Today is Day 1 of your 30-day Vocabulary Challenge for 2021.
That's right,
There's going to be a video a day for the next 30 days to help you learn and boost your
vocabulary, we're learning 105 words.
We're taking them from the Academic Word List so these are word that you'll need to know
if you're preparing for the IELTS or TOEFL exam, but also if you read or watch the news
in English, or have conversation with native speakers.
These are intermediate words and they are useful.
So, grab your friends, have them join the challenge and let's do this together.
As always, if you like this video or you learn something new, please like and subscribe with
notifications, it really helps.
Over the next 30 days, we'll learn 105 words together.
I do have a download for you, a list of words with all the definitions and sample sentences,
as well as quizzes to make sure you're really getting and remembering these words.
You can get that download by following this link or the link in the video description.
Today, we're learning 4 words.
Structure,
Individual,
Function,
and Environment.
And we're looking at the different ways these words are used in various situations.
For each word, you'll get the definition, we'll go over the pronunciation.
You'll get to see the pronunciation up-close and in slow motion, and we'll have 5 examples
from real life English.
First, structure.
Structure.
This is a two-syllable word with first syllable stress, stru-- stru-- structure.
So your second syllable should be said much more quickly, lower in pitch, --ture, --ture, --ture.
Structure.
It's a noun, it means the way something is built, arranged, or organized.
The entire building is made of stone so it has a really solid structure.
As a verb, it means to arrange or organize in a particular way.
Using my Google calendar helps me structure my week.
Let's look again up close and in slow motion.
And now, we'll go to Youglish to see 5 examples of this word in use.
Here, the physical structure of the brain is actually changing.
The physical structure of the brain.
The way the tissue, nerve cells, and so on are arranged to make the brain.
Let's watch that again.
Here, the physical structure of the brain is actually changing.
Here's another example.
I was 27 years old with no job, no partner, no structure.
No job, no partner, no structure.
That means no structure to life.
No set schedule, no obligations.
No structure to live in.
Some people like having a lot of structure in their lives, and others hate structure.
I, myself, like some structure, set working hours, and of course, having kids requires
structure because of their needs and their routines.
Let's see that example again.
I was 27 years old with no job, no partner, no structure.
Here's another example.
And that's had a really big impact on how we structure our teams.
How we structure our teams.
How we set them up, how we organize them.
How many people are on a team, how many leaders are on a team, for example.
Let's see that one again.
And that's had a really big impact on how we structure our teams.
Another example.
It helped me structure my outline.
Structure my outline.
An outline is a plan for something, like a paper.
If you have a major research paper, you'll write an outline first.
What you'll argue here, what you'll present there, that kind of thing.
So to structure your outline means to organize it.
How many main points will you have?
How many supporting points for a main point, and so on.
Let's see that example again.
It helped me structure my outline.
Another example.
What's so important to humans is our social structure.
Social structure.
The people of society, how do we organize ourselves?
How do we feel that we fit in with the community around us?
Let's see that example again.
What's so important to humans is our social structure.
The next word is Individual.
Individual.
This is a five-syllable word with middle-syllable stress.
Make sure your other syllables are said more quickly: indi-- indi-- vid-- ual-- ual-- ual--
Individual.
As a noun or an adjective, it's one member, or one particular person.
For example, noun: I need a different individual to sign as a witness.
As an adjective: An egg carton has 12 individual spaces.
Let's look at this word up close and in slow motion one more time.
And now, we'll go to Youglish to see 5 examples of this word in sentences.
Now I ask certainly for the individual but what about for society?
The individual.
That is one person versus society, everybody, all people.
Let's see that again.
Now I ask certainly for the individual but what about for society?
Here's another example.
A liberal view stresses the possibility of individual freedom.
Individual freedom.
That is what freedoms and rights, the individual, a single person has, against things like the
laws and rules of a society that might dictate certain aspects of an individual's llife.
A liberal view stresses the possibility of individual freedom.
Another example.
The National Museum Krakow is home to thousands of individual art pieces.
Individual art pieces.
So this would be one piece of art, a painting, a vase, as opposed to a collection of several
or many pieces.
The National Museum Krakow is home to thousands of individual art pieces.
