Improve Your Vocabulary Easily in any Language

You must have wondered how some people learn languages so quickly. It is very nice and useful to learn a new language as it opens many new possibilities. Many people have difficulties in learning new words, especially in a foreign language. But there are ways to learn more efficiently.

We can learn new words but remembering these new words after some time is difficult. Acquired vocabulary is practically useless unless the words learned can be recalled and used. Here are some suggestions for learning new foreign language words and retaining them. These suggestions work for any language.

You have to learn to recall words, phrases and structure as well as ascribe meaning before you can become skilful at reproducing language like other users. To do this you need to provide a label, function, association, similarity, difference and multiple meaning for vocabulary words.

Techniques to Increase Vocabulary Retention

Research in how people learn languages, has repeatedly proved that you’ll remember something you’ve discovered on your own!

Now, how are you going to make that happen? You can use basic techniques to increase your vocabulary retention.

Discover Significance of New Words

As you see or hear a new word or phrase, imagine it as a challenge, a mystery waiting to be solved. So before running to the dictionary to check the meaning of the exact phrase in your mother tongue

• Try to discover its meaning from the context – e.g. Underhand. The words Under and Hand suggest something to you. In this way you can work out the meaning of the whole term. But remember to check.
• Try to guess its meaning from the structure of the word – it may contain familiar elements – e.g. Take the word transnational. If you find out the meaning of the parts national and trans, theycould give you some idea what the word could mean.
• Try to discover the origin of the word – knowing how the word came into usage can be very helpful for remembering it

A little warning here – as soon as you have a theory as to what some particular word, phrase or expression might mean, check from the dictionary or a teacher to make sure you get the right meaning. Phrasal verbs in English are very treacherous and could lead you off into a totally wrong track, so always double-check them.

Make Associations: Relate New Information to Material Already Learned

When you come across a new word while reading, listening or work activities don’t rush straight for the dictionary. If you look up a word from the dictionary and even understand it correctly the information goes to the short-term memory area in your brain. This area is what the name says, short term. If you try to recall that word after a few days, there is a high probability that you cannot remember it. The aim in learning vocabulary is to connect this new word or phrase to your long-term memory. This is best achieved through tiny hooks called associations.