Dictionaries are bulky and sometimes overwhelming, even if they are very useful for learning another language or improving your first.
They also include lots of words we don’t use on a daily basis, thus the creation of word a day calendars, as a method to increase our vocabulary.
Both of these have words that are part of our functional or daily vocabulary but what is that and why is it important for learning a language?
What is functional vocabulary?
Functional vocabulary is words useful for your everyday life. They have a purpose or function for you.
For example, a mechanical engineer doesn’t need to know the name of every flower.
What’s functional for you might not be functional for somebody else and this depends on your job, life, circumstances, background, and other variables.
Often you’ll hear this term used in Speech Language circles or speech therapy.
Speech therapists are referring to the words needed to help your child function in everyday life. Some therapists will teach sign language until your child is verbal enough. This is also functional language.
Why is it important to learn functional language?
As mentioned before, functional vocabulary is words useful for your everyday life.
Can you imagine not being able to communicate your wants or needs? As a parent with small children, I see their frustration trying to communicate. Their functional language is smaller than mine but still important regardless.
Functional language or communication limits frustration and meltdowns.
It can include signs as well as spoken words or sounds. All my toddlers before learning to talk clearly learned to drag me to the item they wanted, whether a snack from the pantry or toy from a shelf. This still counts, because their behavior functioned to meet their needs.
All those parent memes of a mom understanding their child’s gibberish are related to functional vocabulary (and the foreign language of toddler speak moms become fluent in).
Because their child is able to communicate their needs in a way mom understands, they’re able to get their needs met and that all serves a function!
Obviously as children get older, their language skills develop so that anyone (not just mom) can understand them but the function of words and communication still stands.
How can functional vocabulary help you learn another language?
Knowing that functional vocabulary is your daily words, when learning a new language, think of your first language functional vocabulary.
Start with those words to learn first. They’ll be relevant, easier to use, and remember.
If you won’t or can’t use it easily and daily then you won’t use it enough to benefit from a second language!
Life related functional vocabulary includes food, clothing, items around your house.
For example, we say a lot of stop (stopp) or gentle (sanft) in my house with 3 boys. But we also practice colors, please + thank you, and food. Anytime they have a need (more noodles) we practice in both English and German.
What is a functional dictionary and can it help me learn new vocabulary?
A functional dictionary has your functional vocabulary.
It can be paper or digital.
A simple list or a fancy book.
It can have pictures or just words.
It doesn’t even have to have all the words you need to know.
The goal of a functional dictionary is that it is a dictionary that has YOUR functional vocabulary. It meets your language learning needs.