Here's another example.
So the fish are coming up onto the boat on individual hooks.
Individual hooks.
That is one hook as opposed to a net that would bring in hundreds of fish at once.
So the fish are coming up onto the boat on individual hooks.
Here's another example.
The demands of their individual learning can be night and day.
Individual learning.
What works for one person's education might not work for another.
Each individual, each person learns differently.
The demands of their individual learning can be night and day.
Next, the word FUNCTION.
A two-syllable word with first syllable stress.
The letter N there is actually the NG sound made at the back of the tongue, func-- func--
function.
Function.
It's a noun and it means something or someone's special purpose.
Sometimes, our TV's function is to babysit.
As a verb, it means to work or operate.
In customer service, I function as a problem solver.
Let's look again at this word up close and in slow motion.
And now, we'll go to Youglish to see 5 examples of this word in sentences.
You have to bring all of these components together so they can function as one.
They can function as one.
Work as one.
Operate as one.
You have to bring all of these components together so they can function as one.
Another example.
But we really concentrate on hand function, hand injuries.
Hand function.
How the hand works.
But we really concentrate on hand function, hand injuries.
Here's another example:
We've talked about how this is actually a constitutionally mandated function of government.
A mandated function of government.
The constitution says this is something the government is supposed to do.
This is the purpose of the government.
We've talked about how this is actually a constitutionally mandated function of government.
Another example.
Do you think courts function as change agents or should function as change agents in our
society?
Function as change agents.
Is it the purpose of the court system?
To change society.
Do you think courts function as change agents or should function as change agents in our society?
Another example.
So my function was to entertain the other kids.
My function.
What I was supposed to do.
My purpose.
My job.
Our last word for today is EVIRONMENT.
A four-syllable word with second-syllable stress.
The first unstressed syllable can have either the EH as in Bed vowel or IH as in Sit vowel.
In IPA, you'll see it with EH, environment, but you can also say: ihn-- ihn-- environment.
It's not that different because it's an unstressed syllable.
The ending T will probably be a stop T at the end of a thought, or linking into a word
that begins with a consonant, and it might be dropped or a stop T if the next word is
a vowel or diphthong.
Noun, the surrounding or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Human activity affects the Earth's environment on many levels.
Notice how I made that a Stop T. Environment on many levels.
That's the most common pronunciation that you may hear it as a dropped T when it links
into a word that begins with a vowel or diphthong, I could've said: Environment on many levels.
Dropping the T. Let's look at this up close and in slow motion.
And now, we'll go to Youglish to see 5 examples of environment in sentences.
You bring it up at a dinner party or in a workplace environment.
A workplace environment.
The surroundings at work.
That would be different than your home environment, for example.
You bring it up at a dinner party or in a workplace environment.
Another example.
The media environment - particularly the social media environment - drives negativity.
The social media environment.
The conditions around us created by social media like checking our posts, comparing with others.
These conditions can drive negativity.
The media environment - particularly the social media environment - drives negativity.
Another example.
I'm in this environment where all my teammates, they were better than me.
In an environment with all my teammates.
In surrounding with teammates, in a place with my teammates.
I'm in this environment where all my teammates, they were better than me.
Here's another example.
Nobody's born with an accent, the accent comes from the environment.
Comes from the environment.
Comes from our surroundings.
Nobody's born with an accent, the accent comes from the environment.
Another example.
Controlled environment agriculture is actually just a fancy way of saying weather - or climate-proof
farming.
Controlled environment.
Trying to control the things that surround us.
Controlled environment agriculture is actually just a fancy way of saying weather - or climate-proof
farming.
Seeing their real-life examples can really help you understand how to use these words,
can't it?
I have a challenge for you now.
Make up a sentence with one of these words, and post it to social media, tag me, and use
the hashtag #rachelsenglish30daychallenge
Don't be shy, you can do this.
Our next video comes out tomorrow at 10AM Philadelphia time, come back to learn four
more vocabulary words.
In the meantime, keep your studies going with this video, and check out my online courses
at rachelsenglishacademy.com You'll become a more confident English speaker.
And please do remember to subscribe.
I love being your English teacher.
That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.