Vocabulary

A1 (Beginner)

🌟 Core & Everyday Vocabulary

• Asking & Stating Your Name (My name is..., I'm...)
• Asking & Stating Your Age (I am ... years old)
• Asking & Stating Your Nationality & Country (I am from Cambodia)
• Basic Greetings (Hello, Hi, Good morning/afternoon/evening)
• Basic Introductions (This is [Name]) & Responses (Nice to meet you)
• Leave-taking (Goodbye, Bye, See you later)
• Cardinal Numbers 1-20; Counting to 100 (by tens: 30, 40...)
• Days of the Week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.)
• Months of the Year (January, February, etc.)
• Telling Time (O'clock, Half past - very basic)
• Common Classroom Objects (pen, pencil, book, chair, table, board, computer)
• Objects in the Home (bed, door, window, kitchen, bathroom, sofa, TV)
• Common Clothing Items (shirt, T-shirt, trousers, skirt, shoes, hat)
• Essential Verbs: be, have, go, come, see, say, tell, eat, drink, like, want, need, can (ability)
• Common Adjectives: Colors (red, blue, green, yellow, black, white)
• Common Adjectives: Size & Dimension (big, small, long, short, tall)
• Common Adjectives: Feelings (happy, sad, tired, hungry, thirsty, angry, okay)
• Common Adjectives: Basic Qualities (good, bad, nice, new, old, beautiful, ugly)
• Basic Question Words (Who, What, Where, When, How, How many)

🏞️ Thematic & Topical Vocabulary

• Family Members (mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, son, daughter)
• Food & Drinks (common local fruits like mango, banana; rice, noodles, water, juice, milk, bread, eggs, chicken, fish)
• Animals (common pets: dog, cat, bird; farm animals: cow, pig; local animals: elephant - recognition)
• Body Parts (head, face, eye, ear, nose, mouth, arm, hand, leg, foot)
• Places in Town/Village (shop, market, school, house, hospital, park, temple/pagoda)
• Transportation (bicycle, moto, car, bus, boat - common local forms)
• Weather (sunny, rainy, cloudy, hot, cold - basic)

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention

• Using Picture Dictionaries & Visual Aids
• Repeating New Words Aloud (listen and repeat)
• Matching Words to Pictures or Objects
• Creating Simple Handmade Flashcards (picture on one side, word on the other)
• Learning Words in Chunks (e.g., "a red car," "I like rice")

A2 (Elementary)

🌟 Core & Everyday Vocabulary

• Daily Routines & Activities (wake up, have breakfast, go to school/work, watch TV, go to bed)
• Telling Time (quarter past, quarter to, minutes)
• Common Prepositions of Place (in, on, under, next to, behind, in front of, between)
• Common Prepositions of Time (at, in, on, before, after, during, for, since - basic use)
• More Everyday Verbs (read, write, speak, listen, play, work, study, help, make, do)
• More Everyday Adjectives (describing appearance, personality - e.g., friendly, kind, quiet, tall, short, dark hair)
• Ordinal Numbers (first, second, third... up to 31st for dates)
• Asking for & Giving Dates (day, month, year - basic)

🏞️ Thematic & Topical Vocabulary

• Hobbies & Free Time Activities (playing football, reading books, listening to music, swimming, watching movies)
• Jobs & Occupations (teacher, doctor, farmer, driver, shopkeeper, student)
• More on Food & Drinks (vegetables, fruits, meats, types of meals, cooking verbs: cook, cut, wash)
• More on Clothing (jacket, dress, socks, glasses, watch)
• Public Places & Buildings (post office, bank, cinema, restaurant, library, museum)
• Basic Geography (city, village, river, mountain, beach, country)
• Basic Directions (left, right, straight ahead, turn left/right)

🧱 Word Formation & Morphology (Introduction)

• Common Noun Plurals (regular: -s, -es; common irregular: men, women, children, teeth, feet, mice)
• Basic Verb Endings for Tenses (-s for third person singular present, -ed for past simple, -ing for present continuous)
• Making Adjectives from Nouns (e.g., sun -> sunny, rain -> rainy)
• Common Compound Nouns (e.g., classroom, bedroom, post office, bus stop)

