How can I improve my English Vocabulary?

Why is learning English Vocabulary Important?

If you are a basic English learner then you need to first learn basic Vocabulary. Without the knowledge of words you wouldn’t be able to speak English sentences and would not be able to convey thought or ideas in English.

If you are already an English speaker then also learning new words is very important. Let’s say that there is a carpenter and he only has limited tools then his work will reflect that. It would take him a lot of time to create a piece of furniture and the quality will also not be good. But if a carpenter has all the tools then he can create quickly and will high standard of quality. Similarly, when you communicate in English, the more words you have the better world you can create around you.

Yes, that’s right, the world that we create around us is mostly a result of how we communicate. Words are very important in that aspect. The more precise and accurate your words are, the better and effectively you can communicate. Now that we have discussed about the importance of vocabulary let’s have a look at what we can do to improve our vocabulary.

Go small and you have a better chance to succeed

Vocabulary is not the only thing in our lives. We are either a student or working people. May be we are looking for a job or we already have a lot of things to manage or do. So, learning vocabulary can’t be a too much time consuming thing for long for us. We need to make sure that we improve our vocabulary slowly and gradually. We should take no more than one word a day and work towards not only learning the word but also using it in our thoughts, writing and conversations.

Pick up one word on the first day. Another on the second day. Another on the third day… and so on. If you are able to do this on a daily basis then you will have learnt about 180 new words in just 6 months. Which is a lot because most of the adults learn less than that in their entire adult life. Even 50 good words are enough to make you stand out of the crowd.

Choose the right word

There are many applications and websites that can provide you with the word of the day. But please don’t fall for that. Learn the words that you are most likely to use in your daily conversations. If you don’t use the newly learnt word then it is unlikely that you will remember that word for long. So, choose the word and it will not only be easy to remember it but also to use it.

The best way to remember a word!

When we do something for which we get appreciated then we tend to do those things more. When you start using your newly learnt words then you will be appreciated by others for your vocabulary. It will give you enough motivation for going on. People who don’t know you will start referring to you like “the boy/girl/man/woman with good vocabulary. They will start complimenting you saying that your English has improved. When you start this process it takes only about 15 or 30 days for that to happen. Till then you have to motivate yourself. Use the words as much as possible throughout the day and you will see that you remember the words better.

Think in words to learn the words

The first frontier is your mind. Thoughts become words. Make sure that you don’t just learn the word and it's meaning. But you use the words in sentences. When you just look at and understand the word and its meaning, then quickly make a sentence from that word in your mind.

If you make more and more sentences from the word of the day, you will notice that it becomes easier for you to use that word while talking to people. One trick that I use is that every time I go to the washroom, I think about the word of the day and I make a sentence using it. We use the lavatory at least 8 to 10 times a day. So, automatically I make 8 to 10 sentences throughout the day. Other methods that you can try are - Every time to drink water, every time you take a break, before going to bed, right after you wake up etc. Associate the new habits with an existing habit.

Write down sentences with the word of the day

Keeping a diary or journal is a great habit. It has many benefits. I am sure that some of you already do that. So, let’s do it now. Write down about your day in the Journal every night before you go to bed. Make sure to use the new words that you are learning. If you write emails or articles or anything else, try to use the newly learnt words in your writings. 

Use the words in your conversations

So, you have a word of the day and you have used that word many times in your thoughts and writing. What you need to do now is to use it in your speech. When you talk to people make sure that you use that word at every opportunity. Sometimes, you will not get the opportunity so you need to create it. I have seen people steer the conversation in a particular direction just to use the word. During your breaks or lunch. Make sure that you use the word with people you are talking to. Every time you are having a long conversation with someone make sure that you sneak in the words. Every time you want to use the word, just think of a single sentence that you can say to someone that will make you use the word. Try to make it sound natural as much as possible, but even if it’s obvious don’t be afraid to do it.

If you apply these three things

Thinking

Writing

Speaking

Your vocabulary will improve within a few weeks and then it would become automatic. I hope that by the next month, many people would remember you as the one with good vocabulary.