Frequency English Efficient Advancement Vocabulary 8000

Author: Frequency English Research Center
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: This book was originally a handwritten study material that gained popularity in key universities and was widely copied. It helped many people master English vocabulary quickly and pass various English exams. Unlike traditional dictionaries that arrange words in alphabetical order, this book uses computer-based "massive" statistics to establish a unique word frequency system. When using it, you first memorize high-frequency words, focusing your time and effort on the most valuable part. This allows you to accurately assess your true vocabulary level, understand the gap between your current level and exam requirements, avoid inefficient word memorization that wastes time, and achieve remarkable results, boosting your confidence and progress.
Imagine climbing a mountain without a clear path—it’s easy to become discouraged and give up. Now, imagine someone numbering the steps of the shortest route. With a fixed number of steps, climbing becomes a joyful journey toward success, with clear goals and twice the efficiency. Frequency English differs from traditional materials, as it is not a summary of individual expert experiences but is based on scientific research. It meticulously analyzes the learning process and continuously updates itself, ensuring the effectiveness and benefits of its use.
Frequency English is a brand-new approach to English learning, born from Dr. Li Peng’s struggles with memorizing words during his university years. To pass various English exams, he attended famous English training schools and tutoring centers nationwide. He later discovered that the fundamental reason most students failed exams like the CET-4, CET-6, or TOEFL was insufficient vocabulary, leading to difficulties in reading comprehension, slow responses in listening, and inability to express ideas clearly in writing.
When it comes to memorizing words, after high school, due to the university teaching system, English classes were only once or twice a week, and textbooks lacked the systematic structure of high school materials. Instead, each school selected its own curriculum, making word teaching and memorization even more disorganized. Most students memorized words without guidance, some learned one lesson at a time from textbooks, others memorized whatever they encountered while reading newspapers, and many relied on wordbooks or small dictionaries. However, a common phenomenon was that the corners of the first few dozen pages of dictionaries were worn black, while the rest remained white. As a result, students mostly memorized words starting with letters like A, B, or C, while words starting with S, T, etc., remained unfamiliar.
Moreover, every time they memorized words, they unconsciously started from A, wasting a lot of time on inefficient memorization, which was also dull and boring, affecting results. Eventually, they grew discouraged and gave up on memorizing words or even English altogether.
Although English teaching methods have since innovated—such as emphasizing speaking, loud reading, environmental learning, contextual teaching, using sentence patterns to memorize words, or employing word formation and association techniques—our seven-year research and tracking found that these artificial methods, while helpful, did not fundamentally solve the problem of effective word memorization. The best approach is direct memorization, forming quick word associations in the mind without relying on analogies.
For example, as explained by New Oriental’s founder, Yu Minhong: A student asked after a lecture how to memorize the word "OWL." Yu said, "You can imagine O as the round eyes of an owl, W as wings, and L as a branch. But is it not cumbersome? It’s unnecessary. The best way is to say it like your daughter: O-W-L, owl; O-W-L, owl. After a few repetitions, it sticks in your mind." Most words should be memorized this way. Only obscure words for exams like GRE might require association and comparison. Otherwise, too many methods and associations can interfere with thinking and hinder learning.
Long-term research by Frequency English found that the most important aspect of English learning and word memorization is establishing a scientific system and sequence, ensuring that what is memorized is the most useful and frequently encountered. Therefore, we later used computers to conduct large-scale statistical analysis to determine the frequency of word usage, encoding and arranging each word for detailed analysis. For example: Do you know which is the most common English word? The second most common? The third? The fourth? Through massive analysis, we now know that the is the most frequent, followed by of, then and, then to, a/an, and in. This frequency-based arrangement, combined with careful editing and alignment with exam curricula, forms the best learning and memorization system. Beyond the words you already know, the next word you memorize is the one you need most, maximizing the use of your time and energy.
Moreover, the efficiency gained from computer-based massive statistics improves all aspects of English learning—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—yielding far better results than individual techniques or methods. Even if you memorize 2,000 words, the efficiency in exams and real-life use will differ greatly.
At some review meetings, experts proposed, "The strength of Frequency English lies in its scientific research, not in the personal experiences of a few experts. The efficiency and progress it brings are tremendous." Dr. Li Peng and the members of the Frequency English Research Center agree with this view. Frequency English focuses on research and application, not promoting Dr. Li Peng’s personal English skills or techniques. Readers need to apply scientific thinking and tools to find their own learning methods based on their strengths. We believe this is the most important thing. Therefore, all products and materials of Frequency English are based on this principle, allowing every reader to find their starting point and use Frequency English flexibly to achieve the best results.
If you find this beneficial, please follow our text to gradually understand the philosophy and features of Frequency English. Thank you for your attention and reflection. We welcome your questions, suggestions, and feedback, which will be helpful to our work and other readers.