I heard about few quite interesting methods about learning vocabulary if you learn foreign language and one of them is told to be very effective. The point is to wrtire down words you want to learn in a specific and quite unusual order. Like this:
cat
--- fog
------ tower
--------- lake
------------ pencil
----- --- monster
------ train
--- dog
ice
the thing that makes you able to remember them in short period of time is you focus on a word itself and on the place among the rest from the list. Tahnks to that you learn more and faster.
Maybe you know any other ,quite oryginal method of learning vocab
Well, simply read books. Lots of books, preferably difficult ones, and you'll pick up vocabulary without really even noticing it.
First of all, you do not want to learn vocabulary fast.
You want to learn vocabulary quickly (the adverb which is required, rather than the adjective).
But, apart from being a pedantic old sod, my recommendation is also to read books - lots of them. Not all text books - a wide variety is better. Have a dictionary to hand, and look up words that are new to you. Try to use new words in your everyday conversation.
Write lots. If you write, you are putting into practice the words that you have learnt - sometimes without even realising it. You'll also stumble, and find yourself needing a word you don't know - so reach for a thesaurus perhaps.
It has been stated (albeit not by me) - that the best way to develop and strengthen your own vocabulary is to read fiction.... and a lot of it....
Unfortunately for me I am a workaholic... love work, love business books, but don't really enjoy fiction.
I have found a good solution though.... read journal articles written by academics. Stereotypically these papers are riddled with word after word, that one would be hardpressed to use in everyday conversation but they are still great for storing in (if you have one), your own dictionary.
I do this; however (being a trainer and professonal speaker) - I am also aware of the importance of being able to simplify things... (no good saying something that no one can understand).
Drilling exercises in grammar could be helpful. If you do the drilling along the lines of "I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are you are they are". For all the different tenses. On a daily basis over a period of time, you may find it becoming easier and more effortlessly. Reading is good, but reading out aloud even better. Do it on a tape recorder and critique yourself from time to time. Spend more time in English pubs. Leonardo DiCaprio in preparation for his movie "The Blood Diamond" perfected his local English accent by attending as many pub sessions as he could. During my last short holiday in London can now understand how easily it could rub off a person, so perhaps a novel way of practicing the language. Blogging in English could also be good for you. Your own private blog where you can write without critiquing yourself.
memorize 5 new words per day. I could do that for a year..
use word cards 
u can find this at evry bookstore in your country Go to FreeRice.com and research on words you don't know.
You help yourself and help others live in the process.
| ocalhoun wrote: |
| Well, simply read books. Lots of books, preferably difficult ones, and you'll pick up vocabulary without really even noticing it. |
I second this, I don't particularly show it but my vocabulary is fairly good purely through reading a lot of books as a child.or, try having a "word of the day". pick one word that you don't know, and try to insert it into EVERY conversation you probably can. chances are, you'll end up using it in a weird and original way, and won't forget it. For example, to memorize the defenition of art:
"psht, you're so not art."
"was that supposed to be an insult?"
"of course. it means you're not beautiful, can't be interpreted, and weren't created by intent."
...burnnn"
Whenever you want to learn a new word, it doesn't stick in your head if you just learn the meaning. You must try using it somewhere repetitively. Only then will it stick in your head. So, try this method:
- Make a list of about 10-12 words you want to learn. Try writing a paragraph on anything that comes to your mind while using all these words.
- If you regularly write in a diary or journal every night or some thing, then use 5-6 new words in your diary everyday. That'll help.
- Another fun way of learning words would be playing games like Scrabble, Anagram but it only works if you enjoy those games and of course, you need to have someone to play them with who has a good vocabulary.
For me, reading is the answer.
It doesnt really need for it to be fiction or whatever.
And what my mom taught me was, if I'm reading a book, I should have a dictionary beside me.
Why?
So that once I stumble upon a word with a meaning unknown to me, it's easy to grab the dictionary, look for the word and it's meaning, and walla!
Continue my reading.
See, that way, you widen your vocabulary by reading AND learning different words and its meaning.
Why not try it?
Wouldnt hurt, would it?
Reading is great for this...of course.
I started listening to the Dennis Miller radio show two years ago and ever since, my vocabulary has increased immensely. Just picking up words and their appropriate context as I move along.
| jsarnold wrote: |
First of all, you do not want to learn vocabulary fast.
You want to learn vocabulary quickly (the adverb which is required, rather than the adjective).
But, apart from being a pedantic old sod, my recommendation is also to read books - lots of them. Not all text books - a wide variety is better. Have a dictionary to hand, and look up words that are new to you. Try to use new words in your everyday conversation.
