7 Effective Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary
Do you find yourself tongue-tied at times when you need to make a point? Is articulation something you have been struggling with for quite some time now? Do you feel hesitant participating in discussions for you feel at a loss for words? Who doesn’t want to come across as a smart, educated, and confident person? Vocabulary is one of the predictors of that.
English is an internationally accepted language of communication. In this era of globalization, it has become imperative to know the language. With so many multi-national companies hiring people from across the globe and so many students moving to different countries for further studies, it would just make it easier for you if you know the language well. But just how do you improve your vocabulary.
While it is easy to remember words when we see them, it’s recalling them in your hour of need that pinches a lot. And that is why you need to learn a few ways that will help you improve your vocabulary.
Here are 7 effective ways to improve your vocabulary:
1. Read
Read all that you can, everywhere that you can. One of the most effective ways to improve your language and your vocabulary is to read. It opens up doors for you like no other. You not only get exposed to new words, you get exposed to new ideas. It helps build up your knowledge, which is as important as having a good knowledge of vocabulary. Become a voracious reader.
Read everything that you can lay your hands on – novels, newspaper, journals, autobiographies, magazines, just to name a few.
2. Make Dictionary Your Best Friend
It’s only when you look for a word in a dictionary, you get to know its precise meaning, synonyms, antonyms and its uses. You can buy a dictionary for yourself and keep it handy. Or if it’s too much to carry one around, well, in this age of internet and smartphones, you can install dictionaries on your phone. The best dictionary to install on your smartphone is WordWeb.
3. Make It a Habit
While it may be easy to pick up a novel or a dictionary one of these days, what will really help you improve your vocabulary is your habit. Instill in yourself the habit of reading at least 30 minutes a day, if not more and another 20 minutes daily to use the dictionary, looking up difficult words. Unless you make it a habit, just doing it once in a while won’t really help.
4. Learn One New Word Daily
While you go on to make it a habit to read regularly, keep a diary and write down a new word daily in it. Right from its meaning to its alternate definitions and usage, pen it down. And then use that word to construct a sentence all by yourself. As you progress ahead, increase the numbers of words to at least 5 or 10 per day. And keep the diary handy.
5. Make it Fun
It gets boring to learn new words the traditional way all the time. But who said learning isn’t fun? Pick up a newspaper and start solving crossword puzzles. For many, it’s a big task to solve crossword puzzles. But they are one of the best ways to enhance your vocabulary. Solve at least one crossword puzzle a week.
6. Make it Personal
Nothing will help you use a new vocabulary more than using it to construct a personal sentence. Get attached to your words and use them in personal sentences. That way, the words hold more meaning for you and become active in your memory.
7. Internet
These days, the internet has become everyone’s best friend. There are a lot of online resources you will come across that will help you improve your vocabulary. Solve vocabulary worksheets, play with synonyms and antonyms, use every possible resource that you come across online to improve your vocabulary.
While it may initially seem a herculean task to improve your vocabulary, it is just a matter of time before it becomes a habit which you can't live without. A habit that makes you feel confident and proud of yourself.