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention

• Keeping a Vocabulary Notebook (with L1 translation & example sentence)
• Learning Words in Simple Contexts (short stories, dialogues)
• Grouping Words by Topic (Lexical Sets - e.g., all words related to "kitchen")
• Simple Word Association Games
• Using Online Beginner Dictionaries or Apps

B1 (Intermediate)

🌟 Core & Everyday Vocabulary (Expanding)

• Describing Feelings & Emotions in more detail (e.g., excited, worried, surprised, nervous, proud)
• Describing Personality Traits (e.g., honest, patient, creative, confident, shy)
• Common Adverbs of Manner (quickly, slowly, carefully, loudly) & Degree (very, really, quite, too, enough)
• A wider range of Connectors & Linking Words for Speaking & Writing (e.g., although, even though, while, as soon as, therefore, however)

🏞️ Thematic & Topical Vocabulary

• Travel & Tourism (airport, hotel, booking, passport, visa, sightseeing, souvenirs, currency exchange)
• Health & Fitness (illness, symptoms, medicine, doctor, hospital, exercise, healthy diet)
• Education & School Subjects (primary/secondary/university, exam, homework, subject names: Math, Science, History)
• Environment (pollution, recycling, nature, climate change - basic concepts)
• Technology (computer parts, internet terms: website, email, download, online, social media - basic)
• Money & Personal Finance (bank account, credit card, save money, spend money, bill, price)
• Relationships (friendship, dating - basic terms)

🧱 Word Formation & Morphology

• Common Prefixes for Opposites (un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis-)
• Common Suffixes for Nouns (-er/-or for people, -ment, -ness, -ion/-tion/-sion)
• Common Suffixes for Adjectives (-ful, -less, -able/-ible, -y, -ous)
• Common Suffixes for Adverbs (-ly)
• Understanding Noun/Verb/Adjective/Adverb Forms of Common Words (e.g., beauty, beautiful, beautifully, beautify)

🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Word Relationships (Introduction)

• Identifying Common Synonyms & Choosing Appropriately (e.g., big/large, start/begin)
• Identifying Common Antonyms (e.g., happy/sad, win/lose, arrive/depart)
• Basic Understanding of Shades of Meaning (e.g., like vs. love)
• Introduction to Homophones (e.g., there/their/they're, to/too/two) & Homographs (e.g., lead (metal) / lead (to guide))

🤝 Collocations (Introduction)

• Common Verb + Noun Collocations (e.g., make a mistake, do homework, take a shower, have a party, spend time/money)
• Common Adjective + Noun Collocations (e.g., heavy rain, strong coffee, best friend, serious problem)
• Verbs with Prepositions (e.g., listen to, wait for, think about)

🧩 Phrasal Verbs (Introduction)

• Understanding & Using Common, Separable Phrasal Verbs (e.g., turn on/off, pick up, put on, take off, fill in)
• Understanding & Using Common, Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (e.g., look for, get up, look after, run out of)
• Guessing Meaning of Phrasal Verbs from Context

🎭 Idioms & Fixed Expressions (Introduction)

• Understanding & Recognizing Very Common Idioms (e.g., "a piece of cake," "break a leg," "it's raining cats and dogs," "under the weather")
• Common Fixed Expressions for Conversation (e.g., "Good luck," "Never mind," "What's up?," "By the way")

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention

• Using a Learner's Dictionary (Monolingual: checking pronunciation, word type, basic definitions)
• More Systematic Guessing of Meaning from Context Clues (surrounding words, overall topic)
• Learning Word Families (e.g., employ, employer, employee, employment, unemployment)
• Using Mind Maps & Semantic Networks to Connect Words
• Practicing New Vocabulary in Speaking & Writing

B2 (Upper Intermediate)

🏞️ Thematic & Topical Vocabulary (Depth & Breadth)

• Current Affairs & Social Issues (e.g., crime & punishment, media & communication, politics & government, human rights)
• Work & Careers (job applications, interviews, workplace skills, entrepreneurship, industry-specific terms - basic)
• Arts & Culture (types of music, film genres, literary terms, visual arts)
• Science & Technology (common scientific concepts, technological advancements, digital literacy)
• The Economy (basic economic terms: inflation, recession, investment, budget)
• Psychology & Human Behavior (personality types, stress management, learning styles)

