Using a Pocket Dictionary

When you get started in learning a new language, you might be tempted to go out and buy a great big foreign-English dictionary. But really, all you need to get started is a pocket dictionary. These are roughly the size of a paperback novel or perhaps a little smaller. The beauty of these dictionaries is that they contain the most commonly used words in the language, so about 95% of every word you are likely to need will be there. Besides, you can take it with you and look up the words for those things that are part of your daily surroundings. Imagine you are trying to describe where you live and what you do to a person speaking the language you want to learn, and look up the words you need. It's a great little vocabulary-building game.