Want to tailor your language learning to your own needs? Your phrasebook should be a good place to start.
Published phrasebooks tend to be general in scope, which is understandable, considering they’re aimed at the widest possible audience. While that’s good for getting quick access to the basic phrases, it tends to lose appeal once you get past the survival elements. We suggest creating a personal phrasebook.
The name means exactly what it implies. Instead of a “one size fits all” collection of phrases, you make one for yourself. Get a small notebook, jot down phrases you want to remember, and use that as you regular review material. A few suggestions:
- Group phrases. Make sure you group phrases according to some category that’s meaningful to you, such as “phrases useful when writing emails” or “phrases useful in a hospital.” The more detailed your groupings, the more helpful it’s likely to be.
- Use web tools. A few years ago, I used to make my phrasebooks in OneNote and print whatever I wanted to review. These days, it might be a better idea to use web tools like Google Notebook. Not only can you access that from any computer, you can check out your personalized phrasebooks from a smartphone or tablet, too.
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