Ineffectiveness of Common Vocabulary Lists in Language Learning

The high-priority vocabulary lists for language learning are largely ineffective without context and practical usage.

### The Ineffectiveness of Common Vocabulary Lists in Language Learning
* 📚 Many language learners are introduced to the concept of **mastering the 1,000 most frequently used words**, which supposedly account for **85-90% of everyday conversation**, but this idea is fundamentally flawed.
* ❌ The claim that learning these lists will lead to fluency is misleading, as they often **lack context and practical application**, rendering them **ineffective for real communication**.
* 🔍 For instance, lists of words presented without context, such as "ability" or "administration," do not help learners **understand how to use these words in actual conversations**.
* 🗣 A word like "as" can have multiple meanings and uses, which are not conveyed through a simple list, making it **difficult for learners to grasp its significance in different contexts**.
* 📖 While some lists may be useful for specific exams or structured learning environments, they are generally **not suitable for casual language acquisition**.
* 📝 Effective language learning should involve **contextualized vocabulary**, where learners engage with words through sentences and practical usage rather than rote memorization of lists.
* 🎓 Ultimately, the focus should be on **understanding and using vocabulary in context**, rather than relying on arbitrary lists that do not facilitate **genuine language comprehension**.
* 📊 In summary, while vocabulary lists may have their place in exam preparation, they are largely ineffective for those seeking to **truly learn and communicate** in a new language.

hello Noble ones, and welcome to Metatron Academy. Today, I'd like to talk about these high-priority lists that are supposed to help you maximize your results in your language study. Have you ever heard this idea of these are 100 or 1,000 most frequently used words in the English language, and they account for, I don't know, 85%, 90% of what people actually use in an everyday conversation? So, if you learn these 1,000 words, you will be fluent, and you will understand everything, the majority, because, I mean, 90%, 88% what other people are saying, and all that kind of stuff. Then they give you these infinite lists with absolutely not this. Let me just say it right off the bat. This is complete nonsense. It makes zero sense from an educational standpoint, and they do not work. Now, there are a couple of exceptions, and I'll tell you towards the end of the video, a couple of lists that could be made to work, but only in certain contexts. But in the majority of your cases, this is

completely nonsense. For example, let's jump on ef.edu. Here in their resources for learning, we get the 1,000 most common words in English. We're going to double-check this in Japanese as well, just for fun. Here's what we get. The list below gives you the 1,000 most frequently used English words in alphabetical order. Once you've mastered the shorter vocabulary list, this is the next step. Oh, oh, I see the previous one. It would take time to learn the entire list from scratch, but you are probably already familiar with some of these words. Feel free to copy this list. Blah, blah, blah. Good luck improving your language vocabulary. So, let's have a look. Okay, we've got ability, able, about, above, accent, according, account, across, act, action, activity, actually. Oh yeah, actually was definitely used a lot these days. Add, address, administration. Administration. I think of how many times have I used administration in my life. I mean, unless you're really into politics. Admit, adult, affect, after, again. It feels like I'm testing my pronunciation to

be honest against age agency agency as well well yeah the FBI I suppose if you watch that kind of stuff agree agreement ahead okay so here's where we're going with this a list of words like this without any context and in this case not even like a translation so I suppose you're supposed to go and check what they mean makes no sense you can't use it what how are you going to use it like imagine that you didn't know English for a moment cuz I understand you you're watching this video in English so you understand what I'm saying I'm reading this you understand every word that's fantastic but imagine someone who doesn't know anything like they don't know English and they're like oh I've been told that I need to learn okay so let's learn the word amount amount area approach as imagine understanding as with possibly just a dictionary translation of what it means but the word as can be used in a in a plethora of gr grammar structures like for example uh when you say this list is

as fun as watching the grass grow. That was a good one. Or instead saying like as an Italian. It's I really like past. Like it's just giving you the word with no context. No telling on how it's used. The multiple possible translations. Like imagine a word that is polyamic and it depends on the context. It gives. It has a lot of different possible translations. This gives you nothing. Like beat. I'm going to beat someone up. Or that's a nice beat right there. Like like that. It makes because become bed before begin. Like I I already imagine people wasting their time literally going through this and going defense degree Democrat Democratic describe design despite detail determine develop development die difference different difficult. Like what is the point? These just don't work. It's just once again the the main problem that I often see with a lot of students is that first of all you you need to enjoy the process. It's fine to try to F find the most effective ways to learn a language cuz you don't want to take like 10 hours.

for something that it would have taken you 2 hours if you only had done it right. That's fine, but this builds instead on that idea of, Oh, people tell you that you need years to become really fluent in a language. Nah, you can do it in three weeks. Just give me money, just give me money, the shiny money, you know. Let me feel the fiber of your fabric. Give me, and then I give you this, you know. Give me the click, and I give you this list. I don't tell you how to use it. I don't tell you anything about what you would have known. And oh, this is wonderful. Going to the N section, n apostrophe t. N apostrophe T is something that's exactly what I mean. You know what they mean by that. They mean the negative of a verb in the contracted or shortened form, like mustn't or don't. That's the end apostrophe T, but they just put you the n apostrophe T there. What's a person who doesn't know English going to do with

that they're going to be like, What does that mean? What a waste of time. Let me see a Japanese one. 1,000 most frequently used words in Japanese list. There we go. Let's be fluent. Let's become fluent. There we go immediately. Yeah, PL. 'Cause of course, one person does it, they get the clicks, copycats. You know, back in the day when they were telling you, Oh, we humans only use this per 2% of our brain. So imagine if we could access all 100% of your brain. We'd be moving stuff around and teleporting. And then it was debunked. Check this one out. Each language is about 3,000 core words that are used in 70% of daily conversation. In this post, Learn Japanese Daily would like to provide you a th000 most common Japanese words. This list is divided into each 10. Okay, so at least they're not... They're giving you facts, but then they at least... They don't make the claims a lot of these lists make the claim.

they're like learn 500 words and you'll understand everything in a conversation. Then you don't, because of course a word you need to be used to how it's pronounced. You need to hear it pronounced and used multiple times in a proper context by a native in conversation in a naturally organic way. But they don't say that, and there we go. So what have we got in Japanese here? There we go. So day one to go meter to see. Okay, wonderful to make. But at least they give you the translation. I appreciate that. But then again, without the context, how is anyone going to use? Yeah, miror means to see, to look at. That's of course in the infinitive form. It's not conjugated, and it's in the casual way without, you know, for example, the form. But just giving you a verb like that, me, what am I going to do with that? Nothing, which is the problem with these lists. Another thing that I hate is that so the previous one, they were in alphabetical order. Of course, they're not

going to do that in Japanese. I mean, they could if they wanted to, but they're not going to do that. Instead, they are in complete random order. I don't see any criterion in the way this was the way I would have done it instead. Would have been like, Hey, let's do a list of verbs, and it's fine to put them in the most commonly used because, of course, the verb to colonize or to settle maybe shouldn't have the same priority in your learning as the verb to eat. I suppose, I mean, then again, depends on why you're learning the language anyways. So, you want to play Civilization in Japanese, go ahead and learn the verb to colonize in Japanese, but I'm just... or found a city, but I'm just saying like maybe, you know, that one is fine. Now choose the first... I want to say maybe let's choose 20 verbs also because if you give them too many verbs all at the same time, you don't give your students time to really master those verbs. You

give them 100 verbs. You put them in the short-term memory, and then you forget them the moment you start looking at adjectives, which would be how I would divide it. I would be like, Hey, today we are learning 10 verbs, so here are the verbs I chose them specifically because these are words that come out a lot in conversation. That's fine. Make sure then they use them, though. So, if I give them the verb again, could to go or could to come or whatever, you show them how they're used. Have the student use the verb always in a sentence, so full sentence for hearing, full sentence for speaking. Let them use the verbs one among each other, and then you move into maybe you could do 10 adjectives or 5 adjectives and give them 10 nouns that maybe are connected, like, for example, you're learning the motion verbs like to go and to come and to whatever, and then you give them names of cities so they can build in, like, for example, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto.

whatever Yokohama, and then they need to use the verb like and whatever, so that makes sense. Then you want to give them adjectives to describe a city. How is this city? It's beautiful, it's nice, it's large, it's big, it's small. Give them the adjectives, and then you organically—not like this full list, no sense, and I'm just there just reading the stuff for absolutely no sense. You could do this in any language; it just doesn't work. What are the situations in which a list instead can be used that I was mentioning at the beginning of the video? Well, a good example of that would be, for example, if you're trying to prepare yourself for a specific exam, then why not having a look at the sort of vocabulary that you'd be expected to learn, including with the kind of grammar and all the rest? And then you get the list, and usually, these lists are made well because they're put inside a book. The book also has exercises, has listening that uses those words. It's a situation.

in which yes there is a list yes it has a priority but the priority is because these are words and expressions and grammar structures that would normally be used and found in those specific tests for that specific level according to the European frame of reference from A1 to C2 and then it makes sense but again they are contextualized used on you then they want you to use them on the exercises that's fine similarly if you're preparing for anong kushen or the Japanese language proficiency test jlpt uh then yes you can find for example because of for that one you need to know the kanji a certain number of specific characters you can find these lists they're not 100% accurate but generally speaking the level of accuracy is high enough for you to be like yeah okay these are the first probably the first one 100 kji that'll be required to learn for the first level which will be level five because it starts from five one being the highest and then you want to start you have a list you can follow

that list okay. Today I'm learning two kanji, and I'm going to write them here, have them there, try to use them in a sentence. That's fine to have just a list for something like that. So, those are the situations in which it makes sense. You're preparing for an exam, for a test, but if you're just trying to learn the language, these lists are completely useless.

Frequency Lists are USELESS!

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The Ineffectiveness of Common Word Lists in Language Learning

High-priority word lists, claiming to cover 85-90% of everyday conversation, are deemed ineffective for language learning.

These lists, often provided without context or translation, fail to offer practical usage of the words.

The speaker emphasizes that learning common words in isolation does not make sense and cannot effectively teach a new language.

Frustrations with Language Learning Lists

Language learning lists often provide words without context, making them ineffective for learners.

The emphasis on quick fluency and money-making schemes is frustrating, with common misconceptions and copycatting prevalent.

While some lists offer core words for daily conversation, they still contribute to the confusion and inefficiency in language learning.

The Challenges of Learning Japanese Vocabulary

Learning 500 words is often touted as a way to understand conversations, but pronunciation and context are crucial for effective language acquisition.

Japanese verb lists are presented in a random order, lacking a clear learning criterion, which can hinder mastery.

Providing too many verbs at once can overwhelm learners, making it difficult to master each one.

Effective Language Learning: Verbs, Adjectives, and Nouns

Focusing on common verbs in conversation is key to language learning.

Students should use the verbs in full sentences for both hearing and speaking practice.

Organically introducing related adjectives and nouns, like city names, helps reinforce the use of verbs and creates a meaningful context for learning.

The Usefulness of Priority Lists in Language Learning

Priority lists for language learning are based on words, expressions, and grammar structures commonly found in specific tests, following the European framework from A1 to C2.

These lists can also be helpful for exams like the JLPT, providing a guide for essential kanji characters.

However, for general language learning, such lists are often considered useless.