Easy Ways to Build Vocabulary
It’s not really all that hard to build an advanced and
comprehensive vocabulary. Like many things in life, it’s
an ongoing process, and the best part of the process is that there’s virtually
infinite room for improvement, which means you’ll just keep getting better and
better. Of course you have to work at it. You wouldn’t think that a few months
of exercise in your teens would suffice you for the rest of your life, now
would you? Well, it’s the same with building your vocabulary – you have to keep
at it daily, and pretty soon you’ll find that you have an excellent vocabulary. And right here in this article
are a few tips to help you on your way.
One interesting way to build vocabulary is to actively
search for new words in everyday life – and when you do come upon a new word,
make sure you absorb it. Take a minute or two to go over it. If you don’t
understand it’s meaning, write it down and check up on it later – there are so
many on-line dictionaries and vocabulary sites available on the net that can
easily help you with this part. All it takes from you is a few minutes of your
time – if you can’t spare that, it’s going to be very difficult for you to
build up your vocabulary.
Speaking of on-line sites that can help you increase and
enhance your vocabulary, these sites can do more than passively help you
understand words. Virtually all of them have some teaching system where you can
sign up with the site and be sent a word every day – complete with meanings and
explanations. So, since these systems exist, it’s only right that you make use
of them.
One of the finest ways to build vocabulary is to read good
books. Newspaper gossip columns just don’t cut it – you need to really read at
least one good book a week, preferably a classic. This isn’t really as hard as
it sounds, and it is far more effective than any other method because you
improve your vocabulary while having fun, while reading and interesting piece
of literature. Another nice thing is that you absorb both new words and their
use unconsciously, meaning that you will tend to use the words learned this way
in conversations virtually automatically.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make conscious efforts
to enhance your vocabulary while reading. When you come upon a new word in a
book, write it down in a note books and memorize it. If you don’t understand
the meaning, look it up and understand it thoroughly. Then write a small
summary of the book, or of a paragraph of the book, making sure you use the new
words learned. Over the next few days, try to use those words effectively in
conversations, until the new words are an effective and useful part of your
vocabulary.
A word of caution when you build vocabulary, though – some
older books may contain archaic words that are no longer used today. When you
look up the meaning of a word you don’t understand, make sure about whether it
is in use today. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll have an incredible
vocabulary is the space of a few months.
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