10 strategies to boost your English vocabulary

The foundation of all languages is vocabulary. We construct our speech around it, expressing our feelings and ideas. Even if we don’t understand a language completely, knowing a few words allows us to transmit basic information. The best writers, like those in any other industry, continually educate themselves. Reading a lot is a quick and straightforward technique to improve your writing skills. Reading exposes you to fresh terminology and ways to convey it. Writers like John Steinbeck, Stephen King, and Dan Brown are so skilled at utilizing language to paint such vivid pictures that it almost appears as if they use terminology in the same way that an artist would use a paintbrush to create a masterpiece. Given the importance of vocabulary in all facets of the English language, here are some strategies to boost yours.

Reading

As stated above, one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your vocabulary is to read as much as possible. When reading, choose materials across the spectrum, such as articles, newspapers, journals, and literature. In this way, you expose yourself to the vocabulary used in modern English and more antiquated forms of speech. In addition, reading different authors and different types of material will assist writers in creating unique word combinations. For instance, in his book On Writing, Stephen King points out that even when you find an author whose writing style you like, it is usual to endeavor to imitate it at first because you learn and ultimately find your own unique style this way.

The notebook comes in handy

When you encounter a word that you find both interesting and valuable, write that word down in a little journal dedicated to studying. Everybody knows that when you write something down, you actually remember it. In this case, you will always have a list of words to practice when you can spare some time. Another helpful hint is to implement this new piece of vocabulary into your daily speech or your writing assignments. By utilizing this word just a handful of times, you can add it into your personal vocabulary without much effort or thought.

Learning different forms of the word

The internet has plenty of valuable recommendations for writers. One of them is to learn not just one form of a word, such as a verb or noun, but write all of them in the notebook. The most convenient way to organize it is to divide the paper into columns and learn all the forms of the new word at the same time. Practically, it looks like this:

Noun: Belief

Verb: To believe

Adjective: Believable

Adverb: Believably

Consistency is key

Memory retention is needlessly lost if one doesn’t hone their skills daily. If you don’t believe me, think back on how much knowledge you would forget after summer vacation in your youth. So, it’s essential to dedicate at least 15 to 30 minutes a day to improve your English skills somehow. Expanding your vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your English aptitude in every aspect. Make sure that you write and speak with elegance, sophistication, and maybe even a little wit.

Learning synonyms

Learning synonyms is a great way to ensure that you not only memorize a lot of vocabulary words, but you also know words that are similar to them. It will come in handy when a sentence or a phrase requires you not just to use the correct vocabulary word but to select its best suitable version. In creative writing, continuous usage of the same word will make your language look poor, and the paper will not be interesting for a reader.

Memorizing words that come from one root

Some people enjoy studying new vocabulary using roots. For instance, with the root “-ject”, you can learn many words that sound similar, such as inject, object, subject, and eject. For some people, it is easier to memorize the vocabulary this way, since you study many words that come from one root. However, this particular approach is not commonly used.

Using sticky notes

Another way to diversify your learning is the utilization of sticky notes. Simply write the word on the note and stick it on your bathroom mirror. In this way, every morning or evening, you will be reminded of your daily or weekly vocabulary words that you may wish to integrate into your writing or speech. You can do this to a significant effect by identifying certain places that you know you will frequently visit at some point of the day.

Having flashcards

Flashcards are another tried and true method that has been used for decades to significant effect. Just write a word on one side with the definition and maybe even a few synonyms on the other side. Have a few dozen flashcards in a stack, and make sure to look through them at least once a day. It may not be the most attractive method to learn new vocabulary, but it is effective if given enough attention and dedication, which doesn’t amount to much more than looking through your flashcards at least once a day.

Implementing gamification method

This method is a little more exciting than my previous suggestions. There are many websites and resources online that can help you gamify your learning. Though generally more reserved for younger learners, it can feel great to let the inner child out and use games in order to learn skills that we need anyway. You can even invent your own games, such as renaming the world while you walk around, identifying objects in the language outside your native one, testing your knowledge of it in real-time.

Having a good attitude

My last suggestion is the creative one and comes straight through the heart. Of all the things that I wrote about today, I think this one is the most important. It is so essential to have the right attitude to learning vocabulary or anything in general. When you love what you do, you are always better at it. There is always a creative way to teach yourself the skills you already want to learn in an interesting and fulfilling way, turning a chore into a beloved hobby.