Learning a foreign language can be a challenge. There are so many words to learn! Maybe you recognise (and even use) all of the words in that title that I wrote. If not, don't worry! There will always be words that we won't understand, even words in our mother tongue. When you learn words in a foreign language, though... where do you start? Think of what is important to know. What do you need to know? Think of the reasons you are learning English or improving your English. Is it because you have a particular job? Is it for a school exam? Is it because you want to study an academic subject in the language? Are you hoping to do a PhD (doctor of philosophy) degree in English literature? I think the probability is high that most people reading this blog post do not intend to do that fourth option. Even the proportion of native English speakers that would study a PhD in English literature is low. I write this because it's important that your goals are realistic in terms of the amount and type of vocabulary and expressions that you learn. English is a very rich language. There are many expressions which were commonly used in the past but which have become rare in modern usage. Consider the word "whence". It's rare that you hear this word outside of academia, and there is a high chance that you may never hear it in any course that is taught in English... except - perhaps - English literature, or history of English linguistics. Consequently, it's almost certainly not going to be a word that you will frequently use, unless you are in that very specific group of people studying those subjects in depth. Of course, it's always good to be curious about new words and expressions. ("Whence" means "from where", if you've been wondering.) However, in terms of realistic goals... give priority to the words and expressions that you are most likely to need. Give most of your study time to learning to use (or learning to recognise) these words and expressions. There is also the consideration of the words and expressions that you recognise and understand - your "passive vocabulary" - and the words and expressions that you use when you speak and when your write - your "active vocabulary". Our passive vocabulary will always be greater than our active vocabulary. That's normal. So, with regard to your goals, think: do you definitely need to use a word or an expression for your course or job now? Is it highly likely that you will need it soon for a course or job in the future? If you answer "yes" to this question, then ensure that you memorise this word, so it stays in your active vocabulary. What words and expressions should be in your passive vocabulary? If you have lots of time to develop your English, try to recognise new words and expressions in areas/domains that are close to your core active vocabulary. For example, if your job involves working with computers or another form of IT (Information Technology), then it will be good to recognise words not just related to IT, but in similar areas, like electronics, calculation, and media (television, radio, etc). If you regularly hear or see a word or expression, consider how close it is to what you need to learn. Is it slang that is local to a particular place, like a city or country? If that is true, do you live there or have friends there? Then it's a good expression to at least recognise. Perhaps you may also want to learn it (so that it becomes part of your active vocabulary). If you don't want to do that, it is still good to be able to at least recognise the term. Consider an example of such an expression...here's one from the South of England (which may be used in other places too). If someone - particularly a child - is doing some silly things (not behaving well) we might call such a person "a pickle". The meaning of "a pickle" is a small green vegetable, often stored in vinegar. In the South of England we use that expression to talk about a person with difficult behaviour: "That Dennis across the street... he's such a pickle." These uses of words which are not so literal are often "idioms". "Idioms" are expressions that are particular to a language. They do not often translate into other languages, but they add colour and flavour to language... They are often good to have in your passive vocabulary. I'll end this post with one more idiom: "illuminating". I hope that you can keep this in (at least) your passive vocabulary If some information has been "illuminating", it has revealed some very interesting fact or idea. It is like shining a light into a dark place, which gives you new and interesting ideas about that place, which previously was a mystery. As such, I hope this post has been illuminating...