How To Improve Vocabulary In English: 9 Ways To Build Word Power
In our increasingly globalised world, knowing how to speak, read, and write in English is expected of students and professionals alike, and is a soft skill (often even a hard skill) that can make or break your career. But English isn’t the easiest of languages to learn. Its words are derived and borrowed from a variety of other languages, such as German, Latin, and even Sanskrit, which makes it no simpler to understand them, nor does it provide a roadmap to go about learning them.
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Why Do You Need A Good Vocabulary In English
The English language can be a confusing blur of overlapping rules of grammar, often with a variety of exceptions, never-ending lists of word synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, that are seemingly without any rhyme or reason. Webster’s International Dictionary lists over 450,000 words, for instance. But no one expects you to learn them all. Having a bigger vocabulary, however, does lend more control and confidence in your ability to converse in English, understand others, and get your point across.
How To Improve Your Vocabulary
Be it to better your grades, conversing with your peers and colleagues, understanding a multi-layered text, or in simple everyday communication with friends, we use words as the basic unit of meaning to express ourselves, talk about ideas and solutions, and build interpersonal relationships. It is ever-so more important, then, to deliberately explore new words and assimilate them into your own personal lexicon. Here are a few tried-and-tested strategies and tips that will teach you how to increase your vocabulary of words and improve student vocabulary.
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1. Read
Become a voracious reader. That is the best way to be introduced to new words fast and also understand them set within a context. This will teach you how to use a certain word in a sentence or a phrase and what meaning it brings forth. Books, newspapers, essays, poems, course material, read whatever you can and underline the words whose meanings you don’t understand, and look them up online or in a dictionary. Learn the meaning and read the text again to see how the word is used.
With repetition, these once-unknown words will be so absorbed that you will know them intuitively and learn to use them with confidence and style. This is a habit that you have to inculcate in yourself, even if it takes time. Besides helping you learn how to increase vocabulary, reading is also a highly valuable hobby to develop that has far-reaching benefits.
2. Keep A Dictionary Handy
This goes hand-in-hand with reading and being exposed to new words. There is a garden variety of online dictionary apps that you can choose from. They all provide, at the bare minimum, word definitions, synonyms, antonyms, examples, etc. You can also get a pocket dictionary to quickly look up a word if you don’t want the distraction of using your phone.
3. Play Word Games
Learning how to improve your vocabulary is best done in play. Playing games like Scrabble, Hangman, or doing the crossword in the daily newspaper is a fun way to learn new words that encourage memory recall and free association. These things further assist one in learning how to increase vocabulary and use the new words in novel settings and context.
4. Word Of The Day
For those too busy to devote time to reading and actively learning new words daily, simply being exposed to one new word a day is still beneficial. Many online dictionaries and apps also have a “word of the day” which will pop up in your feeds if you’re subscribed to their platform. Even if you understand a particular word, being the ‘word of the day’, it will force you to look at it again, learn it anew, and go deeper into its meaning and origin.
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5. Understand The True Meaning Of A Word
Rote learning is well and good if you’re cramming for an exam, but if you want to truly understand the meaning of words and learn how to improve your vocabulary exponentially, then there is no shortcut to knowing what the words truly mean. Going deeper into word analysis and etymology, the origins and roots of a word, its prefixes and suffixes, and other elements that make it up is a thorough process of learning that will fix the word into your vocabulary.
You can write down a word and break down its elements into small thought bubbles. Take for example the word “vocabulary” itself. Its Latin root vocabulum means simply “a list of words” which is further derived from the word vocare, which means “to call, or name”.
6. Use New Words In Conversations
Our memory of words follows the ‘use it or lose it’ principle, especially if they are newly learned. If you learn words but don’t use them, you may end up forgetting what they meant. To learn how to improve your vocabulary, make the conscious effort of using new words in conversations, while writing, and while thinking. The sound of the new words may seem awkward and out of place at first, but if you are using them correctly, you will become confident and comfortable in using them fluently over time.
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7. Write
Besides reading, writing is the fastest way to develop an intimate knowledge of words. Writing forces us to think about the words we are using in different ways to communicate an idea or develop a thought. Once the definition of a word is understood, incorporating it into your writing is a surefire way of learning how to increase your vocabulary and grow your personal lexicon. You can create a word journal to list all the new words you’ve learnt over a period of time and go over them periodically to keep their meaning refreshed in your memory.
8. Consume Movies And Media In English
Even consuming movies and media in English is a way of subconsciously feeding your mind new words. Because they’re used within a context, it is easier to get a grasp on the intended meaning of words, often without having to check their dictionary definitions.
Nowadays, most of the movies and video content that we consume come with a ‘CC’ (closed captions) option that you can turn on to have the spoken words captioned on your screen. Listening to music with English vocals is another way of casually being exposed to new words. Because the words are repeated in a musical setting, they are also easier to memorise and understand.
9. Listen And Observe
As you broaden your vocabulary and become attuned to new words, you will naturally recognise and come across them more. Keep an eye (and ear) out for words that you’re already learning to see how they appear and flow in other people’s conversations. This will not only help you learn how to increase your vocabulary of words but also to use them differently than you are used to.
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Conclusion
Learning how to improve student vocabulary is not restricted to classroom learning alone, but is rather a lifelong endeavour. Words are learnt over time, with exposure and frequent use. Remember to incorporate the learning methods and tips that work best for you and become an effective learner and communicator in the English language.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - How To Improve Vocabulary In English: 9 Ways To Build Word Power
Question: How can I speak fluently?
Answer:
Speaking English fluently will require you to have a good command over the the language, including its grammar, word pronunciation, and sentence construction. The more you speak a language, the better you’ll be at speaking it. Even if it feels awkward or you make mistakes at first, fret not. Keep practicing and learning from your mistakes and it will become natural.
Question: How can I be good in English?
Answer:
Hello Aspirant
Here are some tips to improve English-
1) Start reading novels, poems, prose, news articles, and short stories. Reading helps you work on your vocabulary a lot. Never stop reading, whatever interests you.
2) Watch Hollywood movies, YouTube interviews in English with subtitles on.
3) Listen to English songs. I know it might sound weird but trust me, it will do wonders to your speaking skills.
4) Think in English. I know many people say 'speak in English' but I know it's not easy for us Indians to find people who are willing to in English with us and we don't feel comfortable when we are not confident. But start thinking in English. This proved to help me a lot.
Again, to emphasize it, read, read and read a lot. Hope this helps
Question: What are the 5 vocabulary strategies?
Answer:
A few ways that you to learn how to increase your vocabulary include reading, playing word games, consuming media in English, writing, and using learnt words in daily conversations.
Question: How can I improve my vocabulary at home?
Answer:
To learn how to improve your vocabulary at home, read the newspaper or books of your liking, identify unknown words and their definitions, and use them with in your conversations with friends and family.
Question: How can I improve my vocabulary and fluency?
Answer:
To improve your vocabulary, read and consume media to come across new words, find out their definitions, and incorporate them in your conversations and writing.