fill exercises etc etc etc.

Lots of people were trying lots of different methods according to their own individual style. Few seemed to be making sensible, efficient use of the new words that they were discovering - here, there and everywhere.

Many of their new words seemed to be lost in jotted notes - here, there and everywhere. And almost always with translations.

The Word Surfing Vocabulary Development Strategy was developed to introduce a better alternative.

It represents a needed focal point to help students understand, investigate, practise and get to know their new vocabulary.

It's goal is to promote "LEARNING BY DOING" - as efficiently and enjoyably as possible.

Originally the concept was intended to help adult learners of English - but it can, of course, also help different age group learners of many other languages.