“It is the interaction between words and sentence structure which actually conveys our ‘sense of sense’.” When it comes to learning a new language, vocabulary is essential to a successful learning experience. If you don’t know the words then you are not able to communicate, but at the same time if you only learn vocabulary, you wouldn't be able to convey your message to the listener. One has to learn the word in the context that it is used. What I mean by that is not just memorize all the words in the dictionary but learn how to use them in different situations. For that one has to learn basic grammar of the desired language and the culture in which it is used. Different cultures have different words that have specific meanings in that culture that is completely different from the meaning that you would find in a dictionary.
Throughout my learning experience I never used a dictionary or any kind of translator device. In my experience most words in addition to having a literal meaning, also has a cultural meaning. For example I learned the meaning of ‘cool’ when I came to the US. Before moving here to me it just meant cold and I was really confused when people used it to express acceptance or approval. Only later I learned what it meant by listening to others use it. In my opinion the quickest way to be able to communicate in another language is to learn the basic vocabulary but also learn how to use it properly within that cultural context.
Comments
Khatira, I like the example in your post. sometimes a simple word like "cool" can have so many different meanings. I wonder if you can find similar examples in your target language.