Master your English vocabulary using 9 simple methods 

Do you struggle to find words when you talk in English? Do you get stuck in a conversation because you do not know what word to use? It is because your English vocabulary is poor. English is a second language for a majority of the people in the world. Hence, many speakers who learn to speak English start with an average knowledge of English vocabulary. The good news is you can learn and enrich your vocabulary with a few easy-to-use tips. You will see yourself speaking English fluently since words flow to you easily.

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Many people across the world are upgrading themselves by learning English. Those who aim for higher education and jobs in countries such as the United States need to qualify for English language tests to be eligible.

English language tests such as IELTS are conducted to assess a candidate’s ability to converse in English fluently. It includes both understanding the words and expressing using words. Candidates are expected to score high on these tests since they ensure their proficiency in English. Improving your English vocabulary is thus indispensable.

In addition to that, most companies today are multinational. So even though you prefer to work in India, you need to learn and speak English fluently because most Indian companies work with global clients.

English vocabulary helps you even if you want to travel to different countries since English is the most widely spoken language in the world. You can learn to speak English fluently and become a digital nomad.

While grammar is an important component of a language, vocabulary is the fuel with which you can express yourself coherently. Therefore, knowing English grammar rules alone is not sufficient if you do not have a rich English vocabulary.

And today it is easier to learn new words and add to your vocabulary. There are a few practical steps to follow and voila, you can sail through the English language like a pro.

Have a look at methods you can use at your comfort, and build your English vocabulary.

1.       Read for 10 minutes every day

There is no shortcut to finding words. You need to read to find new words to improve your English vocabulary. You can choose to read a newspaper or a blog on a topic of your interest. You can read books or stories that interest you. All these reading materials will have a host of words that you can familiarise yourself with. You can learn the context in which a word is used. You can make a note of whether the word is used as a noun, adjective or as any other part of speech.

2.       Make a dictionary your friend

While your real friends may or may not help you excel in your career or life, a dictionary will unquestionably enrich your English vocabulary and make you stand out in a crowd. A dictionary will have the meanings of words, the correct pronunciation of words and also examples of sentences in which a said word can be used. Today, there are several dictionary apps available.  So you can walk around with a dictionary.

3.       Learn synonyms and antonyms

It is not enough if you pick a word, learn its meaning and stop at that. To have an advansed English vocabulary, you need to widen your search for words. You need to look for synonyms which are words having the same or similar meaning, and antonyms words that have an opposite meaning. This step introduces you to more words.

4.       Write

Simply learning words will not enhance your English vocabulary just as theory cannot help a person understand unless the knowledge is practically used. Similarly, you have to implement the knowledge of your words by using them to write short and simple sentences. Use them in the right context. This exercise helps you retain the words in your memory. More importantly, when you are having a conversation about a similar context, you can easily pick suitable words. A majority of people fail to remember the words because they do skip this step of writing contextual sentences using words they learn.

5.       Use words in a conversation

In addition to the previous step is to start using your newly learnt words in a conversation. Every day you are involved in a lot of activities and several conversations. Most of these conversations are expressions, opinions and descriptions of some sort. Grab such opportunities to use the words you have learnt. The more you use the new words, the more chances of those words entering the English vocabulary bank.

6.       Pick words from your surroundings

You do not need to look for specific or special places to learn new words. You will find many words in your surroundings and add them to your English vocabulary. You can pick words from movies and TV shows you watch and the songs and speeches you listen to. An added advantage of this is that you also get familiarised with the pronunciation of the words and the context in which those words are used.

7.       Set achievable goals

Oftentimes, people fail to achieve their goals because they set big goals. While it is not wrong to have big goals, it is crucial to break those big goals into smaller goals so that you can achieve them one at a time. For example, instead of learning five or ten new words a day set a goal to learn just one new word a day. This may look underrated, but learning one new word for three months successfully is better than missing or discontinuing the goal to learn five or ten words a day. You will notice that this small goal can get you exceptional results in terms of speaking English fluently.

8.       Carry a pocket word bank

While this might be old-fashioned, carrying a pocket notebook where you list the words you learn can come in handy. Our memory is short and sometimes unreliable. So it is wise to write down the words in a pocket notebook that can be carried easily. This can be a quick reference when you want to re-read the words. This pocketbook will be your word bank and your key to acing English vocabulary and language.

9.       Play word games

You can make your English vocabulary-building exercise a fun activity by playing word games including flash cards or playing scrabble. This method tests your ability to recollect what you have learnt and to prompt you to learn new words.

English is an easy language to learn. While basic rules of English grammar sets a foundation for your English language fluency, a rich vocabulary helps you to build and grow on that foundation. You can use these simple to use methods every day to see the results.

Here is a quick activity for you. Make a list of five words from this article that you are learning for the first time. Learn the meanings of those words, frame sentences and send an email to get the e-book on ‘phrases to use every day’ absolutely for free.

You can learn about English grammar skills here.

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