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E7 E - My personal vocabulary system English 7

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E7 E - My personal vocabulary system English 7

Mini-description: Build your own vocabulary routine with retrieval practice, spaced repetition, chunks, word families, audio and your own examples. You do not just collect words — you learn to use them.

Learning path: Notice → understand → try → use → communicate → feedback → improve → use again.

Introduction

A good vocabulary system helps you remember words and use them when you speak, listen, read and write. Your system can be on paper or digital. Keep it simple enough to use every week.

English first: Try the task and use the context. If you get stuck, use a hint. German help is there when you need it — not as an automatic full translation.

Think while you watch: What does retrieval practice mean? Try to explain it in one English sentence before you read on.

I can ...

I can retrieve words from memory instead of only rereading them.
I can space my practice across several days.
I can learn chunks such as make a decision or take part in.
I can notice word families such as help – helpful – helpless.
I can use audio to check stress and sounds.
I can use new vocabulary in my own speaking and writing.
I can check my progress and change my routine when something does not work.

Before you start

Close your vocabulary book. In 45 seconds, write five English words you learned recently.

Now check:

Which words came back quickly?
Which words needed a clue?
Which words did you forget?
Which word could you use in a full sentence?

That is your starting point. Forgetting is useful feedback: it shows you what to practise again.

Build your vocabulary system

Save words in context

Do not save only one translation. Save enough information to use the word.

A useful vocabulary card can contain:

Word or chunk: take part in
Meaning clue: join an activity
Context: I want to take part in the school project.
Sound: listen and repeat
Word family: active – activity – actively
My sentence: one sentence about your own life or ideas

Hint: If the English explanation is too difficult, add one short German clue. Keep the English example.

A word family connects related words. You do not need every possible form. Choose forms you can really use.

Retrieve before you look

Retrieval practice means: try to remember first. Hide the answer, say or write what you remember, then check.

Try these quick moves:

Look at the meaning and recall the English chunk.
Look at the English word and explain it in simple English.
Hear the word and spell it.
Read your example sentence with one gap and rebuild it.
Use the word in a new sentence.

Direct feedback: Check immediately. If your answer is wrong or incomplete, correct it and try once more.

Space your practice

Do not practise everything in one long block. Meet important vocabulary again after a gap.

A simple starting rhythm can be:

first learning
next day
a few days later
about one week later
later again if the word is still useful

The exact gaps are not magic numbers. Make the gap longer when recall is easy. Shorten it when the word keeps disappearing.

Learn chunks, not isolated words

A chunk is a group of words that often belongs together.

Examples:

make a mistake
take a break
be interested in
at the moment
as far as I know

Chunks make speaking and writing faster because you can retrieve a useful group instead of building every sentence word by word.

Mini-transfer: Choose one chunk from the video or from your textbook. Use it in a sentence that is true for you.

Add sound

Vocabulary is not only spelling. Listen for:

stressed syllables
difficult sounds
word endings
how words connect in a chunk

Listen to the example word. Then say it once normally, not extra slowly.

Goal: Be understandable. You do not need to copy one perfect accent.

Use the word yourself

A word becomes more useful when you make choices with it.

Try one:

Say a 20-second answer using two new chunks.
Write two connected sentences with three target words.
Give a short opinion and one reason.
Change the situation: home → school → weekend → travel.
Explain a word without saying the word itself.

Recordings are optional and private. Do not upload your voice or video unless your teacher has clearly asked for it and the platform is approved.

Practice with a fictional learner

Listening and viewing

Watch the BBC vocabulary video above once without stopping.

First viewing: Write only three key ideas.

Second viewing: Add one example for each idea.

Challenge: Which tip would help you most this week? Give one reason in English.

Need help? Use English subtitles if available. Use German only for one difficult idea, not for the whole video.

