In today’s world, learning a new language is not just about memorizing vocabulary. It’s also about building a foundation for understanding and speaking the target language. To help you do just that, we’re sharing eight tips that will help you quickly build vocabulary
1. Read widely
Reading is a great way to build vocabulary. You can read a wide variety of materials, including books and magazines, newspapers, blogs, and websites.
- Read what interests you
- Read in different formats (print, digital)
- Don’t just read the same thing over and over
2. Watch videos with subtitles to Build Vocabulary
Watching videos with subtitles is a great way to learn about the culture of the country you’re learning from. For example, if you are learning Spanish and want to understand how people in Spain talk about food, watch a video with Spanish subtitles. This will help you improve your listening skills and also give you an idea of what words people use when talking about food.
Subtitles can also be useful for learning vocabulary related to subjects such as science or history (for example: “The word ‘genius’ comes from Greek mythology where there was a goddess named Athena who had many different manifestations including wisdom.”)
3. Use Social Media
Social media is a great way to learn new words. You can check out word lists on Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram. You can also follow accounts like @Nabilversity. If you want to learn the most common English words in the world then go ahead and subscribe!
4. Play mobile games
Mobile games are a great way to practice your vocabulary and improve your lexicon. Mobile games can be used to practice pronunciation, reading comprehension, and even grammar. If you’re new to mobile gaming or want something more complex than Candy Crush Saga, check out these other options:
- Google word Coach – a game designed by Google to help expand English Language and Vocabulary in a Fun and Engaging Way. This new game is in Quiz form, Which appears below the Dictionary and language Translate Boxes of Google or When someone Searches for “Google Word Coach” or ” Word Coach” on Google.
- Word Coach – This game is great for learning words in context (e.g., “The boy went home”). You can also play against other users by challenging yourself with multiple timed rounds that increase the difficulty as you progress through them (e.g., “The girl danced”). The game comes with its own dictionary so there’s no risk of forgetting any new words!
- Words With Friends – This Facebook app has been downloaded over 100 million times since its release in 2009! It’s been described as “one of the best word building apps ever,” according to its developer Zynga who says this about their creation: “Words With Friends offers a unique blend of strategy & social interaction.”
5. Watch English-language content on YouTube
You can find tons of English-language content on YouTube, including videos that teach you new vocabulary.
- You will be able to learn new words by watching videos
- You can learn new pronunciation by watching videos
- You can learn new idioms by watching videos
6. Use language learning apps
Learning new words is a great way to expand your vocabulary and improve your writing skills. But learning vocabulary is not just about adding new words to your brain–it’s also about building the neural network that allows you to understand what those words mean.
Using an app like Anki, which tracks how often you use a word and its definition, will give you more context when using them in conversation or writing. If you do this regularly with different types of content (like news articles), then over time, it will become easier for others who aren’t familiar with those topics too!
Apps like Duolingo and Babbel are also beneficial in this context.
7. Collaborate with classmates
This will help you build your vocabulary and have fun.
- Collaborate with classmates. Talk about what you learned and how it applied to the situation at hand.
- Join study groups with other students to practice conversation and discuss topics relevant to the classroom environment or beyond (e.g., sports, current events).
- Form a language exchange with people in another country where they speak your target language so that you can practice using it in everyday life!
8. Use flashcards
- use Anki or Memrise
- Make your own Flashcards
- Use a flashcard app. There are plenty of apps that allow you to create custom-made flashcards, and most of them are free (the only paid option is Anki). If you have an iPad, it’s especially easy to use the built-in camera feature on your phone as well as some apps like Anymous or Camera+. If you’re using an Android device, there are plenty of options in Google Play Store: Card Dioramas ($4), Supermemo ($2), Quizlet (free), etc..
The more you learn, the more it’ll show. But if you’re trying to build your vocabulary and get more comfortable with English, these are some tips that will make your learning experience much faster and easier. Here are eight ways you can start building a deeper understanding of words right now