Learning English can be a fun part of life

Here's another article from The Student Post, dated September 25, 1994. From a different column, "Yours Truly, Jenny."

Dear Jenny,

I like your answers in The Student Post every Sunday. Like all students who are learning English, I always have problems with vocabulary. When I learn a new word, I forget it five minutes later. I try to write it down on a small piece of paper I carry with me. When I have time, I take it out, read it aloud or try to use it in a sentence. But this doesn't seem useful. I still have a lot of difficulty using words. Can you tell me how to improve?

For example, "impression" and "impressive"--what is the difference between the two words? How do I use each in a sentence?

Sharon Shieh

Dear Sharon,

Memorizing vocabulary lists for any language is usually the most difficult and tedious part of learning. Your method is that of a diligent student, but it makes language study a classroom exercise which can grow tiring and prove frustrating. Learning English can be a fun part of your lifestyle. Meeting an English-speaking friend, reading literature on topics of interest to you, and watching English-language programs are all enjoyable activities which will help you enlarge your vocabulary. Listing in the community Calendar and Arts & Leisure page of The China Post give information about art exhibits and lectures, television programs, and English-speaking organizations in Taiwan.

"Impression," a noun, and "impressive," an adjective, derive from the root word "to impress," a verb which has several meanings. A common definition of "to impress" is "to have a marked effect on the mind or emotions." Deducing from the root definition of a word is a good way to guess the meanings of new words. Knowing their parts of speech will help in using them in a sentence.