I just bought a new book.
It’s called “English Vocabulary for Beginning ESL Learners.”
Doesn’t that sound exciting?
Here are some words the author thinks beginners should know:
fingernail polish remover [page 22]
cyclone [page 61]
spatula [page 26]
Don’t know what those words mean?
Never seen them before?
Don’t feel bad.
Not even native speakers use these words.
And one word on page 46 — gastroenterologist — I have never said once in my entire life.
These words remind me of the shirt in my closet that I bought back in the ‘90s but never wore.
It just sits there taking up space.
I wonder how many of these words we have in our brains, just waiting for the day when someone asks us if they can borrow our spatula…
I should throw out that shirt.
We should delete useless words.
Then go shopping.
And read a book you want to read — because that’s where you’ll find the words you need.