🧱 Word Formation & Morphology (Expanding)

• Wider Range of Prefixes (e.g., re-, pre-, post-, inter-, mis-, over-, under-)
• Wider Range of Suffixes (e.g., -ify, -ize, -ship, -hood, -ism, -ist, -ive, -ous, -al)
• Understanding How Affixes Change Word Meaning, Stress & Pronunciation
• Introduction to Common Greek & Latin Roots (e.g., tele, port, auto, bio, graph, phon) for etymological clues
• Conversion (Zero Affixation): Nouns used as Verbs, etc. (e.g., to email, to google)

🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Word Relationships

• Distinguishing Nuances & Connotations Between Synonyms (e.g., thin, slim, skinny, slender)
• Understanding More Complex Antonyms & Gradable Opposites (e.g., optimist/pessimist)
• Exploring Connotation (positive, negative, neutral) & Denotation of Words
• Understanding Euphemisms (polite ways to say something unpleasant)
• Recognizing Polysemy (words with multiple meanings)

🤝 Collocations (Expanding)

• Recognizing & Using a Wider Range of Collocations (verb-object, adj-noun, adv-adj, noun-verb, noun-noun)
• Strong vs. Weak Collocations
• Collocations with Prepositions & Adverbs (e.g., deeply concerned, rely heavily on)
• Understanding Why Certain Word Combinations are Natural & Others are Not

🧩 Phrasal Verbs (Intermediate to Advanced)

• Understanding & Using a Broader Range of Phrasal Verbs, Including Literal & More Idiomatic Meanings
• Recognizing Separable & Inseparable Phrasal Verbs with Confidence
• Phrasal Verbs in Different Registers (formal/informal uses, e.g. "find out" vs "discover")
• Understanding Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings (e.g., "take off")

🎭 Idioms & Fixed Expressions (Intermediate to Advanced)

• Understanding & Using a Broader Range of Common Idioms in Context
• Recognizing the Cultural Context & Origins of Some Idioms
• Common Proverbs & Sayings and their applications
• Fixed Expressions for Discourse Management (e.g., "As far as I'm concerned," "To be honest with you")

🗣️ Slang, Informal & Colloquial English (Recognition & Basic Use)

• Recognizing Common Slang & Informal Expressions in Various Contexts (e.g., films, music, online conversations)
• Understanding When & With Whom Informal Language is Appropriate (and when it's not)
• Introduction to common reductions in informal speech (e.g., "gonna," "wanna")

🎓 Academic & Formal Vocabulary (Introduction & Development)

• Introduction to & Use of General Academic Vocabulary (e.g., analyze, assess, concept, data, evidence, factor, interpret, method, significant, theory - from AWL)
• Using More Formal Alternatives to Everyday Words & Phrases in Writing & Presentations
• Vocabulary for Structuring Academic Arguments & Essays (e.g., "furthermore," "in conclusion," "it can be argued that...")

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention

• Effective Use of Monolingual Dictionaries (for definitions, collocations, example sentences, etymology, register)
• Active Recall & Spaced Repetition Techniques for Long-Term Retention
• Using Mnemonics & Memory Aids for Difficult Words
• Reading Widely to Encounter Vocabulary in Context
• Inferring meaning of unfamiliar words using morphological and contextual clues

C1 (Advanced)

🏞️ Thematic & Topical Vocabulary (Sophistication & Specialization)

• In-depth Vocabulary for Complex & Abstract Topics (e.g., philosophy, psychology, economics, global issues, environmental science, politics, law)
• Specialized Vocabulary Related to Personal or Professional Interests & Academic Disciplines
• Understanding & Using Euphemisms & Dysphemisms Appropriately
• Vocabulary for Describing Trends, Statistics, and Research Findings

🧱 Word Formation & Morphology (Advanced)

• Recognizing & Using Less Common Prefixes & Suffixes with Understanding of Nuance
• Deconstructing Complex & Low-Frequency Words Using Knowledge of Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes
• Understanding Neologisms (new words) & Word Evolution (how meanings change)
• Advanced Compounding, Blending, and Acronyms

🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Word Relationships (Nuance & Precision)

• Mastering Fine Distinctions & Connotative Differences Between Closely Related Synonyms
• Understanding Abstract & Figurative Opposites, and degrees of opposition
• Analyzing Semantic Fields & Complex Lexical Relationships (e.g., hyponymy, meronymy, antonymy types)
• Recognizing and using words with multiple layers of meaning (polysemy)

🤝 Collocations (Advanced & Natural Use)

• Using a Wide Range of Strong, Less Common, & Stylistically Marked Collocations Naturally and Appropriately
• Recognizing Collocational Clashes & Awkward Phrasing in Own and Others' Use
• Using Collocations to Enhance Fluency, Precision, & Sophistication of Style
• Academic Collocations (e.g., conduct research, draw conclusions)

🧩 Phrasal Verbs (Advanced & Stylistic Use)

• Mastering a Large Repertoire of Phrasal Verbs, Including Less Common, More Idiomatic, & Register-Specific Ones
• Understanding Nuances in Meaning, Register & Collocation of Phrasal Verbs
• Using Phrasal Verbs Flexibly, Accurately & for Stylistic Effect (e.g., in formal vs. informal writing)

🎭 Idioms & Fixed Expressions (Advanced & Cultural Nuance)

• Understanding & Using a Wide Range of Idioms, Including Those with Strong Cultural References or Literary Allusions
• Recognizing Variations, Truncations & Playful Uses of Idioms
• Differentiating Between Clichés & Effective, Vivid Idiomatic Language
• Fixed expressions for academic and professional communication

🗣️ Slang, Informal & Colloquial English (Appropriate & Strategic Use)

• Understanding a Wide Range of Slang, Regionalisms, & Colloquialisms from Various English-Speaking Contexts
• Using Informal Language Appropriately & Strategically in Specific Contexts & With Specific Audiences
• Recognizing Shifts in Slang, Modern Usage & Online Lingo (Netiquette)
• Understanding the sociolinguistic implications of using informal language

🎓 Academic & Formal Vocabulary (Mastery & Application)

• Extensive Knowledge & Accurate Use of the Academic Word List (AWL) & Beyond (e.g., Academic Collocations List)
• Using Sophisticated Formal Vocabulary & Grammatical Structures for Academic & Professional Writing/Speaking with Precision
• Understanding & Using Nominalization & Other Formal Stylistic Features to Create Authoritative Texts
• Subject-Specific Terminology for Advanced Study or Professional Fields

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention (Autonomy & Depth)

• Developing Autonomous Learning Habits for Continuous & Lifelong Vocabulary Expansion
• Using Corpus Tools (e.g., COCA, BNC) & Advanced Dictionary Features for In-depth Word Study & Usage Patterns
• Inferring Meaning of Highly Complex & Low-Frequency Words from Context, Etymology & Morphology
• Actively building personal lexicons for specialized fields

C2 (Proficiency)

🌟🏞️🧱🔄🤝🧩🎭🗣️🎓 Overall Vocabulary Mastery & Precision

• Possessing an Extensive, Nuanced, Precise & Highly Flexible Lexical Repertoire Approaching That of an Educated Native Speaker
• Effortless, Accurate & Stylistically Sophisticated Use of Low-Frequency Words, Complex Collocations, Obscure Idioms, & Figurative Language
• Full Command of Word Formation Processes to Understand, Create & Play with New Words (if necessary)
• Complete Mastery of Register, Style & Connotation in Vocabulary Choice for Any Conceivable Context (social, academic, professional, literary)
• Understanding historical and etymological layers of vocabulary

💡 Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention (Expert & Meta-Linguistic)

• Intuitive Understanding & Seamless Acquisition of New Vocabulary from Any Demanding Source (written or spoken)
• Ability to Discuss Language Itself, Including Lexical Nuances & Etymology (Meta-linguistic Awareness of Vocabulary)
• Lifelong Learning Strategies for Maintaining, Refining & Expanding an Expert-Level Lexicon
• Critically evaluating and selecting vocabulary learning resources and techniques