The Need for Synonyms (continued)
Recently, I've been talking about how important synonyms are for taking your TOEIC score to the next highest level. Of course, the more synonyms you learn for the words you already know, the more likely you can spot the KEY word(s) from the question inside the passage, conversation, or talk. Not only that, but you will make your speaking and writing more natural and sophisticated, too.
It's quite childish than when someone repeats the same word over and over (and over and over). 
One method for acquiring the synonyms is to make what I call "word packages." These are groups of four words, ideally synonyms, that you try to learn at the same time. Think about it: if you study four totally unrelated words, you must expend four times the cognitive energy to acquire these words.
On the other hand, if you study words which are closely related to each other, ideally synonyms,then the amount of effort is much less than four times. 
Here's an example:
Let's take a word everyone knows well. GOAL. For example, "My goal for the TOEIC is 800." What are some other words which have the same meaning?
GOAL
TARGET
AIM
OBJECTIVE
This would be a great word package. On one side of your vocabulary card you write the Japanese (目標). On the other side, you write "goal" in the center, but write the other three words in the upper-right-hand corner.
Here's another word package:
REQUIRED
MANDATORY
COMPULSORY
OBLIGATORY
Now, I'll admit that the words in this word package are right on the border in terms of how difficult the TOEIC vocabulary load is. But, without a doubt, if you are targeting a score about 800, this is the level of vocabulary that you should control.
Anyway, I hope that you'll try to use the concept of word packages when you design your vocabulary study program.
Robert
Recently, I've been talking about how important synonyms are for taking your TOEIC score to the next highest level. Of course, the more synonyms you learn for the words you already know, the more likely you can spot the KEY word(s) from the question inside the passage, conversation, or talk. Not only that, but you will make your speaking and writing more natural and sophisticated, too.
It's quite childish than when someone repeats the same word over and over (and over and over). One method for acquiring the synonyms is to make what I call "word packages." These are groups of four words, ideally synonyms, that you try to learn at the same time. Think about it: if you study four totally unrelated words, you must expend four times the cognitive energy to acquire these words.
On the other hand, if you study words which are closely related to each other, ideally synonyms,then the amount of effort is much less than four times. Here's an example:
Let's take a word everyone knows well. GOAL. For example, "My goal for the TOEIC is 800." What are some other words which have the same meaning?
GOAL
TARGET
AIM
OBJECTIVE
This would be a great word package. On one side of your vocabulary card you write the Japanese (目標). On the other side, you write "goal" in the center, but write the other three words in the upper-right-hand corner.
Here's another word package:
REQUIRED
MANDATORY
COMPULSORY
OBLIGATORY
Now, I'll admit that the words in this word package are right on the border in terms of how difficult the TOEIC vocabulary load is. But, without a doubt, if you are targeting a score about 800, this is the level of vocabulary that you should control.
Anyway, I hope that you'll try to use the concept of word packages when you design your vocabulary study program.
Robert
This year I'll take TOEIC test 10 times or so, and SW test as well.
If I can do something for you, I'd be willing to join your team informally. At the same time, I want to continue pursuing 990.
Please contact me through the mail form I wrote here or through my blog,,,,or twitter.
Some time in future, maybe in 2015, I'm thinking about joining TTT seminar.
BTW, now that you have your 990, would you be willing to informally join our "team" of TOEIC experts who look for specific things on when they take the test? For example, does TOEIC still use the apostrophe with decades (1920's vs. 1920s)? Having more "eyes" on a problem will help all of us deepen our understanding of the test.
I'm Jun.
I remember you told me the importance of
synonyms at the 860 seminar in March 2012.
It's been a while no contacting you. Today I have a good news!!
Finally I've got 990 for TOEIC in December.
I like 頂上制覇トリプル模試.
In addition to that, I used 頂上制覇TOEIC SW book for TOEIC SW and got 180/190 for TOEIC SW in December, which is my best score!
Thank you so much.
I'll continue taking TOEIC and TOEIC SW, and I'll challenge TOEFL in April as well.
See you sometime in the future.
Thank you again.
Jun