Reading: Sam's system

Sam is 13 and wants to remember vocabulary for longer. On Monday, Sam chooses eight useful words and chunks from a class text. Sam writes a short English clue and one example for each item. On Tuesday, Sam hides the answers and tries to remember them. On Thursday, Sam listens to the difficult words and says them aloud. At the weekend, Sam uses four of the items in a short message about a school project. Words that are easy move to a later review. Difficult words return sooner.

Try: Without looking back, name four things Sam does.

Vocabulary in context

Find these ideas in Sam's routine:

choosing useful vocabulary
adding context
retrieving from memory
spacing practice
listening to pronunciation
using vocabulary in a new text

Now replace one step with a better idea for your routine.

Pronunciation focus

Choose three target words from your current English unit.

For each word:

listen
mark the stressed syllable
repeat in a short chunk
use the chunk in a sentence

Feedback check: Could a partner understand the word without seeing it? If yes, move on. If not, listen again and change one sound or the stress.

Speaking

Talk for 45–60 seconds:

Which vocabulary strategy works best for you at the moment, and why?

Use at least three chunks:

At the moment ... / For me ... / One reason is ... / I find it useful to ... / Next week I want to ...

Then ask a partner one follow-up question.

Writing

Write 70–90 words: My vocabulary routine for one school week.

Include:

when you review
how you test yourself
how you use audio
how you use at least one new chunk
what you do when recall is difficult

After writing, underline three useful chunks. Improve one sentence.

Mediation

A German-speaking classmate says: Ich lerne Vokabeln immer nur am Abend vor dem Test.

Explain in simple English what you would suggest. Do not translate every sentence. Pass on the useful idea.

Functional grammar

Use the simple present for routines:

I review five words after dinner.

Use frequency words:

I usually test myself first. I sometimes use a German clue.

Use reason and result:

I use audio because I want to remember the sound.

The word was difficult, so I reviewed it again.

E-level look ahead: past perfect

Only as a controlled preview:

After Sam had reviewed the words twice, he used them in a short text.

You only need to notice the order: the review happened before the later action. Do not make the past perfect the focus of this course.

Your 10-minute routine

A short routine can look like this:

2 minutes – retrieve: old words from memory
2 minutes – check: correct meaning, spelling and chunk
2 minutes – listen: difficult words and repeat them
2 minutes – use: make new sentences or a mini-dialogue
2 minutes – plan: decide what returns tomorrow or later

Do not add too many new words. Useful vocabulary that you can retrieve and use is more valuable than a very long list you never revisit.

AI and digital tools

Digital tools can help you organise cards, play audio or give feedback. You stay responsible for the learning.

Check whether the language level fits Klasse 7.
Check examples against your textbook, teacher or a reliable learner dictionary.
Do not let AI replace your own speaking or writing.
Do not send private recordings, personal profiles or private social-media data to external tools without clear permission.
Use fictional profiles when a task needs personal-style information.

Mini-transfer

Choose six words or chunks from another subject, hobby or current English unit. Build six cards. After a short break, retrieve them without looking. Use at least three in a 30-second explanation.

Then ask: What should return tomorrow? What can wait longer?

Self-check: Can do

Give yourself one symbol for each statement: ✓ = yes, ~ = partly, ? = not yet.

I can retrieve vocabulary before checking.
I can plan spaced reviews.
I can save useful chunks.
I can connect words in families.
I can use audio to improve pronunciation.
I can use new vocabulary in my own speaking or writing.
I can decide what needs more practice.

If you have two or more ? marks, choose one small change for the next seven days.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What does retrieval practice mean? (Trying to remember before checking) (!Reading the same list again and again) (!Copying every word three times) (!Translating the whole page into German)

What is spaced repetition? (Reviewing learning across different times) (!Learning everything in one long session) (!Repeating every word ten times at once) (!Avoiding old vocabulary)

Which item is a useful chunk? (make a mistake) (!mistake make) (!a make mistake) (!make the mistake always)

Which pair belongs to one word family? (help and helpful) (!help and yesterday) (!help and quickly) (!help and schoolbag)

What should you do before checking a flashcard answer? (Try to retrieve it from memory) (!Read the answer aloud immediately) (!Translate the full unit) (!Copy the card into another notebook)

