Improving Your Vocabulary: how to maximize your learning
In a rather ironic twist, the more comfortable you are with the English language, and the more words you are familiar with, the more articulate you become. As you become more articulate, you will find that you need to rely upon less words, as you are able to express yourself in a more precise and concise manner, without having to rely upon long-winded and rambling monologues to make a point. In a commercial context this can often prove to be invaluable especially when trying to win over and charm potential clients.
If you are aiming to learn English in order to help you within your job or career choice, then you may want to rely upon industry specific vocabulary, rather than trying to learn copious amounts of arbitrary English words which have been, for all intents and purposes, chosen at random.
In effect, this will become a self-learning exercise as the words you learn will be used on a frequent basis meaning that you are constantly reinforcing what you have previously learned. Being able to see and use the context in which particular words are used in is also a great way to further expand your learning, and is the ideal way of improving your vocabulary.
One of the most ideal ways for improving your vocabulary is to design and create your own personal dictionary. Having your own personal dictionary (i.e. a dictionary that you have made yourself) offers a fantastic range of benefits, as it will allow you to insert not only the definition of a particular word, but also the context of it. You can add pictures as well, studies have indicated that visual aids and prompts are especially effective in helping the learning of new material, and are perfect for all ages. As that classic adage goes:
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
If you are learning English as a second language, then using your own personal dictionary will allow you to have an English definition which you are comfortable with contained within the dictionary and will allow you to include the definition within your own language as well. Being able to draw a comparison between the different languages will force your brain to think and actually compare the two, again making it easier to learn.
Make sure that you only include words that you will or are liable to use on a frequent basis, for example if you work in the catering industry, then it would be rather pointless and counter-productive if you were then to attempt the various names of the various animals and species of fish that are located around the world!