Pete Smissen

They memorise lists, they translate, they try to remember definitions.

But then when it comes time to speak, they can't actually use those words naturally.

And that's because language isn't made up of just individual words.

It's made up of chunks.

Multiple words together.

Collocations.

Common patterns.

So, instead of learning words in isolation, you want to learn them in context.

And again, AI is perfect for this.

So, instead of asking it something like, what does this word mean?

You can ask, give me 10 collocations with this word used in everyday situations.

Or, use these vocab in short natural sentences.

So, for example, instead of just learning the word take, you learn take a break, take your time, take responsibility, take a chance.

And you see how they're actually used in real sentences.

Now, you can also take this further.

You can ask things like, make this more informal or make this more formal or how would an Australian say this?

And now you're not just learning vocabulary, you're learning how to actually use it.

And here's the key tip.

Always learn vocab as word plus context plus example, not just the word on its own.

Because that's what allows you to use it fluently later.