Why is audio useful for vocabulary learning? (It helps you notice sounds and stress) (!It removes the need to speak) (!It gives every word one German translation) (!It makes spelling unimportant)

What is a good next step after learning a new chunk? (Use it in your own sentence) (!Avoid it until the next test) (!Learn only its German meaning) (!Delete the context)

What is a sensible response when recall is difficult? (Check feedback and practise the item again) (!Stop learning the word forever) (!Add twenty new words immediately) (!Ignore the mistake)

What is the main goal of pronunciation practice here? (Being understandable) (!Sounding exactly like one speaker) (!Speaking without any accent) (!Using only isolated words)

How should AI support your vocabulary work? (It can support practice but should not replace your own work) (!It should write every personal text for you) (!It should receive all private recordings) (!It should decide your level without checking)

Memory

Retrieval practice	Remember before checking
Spaced repetition	Review after time gaps
Chunk	Words that naturally go together
Word family	Related forms of one base word
Stress	Stronger syllable in a word
Context	Situation around a word or phrase

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Hide the answer and recall	Retrieval practice
Review again after a gap	Spaced repetition
Learn make a decision together	Chunk
Connect act action active	Word family
Listen and repeat a phrase	Pronunciation

Kreuzworträtsel

Retrieval	What do you call bringing learned information back from memory?
Spacing	What strategy spreads practice across different times?
Chunk	What is a useful group of words that naturally goes together?
Context	What helps show how a word is used in a situation?
Audio	What medium helps you hear stress and sounds?
Family	What connects related forms such as help helpful and helpless?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Six-card starter: Create six cards with an English clue, one chunk and one example sentence.
60-second recall: Close your notes and write as many target words as you can in one minute. Check and correct.
Sound check: Choose four words, listen to a reliable model and mark the stressed syllable.
Chunk hunt: Find five useful chunks in your current textbook unit and use two in new sentences.

Standard

Seven-day plan: Make a realistic review plan for one small set of vocabulary and adjust it after two retrieval checks.
Family map: Build four small word families and write one sentence with a different form from each family.
Mini-talk: Give a one-minute talk using at least five target items and answer one follow-up question.
Routine reflection: Write 90 words about which part of your vocabulary system helps you most and support your view with examples.

Schwer

Compare two routines: Test two study routines with two equal word sets and compare your recall after several days.
Advice for a learner: Turn short German notes about vocabulary problems into useful English advice without translating word for word.
Private audio guide: Create a 60–90 second private audio guide explaining your best vocabulary strategy. Recording is voluntary; no public upload is required.
New context challenge: Take eight words from one unit and use them in a different situation, dialogue or short presentation. Explain which items were hardest to transfer.

Lernkontrolle

Choose a strategy: A learner remembers meanings but cannot use the words in sentences. Explain which two parts of the system should change and why.
Analyse a weak card: Improve the card environment = Umwelt so it supports meaning, chunk, pronunciation and use.
Transfer task: Explain how you would use retrieval practice and spacing to learn vocabulary for a new topic that starts next week.
Compare methods: Compare rereading a word list with retrieving words from memory. Describe one strength and one weakness of each method.
Use feedback: You recall six of ten words correctly. Decide what you do with the easy and difficult items next and justify your plan.
Communicate: Prepare a short explanation of your own vocabulary system for a new student and include one concrete example.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should show that you can:

build a small personal vocabulary system
retrieve vocabulary without looking first
plan spaced reviews
collect chunks and useful word-family links
use audio for understandable pronunciation
use target vocabulary in speaking and writing
react to feedback and improve your routine
explain why your chosen routine fits your learning

A good learning record can include selected vocabulary cards, a short review plan, corrected examples and a short reflection. Private recordings are optional.

OERs zum Thema

Folgekurs

Continue with E7 E - Vocabulary in action: speaking and writing. There you move from remembering vocabulary to using it more freely in conversations, short presentations and connected texts.

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