Article: Words aren't much good unless you know how to use them. Learning vocabulary in phrases rather than as isolated words is most helpful because it gives you context to help remember the meaning and gives you practicing using the vocabulary in natural ways.  “J'en ai marre” (“I've had enough” in French) is an example of a phrase. Learning vocabulary in phrases helps you determine which words to use to “sound right” (called collocations). For instance, “I had a cup of powerful tea” and “I had a cup of strong tea” are both grammatically correct in English, but the latter sounds right because it is said more often. Watching television, films, and other videos in foreign languages gives you chances to learn new vocabulary and to hear how it is used in authentic speech. If you are interested in the sources, you are more likely to pay attention and learn, so choose some that you love!  Podcasts, YouTube videos, streaming films and programs, songs, and similar sources can all be great ways to learn. As you watch and listen, pay attention to any vocabulary you know, and write down new words and phrases you hear. You can pick up lots of vocabulary quickly from reading, especially if you read out loud. When learning a foreign language, make it a point to read at for at least a few minutes each day. Read whatever you find interesting.  Studying a variety of texts is a surefire way to pick up vocabulary. Try reading the news, fiction, essays, comics, and even advertisements. When you encounter new words, try to guess their meaning first, based on the context. Then write them down and look them up later for practice and study. There are tons of possibilities out there, including Duolingo, Drops, and Memrise. While you can't really learn a language just from studying apps, they can be a great way to build vocabulary in a fun, interactive way. Most apps involve games (like matching words to pictures) and other tools that can make the learning experience engaging and help you retain words. Groups of words together that relate to a common topic are easier to learn than lists of words that are all over the place. Textbooks usually present new words in this way, but if you're learning on your own, you can follow the same principle. For instance, if you are studying German and interested in music, you could study not only “die Musik” (“music”), but also words and phrases like:  ”Die Band” (“band”) ”Der Jazz” (“jazz”) ”Das Konzert” (“concert”) ”Ich spiele Gitarre” (“I play guitar”) ”Mein Lieblingssänger ist Michael Jackson” (“My favorite singer is Michael Jackson”) If you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of vocabulary you have to master to in order to understand and use a foreign language, look for cognates. These are words that look the same or nearly the same and have similar meanings in different languages. That means they're easy to remember.  For example, “computer” in German is “der Computer.” Likewise, “to drink” is “trinken,” which looks very similar. Just watch out for “false friends,” or words that look the same but actually have different meanings. For instance, “actuel” in French does not mean “actual,” but “current” or “up to date.” Many languages (like Spanish, German, and Russian) group nouns into different grammatical genders, which usually have no relation to biological gender. Learn the gender together with the noun's spelling and meaning so you'll know how to use it properly later on.  For instance, “dog” in French is "le chien" and NOT “la chien.” Learn the vocabulary as “le chien” and not simply “chien.” Similarly, if you're learning verbs, make sure to study their correct conjugation.

What is a summary?
Learn vocabulary in phrases to maximize retention. Draw on multimedia sources to enrich your learning. Read often to build context. Try language learning apps. Group words into categories to pick them up faster. Focus on cognates to build confidence. Make sure to learn to gender of nouns, if applicable.