If you're learning a new language, you're probably trying hard to expand your vocabulary in that language. Here are a few tips to make this experience a little easier and more effective:
- Learn words that you need to use in ideas you want/need to express, not just random words.
- Look up a new word and learn how to spell it (orthography) as well as how to pronounce it (pronunciation) because if you don't feel confident using that word in writing and speaking, you will avoid it and won't get to use it or practice it in real life.
- Search for the origin of the word. Learning about the etymology of a word gives us a story, and our brains retain stories better than just words.
- Begin using the word immediately and repeatedly until it becomes a part of your regular vocabulary. Repeat the word in spoken and written language over a period of several days to weeks.
- If the word is used with a preposition, learn the whole thing together. If the preposition changes with the meaning or grammatical use of the word, learn one combination first and use it until it becomes comfortable before learning/ using the other.
- Don't try to learn too many words at the same time. If you don't get to practice a word, you won't really learn it, and it won't go in your word bank.
