11 beginner tips to expand your vocabulary
In today’s world, almost 1.35 billion people in the world know and speak English. However, not all of them are fluent and coherent in this language.
English can pose to be a tough language for a beginner as it consists of complicated entities like homophones, synonyms and antonyms. So, it can get complicated for beginners to learn and speak.
In this article, we’ll tell you the best 11 effective tips and methods that will help you expand your vocabulary and become fluent in English!
Through Reading
Reading is one of the most beautiful and calming experiences. It is also acclaimed to be the most effective way of learning English.
Reading is a one-person activity hence, while reading, an individual can take his/her time and understand the words and their usage deeply.
Relevant Blogs
Reading blogs about the places and things you love will fascinate you and it will motivate you to read more and learn more.
Moreover, reading about your hobbies or your favourite celebrities will keep you interested and you would want to read more.
Try to keep note of the new words that you didn’t know and try to understand them in their context. If you couldn’t understand the meaning of the word, then you can copy and paste it into Google Translate to understand what it means.
Popular Literature
Reading comics and illustrated books will fantasise you and will lead to an expansion of your imagination level. With the help of graphics, you will learn new words.
If you are reading a popular book, then there is a high probability that you will be able to find a translation in your language as well.
Through Listening
We learn our basic words in our early childhood and it is through listening that we can grasp words and infer their meanings.
Listening has a high impact on the way we speak and pronounce English words. There are a lot of ways to learn English through the act of listening.
Music
Music is a good and fun way to get a grasp of the language. However, understanding English songs can be a little tough in the beginning.
But, eventually, you will start to understand the words and infer the meaning of the song. This is a fun way to immerse oneself in the western culture and adopt English.
Ring into the music type and genre that you usually hear in your language. This will help you retain your interest in English music.
The best way is to open the lyrics of the song you are listening to and follow along. It will help you learn the right pronunciation of words and learn new vocabulary while having fun.
Events
Attend events in which the anchoring is done in English. For example, you can attend sports events in which they have English commentators.
This way, you will be able to learn and listen to new words. Eventually, your vocabulary will improve and grow.
Through Researching
Did you know that you can totally expand your English vocabulary through researching? All you need to do is take a dictionary, flip to a random page, and check out the given words.
Now, what if you don’t have a dictionary? In such a case, you can try to find out how many 4 letter words exist online, 5-letter words, and so on.
Through Writing
Writing is an efficient way to get a hold of a foreign language. Practice makes you perfect. Hence, the more you write in English, the better your command will be.
Journalling
Keep a daily journal of your day. Express how you felt the whole day, but not in your native language, try to write in English. This is an interesting way to include new words.
This method will help you to use more complicated and good words in your daily conversations and you will get a better understanding of new words.
Look for Synonyms
If you wish to expand your vocabulary or your word bank, then you must start to look for similar words or synonyms. This way you’ll push yourself to use new words.
There are a lot of apps that can help you to find good and complicated words that act as a synonym. These words help you to communicate easily.
Through Watching
Watching shows and cartoons in English will force you to run your brain and understand what the character on the screen is trying to convey.
By watching English shows and serials you will also be able to understand how a word can be placed in different contexts and the mannerisms and gestures that go with them.
TV and Movies
Watching English movies is considered to be a casual way to learn English. It is almost similar to reading illustrated books. We get visual cues to understand the words’ meanings.
You will also understand the difference between the American and the British accent. This way, your pronunciation will improve.
But here’s the catch, people often turn on the closed captioning in English to visualise the words that are being spoken. This is an effective method as it combines reading and listening.
Educational Videos
Thanks to the internet, learning English has never been easier. There are thousands of videos on YouTube teaching you how to speak English fluently. There are also courses made by professional teachers and linguists.
Through Conversing
By speaking or by conversing in English, a person gains confidence and learns to speak in English with everyone. Practice makes us better.
Hence, the more we speak and talk in English, the better it will be. Conversations allow you to learn more about pronunciation. They will also add to your vocabulary.
Talk to Fluent Speakers
Host a dinner night or a virtual game night with your English-speaking friends and family. This way you’ll get to converse with all of them.
Ask your guests to give you feedback on the way you speak and pronounce the English words. This activity will make you fluent and clear in the language.
Fellow English Companions
Learn the language from other learners. Join a group where people learn English or meet with people who are learning the language locally.
Pledge to speak in English whenever you are with your study group or companions. This way, you will be able to motivate each other to speak English.
Final Thoughts
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. That’s why it is essential to learn it to grow your career and have a lot more opportunities.
Most people do not understand all the words due to the complicated accents of the language. But gradually, everyone starts to understand. We hope that the article helped you!