LESSON 38, Build your Vocabulary 6

Choose a few of these simple strategies to improve and develop your Vocabulary:

1. Subscribe to word-of-the-day emails:
Sign up for one of these programs, which deliver information on a new word each day. As long as you commit to reading the emails, it’s an easy way to expand your vocabulary.

2. Make use of your dictionary:
It sounds simple, but keeping your dictionary on hand as you read your novel, magazine, or the daily newspaper.

3. Keep a vocabulary journal:
Whether you choose to record your words-of-the-day or just jot down unfamiliar words you as you encounter them, keeping a vocabulary journal will help reinforce new language. The very act of writing things down helps us to remember things, plus you’ll be able to look back through your journal whenever you like. You can even draw pictures or diagrams next to words to help you associate meanings with something more concrete.

4. Practice using your new words:
They say if you don’t use it, you lose it. I think that applies to vocabulary, as well. If you learn a new word per day, but never take the time to actually use them in conversation or in your writing, you’ll soon forget their meanings.

5. Curl up with a word puzzle:
What could be more fun (and less work-like) than increasing your word power with games and puzzles? Crosswords, word searches, cryptograms and word trivia games make learning fun.