5 Key Steps for Expanding your Vocabulary

These steps will help you remember new words much better and hopefully help you speak more fluently. 

1. Have a Plan 

Learning needs certain skills or strategies and when learning a language it is important to have a plan.

• How many words do you want to focus on?

• Is there a specific topic?

• How often can you review them?

• What are your goals? 

2. Repetition

A teacher can give you the information, but you need to learn how to implement them.

Write the words (with example sentences) you chose for the week on sticky notes and hang them around your home or places you look at frequently (e.g. fridge, your bedroom, desk, car, etc.).

Looking at them many times helps remembering them! 

3. English Classes

Use those new words in English classes.

Bring a list of the vocabulary and make a conscious effort to use them actively. You can also use this opportunity to ask questions about them.

Remember: Learning is in your hands - a teacher can guide you, but you have to take what they give you and run with it.

4. Create memories with them

Creating memories, e.g. finding them in songs/movies/books, with the new words allows us to remember them much better, as there will be a connection to something.

5. Practise them

Now is time to practise the newly learned words. It is even better if you pracise speaking them by, e.g. sending voice notes to family / friends, joining a speaking club or maybe take up speaking classes.

Note: Consistency is the key here. Looking at the words for 1 week might not be enough. You might have to look at them again weeks or months later...

See you in the next one,

Benjamin & Cami