Note: If you are really serious about improving your vocabulary, we highly recommend you check out the popular Ultimate Vocabulary Builder

ENHANCING YOUR VOCABULARY: HOW TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

When you decided on enhancing your vocabulary, your first step was to probably seek out ‘word lists’ or just picking up random words from the dictionary. But if you want to do more about it- learn quicker, learn more, retain better- there are several ways for significantly improving your vocabulary learning techniques. Here are some of the most effective ones:

1. PERSONALIZE

Too many times, the dictionary and word lists (downloaded off the Internet) seem like nothing but a huge collection of random words- most of which you had probably never heard of. A good way to get rid of this feeling of ‘alienation’ is to make your own word lists. Carry a sheet of paper (or better yet- a notebook) with you wherever you go and whenever you hear or read a new word, jot it down. When you get back home and have time, look up all the words on your list in the dictionary. Write down their meanings next to them and analyze how they were used in the context you came across them in. You will probably need to go over your custom word list multiple times (over a few days) before you have memorized them enough to make them yours to use for life.

2. USE ALL THE RESOURCES AT YOUR DISPOSAL

Words are very interesting phenomena. If you work on taking a genuine interest in their origins and attributes, enhancing your vocabulary will not only become easier and enjoyable but also more effective than ever. A lot of people feel that they are able to understand and retain words better when they are familiar with their roots and etymologies (which are details about the origins and constituents of words). Other people like to use a thesaurus to learn certain words and see how they relate to words in the same category. The Internet is a great resource to find out everything you want to know about any word in the dictionary.

3. GET INVOLVED WITH WRITING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING

The best way to work on, improve and test your vocabulary is by practicing it. A great way to do is through taking up writing. You don’t have to worry about getting a book published- just keeping a daily journal is practice enough. The more you write, the more you will have a need for words and the more you will want to learn them. As your vocabulary improves, you will notice fluidity in your writing as well as a higher comfort in expressing yourself. Also, if you are a shy and quiet person, you should work on changing that. Interacting is a great way to take the new words you have learnt on a test drive and learn more words from other people. Once you get more comfortable with expressing your thoughts, try your hand at public speaking such as debate contests. The more you immerse yourself in the world of reading, writing and speaking, the better your vocabulary and language skills will get.