Should I Write Down new English Words in a Notebook?

Is it a good idea to use a vocabulary notebook to learn new words in English? In this post, we discuss with examples whether writing new words in a notebook can help you learn vocabulary more easily.

Writing down some kinds of English vocabulary helps you learn and remember it. Using a notebook also makes forms, spellings and pronunciations of words or phrases easier to recall. However, trying to write down every English word you learn is unrealistic and may damage your progress.

Let’s take a closer look at these reasons..

How writing down English vocabulary helps you learn it

Noting down new vocabulary in a notebook can help you in these ways:

Visual memory

Some people like to “see” new words (and not just hear them) in order to learn them properly. For this reason, noting new English words down on paper can make them easier to memorise. If you’re also someone who learns in a “visual” way, you may also prefer to write things down.

Spellings

Most people (even native speakers) would agree that English spelling is a nightmare to learn! There are thousands of English words with very unusual and irregular spellings. Like this one, for example:

When you write a new word down, you need to think about how to spell that word.

So, learning how to spell words you see or hear is another good reason to write new vocabulary down.

Meanings and patterns

Writing new vocabulary in a phrase or sentence can help you remember what words or expressions mean in context:

Writing your own simple definitions can also help you remember meanings:

It’s sometimes also useful to record any patterns you find in phrases. Patterns (grammar or collocations) show you how to use the word in a phrase or sentence correctly:

Sounds and pronunciation

Recording sounds and pronunciation of new words is another benefit of keeping a vocabulary notebook. Knowing how a certain English word sounds will help you recognise it the next time you hear it.

And of course, if you know how to pronounce that word, you’ll be able to practise and use it in real life.

In this example, I’ve used the phonetic alphabet (IPA) to record sounds. However, if you prefer, you can write symbols for sounds – perhaps from your own alphabet. I’ve also noted down a couple of sounds that I think are useful for me:

Repetition and review

Research suggests that we need to repeat vocabulary several times if we want to learn it properly.

So, repetition is another good reason to write vocabulary down in your notebook. Recording vocabulary in writing gives you a useful store of words and phrases that you can review, revise and practise again and again.

Doing this will strengthen your memory and understanding of any new English words you learn.

Should I use two vocabulary note books or just one?

Some people find it useful to have two vocab notebooks on the go at the same time. This method of learning vocabulary forces you to review (look again) and repeat vocabulary you’ve learned by writing it down once quickly, and then once again in more detail.

The two notebook method is helpful if you like to pick up vocabulary from real life situations, e.g. at work or while chatting with English speaking friends.

How the “two notebook” method works

You use your first notebook to note down vocabulary quickly, as soon as you hear or see it. You just write any English words or phrases you hear or read, and nothing else.

Vocabulary notebook 1 example:

In this example from notebook 1, I quickly wrote down a sentence I heard during a conversation. I only wrote the words I heard, as I didn’t have time to think about pronunciation, spellings, grammar, etc.

Later in the day, you copy the words and phrases you wrote earlier in your first notebook into your second vocabulary notebook. This time, you add other features to the words you’ve written to make them “stick” in your mind for longer.

TIP: You can rewrite new words onto a document in your laptop or tablet if don’t want to use a second paper notebook.

These other features can be things like pronunciation, definitions, translations, synonyms, pictures, etc. You can use other tools (like dictionaries or grammar guides, etc) to help you add this extra information if you want to.

Vocabulary notebook 2 example (rewrite words you wrote in first notebook into your second notebook and add extra details):

In this example, I copied down the original sentence I wrote down in Notebook 1. Then I checked the grammar and corrected the missing word “are” (I didn’t hear this correctly before). I also found meanings of expressions I wasn’t sure about (“up to” and “then”). Finally, I noted pronunciation: prominent stress on “up” and the way “What are..” sounds like.

I tried the “two notebook” vocab learning method when I was learning Turkish many years ago. I wanted to record vocabulary from real conversations in the street, but I didn’t have time to check my dictionary.

I found that writing new words down quickly in my first notebook helped me record what I heard people saying.

Copying words and phrases into the second book every evening also made it easier for me to review and understand vocab I had learned earlier that day.

Do I really need to use a notebook to record English vocabulary?

These days, you can learn new English words without actually writing down words into a paper vocab notebook.

Many students nowadays use their phones to type new words they want to learn. Others prefer to save vocab they hear with voice recording tools.

And some lucky learners say they can just “remember” everything they hear and read, and so don’t need to record any vocab at all (but I don’t believe them).

My advice: try to record (or learn by ear) new vocabulary in whichever way works for you.
• Get into the habit of “noticing” new words and phrases as soon as you hear or read them
• Learn new vocabulary in chunks (as part of phrases, sentences, collocations)
• Regularly review any new language that you have already learned or recorded

Why you shouldn’t write down ALL new English words

Trying to write down every single new word or phrase you want to learn is not a good idea. Here’s why:

Learning vocabulary actively VS passively

It’s important to understand that (even in our first languages) we learn new vocabulary in two ways: actively and passively. When we write down a new word in our notebooks, we are learning it actively.

This means we are making a conscious effort to learn that word and remember it.

On the other hand, learning vocabulary passively means you don’t TRY to learn it. Instead, you pick it up “by accident”, while you’re reading or listening. This requires lots of repetition and yes, it takes a long time!

You can’t learn all new English words actively!

Learning vocabulary actively (e.g. by writing it down) is a useful way to learn groups of vocabulary quickly. For example, for learning key words and phrases you need to talk about your home.

But it would be very difficult (and very boring!) to learn all English vocabulary actively.

Successful learning = the right balance

To learn English vocabulary properly, it’s important to balance your active and passive learning. So it’s OK to record new English vocabulary in your notebook every day. But don’t forget to do lots of listening and reading too!