A great vocabulary is just another tool to add to a language learners toolbox. Learning vocabulary doesn’t mean you have to study the dictionary. In today’s world there are many fantastic ways to broaden your lexicon.
Firstly, READ, READ, READ!! Opening books and delving into the fantastic worlds
which adorn the pages of a great novel will naturally help with vocabulary building.
There’s no need to find the definition for every word, but choose some interesting words
and write them down.
Keep a vocab diary and everytime you come across a new and exciting word jot it
down. One tip to remember the word is to make it your own. Try to create a personal
sentence with the new piece of vocabulary and slip it into natural conversation. Using
the language in context will help you remember it.
The online world is filled with places to discover new words. One of the easiest ways to
learn is to sign up to Word A Day dictionaries. These are online forums which
email you a new piece of vocab each day. The pronunciation, explanation, phenetics and
example sentences are all included and best of all …it’s free!! Check out the
merriam-webster dictionary to get started!
Another great way to build that vocabulary is to learn the roots of words. By
understanding the word in all of it’s glorious forms, you can learn more words in a
shorter period of time. Remember most words in English are built from a common root
so explore the possible prefixes, suffixes, adjective and verb forms of words and soon
you will sound like you ate a dictionary for breakfast!
The most important thing is to make learning enjoyable. Speak to friends and play
board games associated with language learning. If you have five minutes to spare, check
out online ‘Scrabble’ or download fun word games onto your phone so you can get some
practice while you unwind after a busy day.
There are opportunities all around you to develop this important skill, so spend time
every day reading and listening to take in new words and in no time at all, you’ll find
your vocabulary has grown to a new level!
Discover more about learning English with Maltalingua.