Why is good vocabulary the basis of everything?
At any level of the DELE, the court values two things: precision and lexical variety. If your vocabulary repertoire is poor, your speech becomes repetitive. When, on the other hand, you have a large and active word bank, you speak and write naturally, you choose the exact nuance and transmit more confidence. That's why the following eight tricks focus on activate the words you need, not memorizing endless lists you'll never use.
1. Organize words into semantic fields
Your memory has an easier time remembering “groups” than isolated terms. Group vocabulary by common exam topics —environment, education, technology, society— and create maps where each word connects with other similar words. Example for “environment”: recycling, waste, reuse, sustainable, landfill. Thus, when you are asked about green policies in the oral exam, the entire network will come to your mind almost automatically.
2. Trust spaced repetition
Tools like Anki or Quizlet show you each card right before you forget it. Set the intervals 1-3-7-15-30 days and dedicate ten minutes in the morning and ten in the evening. With this short and consistent routine you will set more words than with long weekend study sessions.
3. Create impactful mental images
Relate each term to a striking scene. “Carry” can be a dog that wears a giant ice cream cone and it leaves a sticky trail of consequences. The more absurd the image, the stronger the imprint on your memory.
4. Use words in personal phrases
Don't settle for the equivalence “to provide = to offer”. Write something that connects you with the word: “The course gave me confidence to speak in public.” Share it in a group, include it in an essay, or say it out loud. Vivid phrases are remembered; single translations are not.
5. Practice the daily 5×5 method
Every day choose five new words and do five actions with each one: say it, ask a question, record yourself answering, listening and correcting, posting your best version in a forum or chat. In one week, you will have used thirty-five terms in an active and contextualized way.
6. Train with guided listening
Choose a podcast that matches your level, listen naturally and write down only the verbs or connectors that are repeated. Play the audio again and pause before each appearance to try to anticipate the word. With this exercise, your ear and mind get ahead of the information, just the reflection you need in the hearing test.
7. Take advantage of lexical families
Learn, for example, the verb grow Give it to you development, developed, underdeveloped. A single effort is multiplied by four. In addition, using derivatives allows you to vary the written expression and avoid repetitions that subtract points.
8. Do micro-tests every Sunday
Create a ten-item test mixing reverse translation, synonyms and sentences with gaps. Correct and mark in red the missing words. These are reviewed daily for the following week. This way you turn every mistake into the next word you'll master.