Write lots. If you write, you are putting into practice the words that you have learnt - sometimes without even realising it. You'll also stumble, and find yourself needing a word you don't know - so reach for a thesaurus perhaps. |
love how this is a thread about learning vocab and someone goes and the corrects the grammar of someone else.
OH HAIL OUR GRAMMAR GOD jsarnold
edit: ok this post was slightly unnecessary but stillYes vocabulary is very important and it makes us what we are. If you have good vocabulary power then you can be a very successful person.
Learning vocabulary can be fun and should be treated as such. Don't just make a list of 1000 words and read. Just start with the 5 words per day and you will be amazed to see your progress.
I think memorizing 5 words daily helps a lot to learn a vocabulary fast. But it seems your system is easier and with this we can learn 9 words daily which will help us to learn vocabulary 80% more quickly. And we know if our vocabulary collection build up nicely, our efficiency in the language will also increase at the same time.
Of course to have a good vocabulary you have to read more and more books..!! Its just not reading books...While reading the books just note down the words which you feel are new to you and write down the meaning along with it..!! So you can later refer to them whenever needed...!!
Also you can learn new words from websites like www.dictionary.com ..The site has a huge collection of words and i feel they have meanings for all words in English...!! I find that i learn vocab easiest by listening to it in a humerous way, as the human mind remembers things that are amusing more easily apparently.
my old english teacher used to say that you should look up a word you don't know and then attempt to use it in normal conversation at least three times that day. That way, theres no chance of forgetting it.
I wrote 10 words everyday on card and ask my sister to hold it and I will tell her every word that I memorize.
ther is one good way to learn new word read it over and over As you mentioned in your original post, numerous methods exist. I personally rate those that I've tried according to two criteria: fun and necessity.
If your goal is to learn vocabulary in general (i.e. not for a specific task or course or not a specific vocabulary such as the words and expressions to write critical commentary on books, etc.), then you should bank on fun, that is to say get maximum exposure to what you like reading, seeing or listening to. The choice of material is indeed not limited to books, and includes:
- books,
- magazines,
- newspapers,
- movies,
- TV series,
- audiobooks,
- podcasts,
- news broadcasts, etc.
Your choice will depend both on what you like and on the general direction you feel that you need to take as far as the vocabulary is concerned. For instance, if you are learning a foreign language and want to learn everyday conversational vocabulary, films and TV series are great. If you need to learn the vocabulary of world affairs, politics and economics, get a subscription to a magazine such as The Economist (or Time, Newsweek, etc. if you want an easier read) and stick to it. If you want to develop your literary vocabulary (e.g. big words like ramshackle, erudite, chimera, etc.), then you should focus on novels, possibly from the 19th Century, optionally accompanied by their audio versions if you want to make sure you get the pronunciation right (a number of audio recordings of books can be found for free, perfectly legally, on the web; you can start with the Gutenberg project).
Important note: Contrary to what is often believed, exposure is not enough. The single greatest principle of vocabulary learning is repetition. If you want to make progress, with movies for instance, watch the same movie twice (or even more if you like) with only a few days interval (just try, you will be amazed how the dialogs, expressions, etc. become available to you). Same thing with articles, etc. Also, (and I know this part sucks), if you're in for literary vocabulary, you may need to look up words in the dictionary. The good news is that today, online dictionaries can save you a lot of time.
If you need to acquire a specific vocabulary, for instance because you need to write essays in political science or because your exam will be based on a literary text (and you're afraid to miss the point on account of poor vocabulary), then the best way is to make lists and rehearse them (which is a different kind of repetition). The best way I know to make list is to make them by subjects rather than by parts of speech (e.g. everything that has to do with this subject on one page, etc., not all adjectives on one page, etc.). A good way to rehearse alone is to hide one part of the page (for instance the words, or the definitions) and guess from the part you can see (alternatively, you might ask somebody to feed you the words or the definitions or synonyms and your job is to provide the answer). Also, a great way to learn vocabulary is to make up a sentence for each word.
Good luck!
I use imagery for really tricky words or phrases no matter how ridiculous the link. Like the word in French for pocket is 'poche' so I just think of pulling a bright red Porsche out of my pocket to showoff to my friends. Even though they aren't spelt or said exactly the same, the link is enough for me to recall how poche is spelt and said. Learning english vocab would work the same.
If it is spelling that you are after, try visualising the word in really bright, moving cartoonish letters. This is how I've learned to remember phone numbers (which I was really crap at before). Saying it in a silly voice while you're spelling it mentally could help (really helps me thinking things in cartoonish ways - really helps me remember people's names and faces!).
And, of course, just write out the word in lots of different sentences to make it stick
i read a book each week and still scrape b's in my school report
