5 Ways to improve your English vocabulary

One of the most difficult things about learning a language is having enough words to make a decent conversation. So, here are 5 ways to improve your English vocabulary:

Carry a vocabulary notebook

Nowadays it may seem a bit strange carrying notebook around with you what with smartphones and tablets. I promise you it’s a good idea though, carry a notebook that you can slip in your pocket. Writing words down in context can help you remember things and also flicking through the pages can help you remember certain situations. It can be more personalised and you can draw illustrations too.

Little and often

Try and spend a little time every day looking at new vocabulary. This will help you reinforce what you are learning. It’s also better than leaving it to the last minute or the day before your exam! Reading is one of the best ways to expose yourself to new vocabulary.

Read, read and read some more

Reading is a great way to discover new vocabulary. I would recommend getting a book that suits your level. The Penguin Readers books are great for this as they are graded. So, you can choose an intermediate level book for example and the story and length will be suitable for your level. Another good idea is reading a book that you have already read in your own language. This way you know the plot and know you like the book too!

Visualise

Visualising things can be a really useful way of remembering words. For example the word for ‘table’ in Spanish is ‘mesa’. A good way to remember is by visualising a messy table as the word ‘messy’ is similar then this will help you make the connection.

Be curious

Think about your target language and keep noticing words linked to it. Make sure you look up a word you don’t understand and think about the words you would frequently use in your own language.

That’s it for now but we will be back with 5 more ways to improve your English vocabulary soon! In the meantime take a listen to our podcast episode on this subject: