How do you all go about increasing your vocabulary knowledge? I'm interested in hearing about the different techniques all of you out there use. One technique which works for me is to make word wheels. There's a circle in the middle of the page in which you write a topic. Then you draw lines going out from the circle, like the spokes of a wheel, and write a word or phrase at the top of the line. I find that to visualize the word wheel and the words around it, I shouldn't have more than ten items.
Reading. Alternate between looking up words and trying to maintain the flow (by not stopping to look up words) instead.
Yes, and for reading I use skimming and scanning for key words, and to remember the content, make a word wheel with the heading of the subject and the key words.
I remember hearing that you have to read a word three times before you learn it. Try reading the same thing several times.
You will build up your vocabulary when you have the need.
Super-memo works quite well for vocabulary you are not using on a daily basis but don't want to forget. It just allows you to repeat small amounts at decent intervals.
Everybody does not have a computer. You can not use it without PC. Guys, Keep sending your views. Your title sounds interesting.
Actually, if you look at their website there is a technique for using 'Supermemo on paper'. You just group vocabulary into pages and for each page you learn it then repeat it at increasing intervals.
I am still looking for the most effective way of improving my vocabulary. What I have been doing so far for improving my vocabulary is by reading a lot and then try to look up the words from the dictionary. Very old-fashion method. After knowing the meaning of a word, then I try to repeat reading the whole articles or sometimes only the part of sentence in which I found the difficult word. That is the way I try to remember a difficult word.
I mostly read the articles in English from the Internet. As for the dictionary, I use online dictionary. My favourite online dictionary is
http://dictionary.cambridge.org. In addition to that dictionary, I also have installed the other two dictionaries in my computer. But I prefer using the online dictionary to using the installed software in my computer, because it has more detailed definitions and examples.
Nothing new here, just an old-fashion method.
After looking up a words, try writing sentences using those words. This can often help one remember what the word means. It's a good idea to consult with a native speaker at times as well. Sometimes the dictionary definitions can be a bit ambiguous when all you want is to find out is how the word is most commonly used.
first of all i am very happy today to know this site and this is fisrt time i see this , so i can say i have a good luck to discover all that therefore i would like to say i hope and i wish to you to have nice long life in adition to that ,i agree with you that you can learn english by talking to the people or i meant native speakersbut unfortuntly i have no this this chance as result of that it may difficult to me to communicate with the others so the materialsthat i have been using now is lestening bbcor voice of america in addition to to write some compositions and read a lots of books every day may three hours in every day and at the same time speak english may be twohors or less than that in a weak so i wan to you to evaluate my english is that is okey or not also all that english i have been learning about one year and until know i really feel some seccessfully but i wanna hear you view that is all and trhank you very much
I read international news articles on the net. When I come across a complex word, I look it up in a dictionary that I had installed in my PC a couple of months ago. It provides you only definitions but not pronunciations. Anyhow, I can easily understand sentences by just reading definitions. I'm gonna buy a pocket sized dictionary which provides you the pronunciation of words as well. Looking up words in the pocket sized dict is as fast as looking on on-line dictionaries. This method is working for me and am having a good time because I understand the articles without facing any hurdles.
What about cards? Guys! Just write a definition on one side and on the other, write the exact word and a couple of sentences in order to comprehend it properly. Developing alot of cards in the same manner and repeat them randomly from time to time. You can also add ASCII pronunciation for pronouncing words properly. It'll be a new addition.
I tried developing some and worked for me a while. I'm a lazy guy by nature so that I stopped repeating them. I'd give it a try later on.
Dian,
<<<I also have installed the other two dictionaries in my computer.>>>
Where can I check 'em out?
I'm using this one: look at it :
http://www.wordreference.com
Boy,
The installed softwares were given by my friend. One of the dictionaries is English-English dictionary, while another one is English-Indonesia language dictionary.
I agree with mjd about asking a native speaker about how to use a word. Word usage is important after knowing the meaning of the word. Because, occasionally we know the meaning of two words are the same. But their usage are different. For example, 'take' and 'bring'. I have just known that the usage of the two words are different even though they have the same meaning.
For me, the only way to consult with the native speaker is through this forum because I don't have any native speakers around me, or at least ready to talk with me about English.
Boy, thank you for referring me to that site. I have just finished installing the software in my computer.
I have many dictionaries now, what should I do know? :-)