An essential part of the English language, Phrasal verbs are extremely important when learning English, as we have mentioned in previous posts and Wannalessons.
Today we are going to focus on the best method to learn Phrasal verbs and actually be able to remember and use them!
The Classic Method
Although nowadays lots of teachers tend to lean towards innovating and opting for different methods and strategies to teaching Phrasal Verbs, the truth is that most teachers tend to take the ‘typical route of teaching them by grouping them by particle.
This is to group together all phrasal verbs that contain ‘up’, all phrasal verbs that contain ‘out’, all phrasal verbs that contain ‘off’ and so on.
The truth is that although this method may be useful for some, it can also be pretty confusing, as a lot of the time one same phrasal verb can be used in many different contexts and situations, as it can have a different meaning depending on how we use it.
By learning phrasal verbs by particle, a lot of the time we tend to forget just how versatile a single phrasal verb can be, in many different contexts, the meaning of the phrasal verb changing accordingly.
The Best Method
So, what is the best way to learn phrasal verbs and actually be able to remember them? The answer is simple: by topic.
The idea is to create different topic categories that relate to your everyday life, that way you can start with phrasal verbs that you will actually use in your English.
So if you work in the tech industry for example, start by creating different topic categories related to this field. Then think of topics that relate to your hobbies and interests, along with other daily elements you may encounter.
Do you have pets? Maybe think of adding a pet topic.
Do you spend a lot of time with a certain type of people? Take it into consideration.
The important thing to remember is that everyone uses a different kind of vocabulary each day depending on their surroundings, so start with that.
In time, you can expand your phrasal verb vocabulary to fit all kinds of situations, topics and categories, but it’s very important to add and learn what you will use most first.
How to study and use phrasal verbs
- Create the topic categories that you want to study
- For each category, write down between 5 and 10 commonly used phrasal verbs
- Add each phrasal verb’s meaning
- Now add three different examples of each phrasal verb being used in a sentence in English
- Now translate these sentences into your native language
- Read over these phrasal verbs a few times each day and try to include them in your spoken and written English as much as possible
So now all that’s left to do is practice, practice, practice!
Tune in next week for more about phrasal verbs, and remember to give the free Wannalisn app a try!
The perfect way to learn English while having fun, with clips from all your favourite movies, series and songs, Wannalisn tests your spelling, comprehension and listenings skills with lots of dynamic, interactive exercises along the way.
Click here to try it for free and let us know what you think!
Until next week!
