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| Vocabulary Mindmap |
There are many proven ways to improve your vocabulary, but how to go about learning new words in a more effective way?
Make reading your habit
Reading is a very effective way to get new vocabulary, it is certainly an undeniable truth. When you read, you use words in context. Using words in context helps you remember new words - no memorization required.
Contextual understanding of words will help you guess the overall meaning of the text you are reading. This is how you can learn the language in a natural way.
The best way for beginners is to get easier reading material for reading. Pick a text which interests you more so that you will have one more reason to continue reading, you won't lose interest when you pick up the text of your interest.
Become a friend of dictionary
Dictionary is a very useful resource to know the meaning of any new word you come across while reading. A good dictionary helps you get the meaning of a new word, its synonyms, antonyms, pronunciation, and spelling. But please don't depend on a dictionary for each and every word you come across while reading. Use your dictionary only when there is no choice to make out the meaning of any word while reading.
Online dictionaries
- OneLook: this dictionary shows you definitions from other online major dictionaries.
- Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary: this has a very good name and a well-regarded dictionary. It is a very well established one.
- Ninjawords: it searches the words very fast, as it claimed on their webpage.
- Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: this is an amazing visual Thesaurus. It is an interactive dictionary which creates word-maps that blossom with meanings and branch related to words. It is highly recommended to use it in your classrooms if you are a teacher.
- Answers.com, etc are many good resources available online. Make use of those resources to enrich your English vocabulary.
A word a day
Use it or lose it
Whatever the word you learn every day from your activities mentioned above, you must use the words in your own sentences. If you don't use the word you learned, you will certainly forget the contextual meaning of the words you learned.
When you learn a new word:
- write it immediately in your notebook
- reuse it as many as possible situations
- write your own sentences using the word
- discuss with your friends and colleagues - have a conversation using it, if possible.