Poll: As a language professional, what strategies do you use to expand your vocabulary in L2? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "As a language professional, what strategies do you use to expand your vocabulary in L2?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | Other (several of the above) | Apr 24, 2025 |
In order not to lose the use of the languages I master and to expand my vocabulary, I watch the news every day on BBC and RTBF and some programmes on TF1 and TF2, TV5Monde, RTVE and RAI and I read newspapers, magazines and books in those languages. One of my brothers has been living in England for over 50 years, as he doesn't speak Portuguese anymore, we usually speak in English…
| | | | Oscar Núñez Alfaro 
Costa Rica
Local time: 06:27
Member (Oct 2026)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Take courses, watch videos, write blog posts, and have conversation with my students in English. | Apr 24, 2025 |
I expand my vocabulary by taking courses about translation, specialized terminology and more. I also watch videos on social media about English learning and write blog posts for me and Proz Pro Bono. Finally, I have to say that my confidence in the English language increases when I have short conversations with my students. I teach Spanish, but it is sometimes important to use English to translate a tough paragraph when my student and I are reading a Spanish book.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 14:27
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
I don't use any deliberate strategies, but there is no doubt that I expand my vocabulary by translating day in day out from my source languages in the most diverse specialization areas and by engaging in these forums.
I am not interested in reading books in foreign languages or following language courses. When I'm not working, I want to do entirely different things.
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I watch Italian TV programmes all the time. They are my preferred channel stations, whether it's news, light programmes like Affari Tuoi, Reazzione a catena, music programmes, series, etc. I make sure I then follow France 24 for news and discussion programmes. Besides, we get many Italians who come over to live and work in Malta but without any intention of learning Maltese or English at least. Nothing beats direct participation.
| | | | Uri Vives (X)
Spain
Local time: 14:27
English to Catalan
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| I learn advanced language using dictionaries and reference books in literature | Apr 24, 2025 |
I currently don't need to re-check my basic skills with TV shows and music -that's all in the past. Now it's all about new words and advanced linguistics, and for this nothing, absolutely nothing, beats a good old dictionary or a classic book.
[Edited at 2025-04-24 13:56 GMT]
| | | | Peter Simon
Netherlands
Local time: 14:27
English to Hungarian
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I have no idea if and what I do other than what I usually do: I almost only read English literature, watch films in EN and read what I can in Dutch. Other than that, I try to learn other languages, and this also includes both of the above: I follow a Dutch course from English, and also several others from English and my mother tongue. But I don't like talking to people any more, I've had enough. I guess I'm not expanding my vocab. very much in any language except in German, which I started only ... See more I have no idea if and what I do other than what I usually do: I almost only read English literature, watch films in EN and read what I can in Dutch. Other than that, I try to learn other languages, and this also includes both of the above: I follow a Dutch course from English, and also several others from English and my mother tongue. But I don't like talking to people any more, I've had enough. I guess I'm not expanding my vocab. very much in any language except in German, which I started only a couple of years ago, but not for translation.
[Edited at 2025-04-24 17:53 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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One thing nobody's mentioned yet, but which I find very helpful in expanding my vocabulary, is doing crosswords.
I buy a Greek crossword magazine every week and do two or three puzzles every morning with my breakfast cup of tea.
And of course, I do the other stuff - talking to people, listening to the radio, and so on.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:27
Spanish to English
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Definitely a few of the options (reading/movies/conversation with native speakers).
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 14:27
French to English
I voted "other" because in fact I would have liked to click on 1 2 and 4. Apparently you're not allowed to have more than one way of expanding your vocabulary!
| | | | | Reading books along with their translations | Apr 28, 2025 |
At least if I'm able to find a good translation online. Reading books that are smarter than me along with their translations. I'm doing both now with Aristotle's Metaphysics. Too bad that the Russian translation I'm reading is incomplete and seems to be the only decent one available in my language. The English version is the third one I found in search for a text that would treat Stagirite's language with an elegance comparable to what I'm reading in Russian. Not that the one I found is q... See more At least if I'm able to find a good translation online. Reading books that are smarter than me along with their translations. I'm doing both now with Aristotle's Metaphysics. Too bad that the Russian translation I'm reading is incomplete and seems to be the only decent one available in my language. The English version is the third one I found in search for a text that would treat Stagirite's language with an elegance comparable to what I'm reading in Russian. Not that the one I found is quite that elegant, but at least it reads somewhat similarly (unlike the two others). I listened to some lectures about Aristotle's philosophy, and yet his study of causes and principles was completely and refreshingly new to me. Unless you are a philosophy major, no one in school will teach you his way of thinking about things. I may be wrong though. Formal education and I parted ways quite early into my academic journey.
I don't do doing anything for the sake of building vocabulary. The more words I cram into my head, the more I'll forget later. While my English is adequate for most purposes, I keep encountering new words and, with some of them, I can tell with certainty that I'll forget them the next day (or sooner). On the other hand, when I'm watching YouTube videos (including university-level lectures on subjects I want to learn, e. g.), I usually understand everything without difficulty. Maybe I should step out of my comfort zone more often. Not with Ulysses or complex analysis, no, not yet. Maybe later. And no TV shows for me. Movies maybe, as long as they're good. A guy who was in love with my ex-girlfriend gave her a notebook in which he wrote what he called the Beast List of all movies an educated person is supposed to watch. We watched quite a few of them together. Since that time, my exposure to cinematography has reduced considerably ▲ Collapse
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