| 1) Read read and read- Most vocabulary words | | | | have made a mistake so bad that they are |
| are learned from context. The more words you | | | | throwing eggs at us and a rotten eggs reaches |
| are exposed to, the better vocabulary you will | | | | us. Such funny little word pictures will help you |
| have. While you read pay close attention to the | | | | remember what word means, and they are fun |
| words you don't know. First try to figure out their | | | | to make up. Also, find out which learning style |
| meaning from context, then look the words up. | | | | suits you best. Everyone learns differently. |
| Read and listen to challenging material so that you | | | | 6) Get in the habit of looking up words you |
| will be exposed too many new words. | | | | don't know- If you have a dictionary programmed |
| 2) Improve your context skills- Research shows | | | | on your computer keep it open and handy. |
| that the vast majority of words are learned from | | | | Internet service shaves dictionary and thesaurus |
| context. To improve your context skills pay close | | | | on their toolbars. Find them and look up any word |
| attention to how words are used. Doing a search | | | | you are not absolutely sure of. Use a thesaurus |
| on a word in dictionary will give you many | | | | when you write to find the word that best suits |
| examples of how that word is used in context. | | | | you. |
| 3) Practice, practise and practise-. As soon as | | | | 7) Play with words- play scrabble, ogle and do |
| you learn a new word, start using it. Review your | | | | crossword puzzles. These and other word games |
| index card periodically to see if you have | | | | are available in the computer so you are not |
| forgotten any of your new word. Perhaps on the | | | | dependent on a partner to play. |
| index card that can later be reviewed. | | | | 8) Use vocabulary lists- There are also many |
| 4) Make up as many associations and | | | | interesting word sites on the internet, many of |
| combination as possible- Say the word aloud to | | | | which send you a word each day by email. |
| activate your auditory memory. Relate the word | | | | 9) Take vocabulary test- playing games, such as |
| to words you already know, For example the | | | | the ones on this site that test your knowledge will |
| word GARGANTUAN has a similar meaning to the | | | | help you to learn new words and also let you |
| words gigantic, huge and large etc, You could | | | | know how much progress you are making. Offline |
| make a sequence small, medium, large, very | | | | sources for vocabulary tests include CAT |
| large, GARGANTUM. List as many things as you | | | | preparation books. |
| can that could be considered GARGANTUM: | | | | 10) Get excited about words- Come to appreciate |
| Godzilla, the circus fat lady. Create pictures of the | | | | the sometimes subtle differences between them. |
| word's meaning that involves strange emotions. | | | | Do you know the difference between something |
| Think GARGANTUAN creatures was going to rip | | | | that denotes something else? If not go look it up. |
| me apart and then eat me. | | | | Learn to say what you really mean and discover |
| 5) Use mnemonics- (memory tricks) for | | | | the joys of being able to express yourself in |
| example- Consider the word EGREGIOUS | | | | writing. |
| (extremely bad) think egg reach us, imagine you | | | | |