Vocabulary is an important part of our day to day and it never hurts to know new words and meanings to expand it.
Although everyday vocabulary is limited to a few hundred words, a person’s passive language (that is, words that are known but not used all the time), can reach 10,000 words.
If you have ever wondered how you could increase your vocabulary you can follow some simple tips that will be very useful.
1. Read more (if it’s family, better)
Grabbing a book and reading with your children will not only encourage coexistence and reading habits, it will also expand your vocabulary. According to Professor Susan B. Neuman, parents can learn more words by reading to their children, even if they are children’s books.
In addition, the fact that a child knows more words helps him to have a deeper thought, express himself more clearly and learn things faster.
2. Watch movies
There is a large catalog of films adapted from a novel. If you first read the book and then watch the movie, it will help you better understand the meaning of what you read. Reading something and then reinforcing it with a visual representation is a phenomenon called “dual code”.
3. Put your electronics to good use
Cell phones or tablets can be a great ally when knowing more words. Not only because they have any type of information in the palm of their hand, but also because they are a great help when reading an electronic book.
When you don’t know a word in a physical book, you should go to a dictionary; instead, when reading on the cell phone, tablet or electronic reader, just put your finger on the unknown word and, if you have the right tools, its meaning will appear.
4. Read magazines
The next time you buy a magazine, read it for real and don’t just see the images. Although the visual part is very striking, the written content of the magazines has words that you may not know about your favorite subject (sports, cars, movies, music, etc.).
5. Listen to the sound of the words
There are words that sound the same but do not mean the same. Pay attention to what you hear and you will probably find something completely new. Also, it is likely that if you hear an unknown word and get your attention, you start using it daily.
6. Leave your house
Having experiences outside your environment increases knowledge and knowledge increases vocabulary. Whether it’s a gym or a museum, there are places out there that await you with new words.
7. Join a reading club
Joining a reading club encourages the habit of feeling motivated to share the experience. In addition, they could be books that you had not heard before or that otherwise would not have caught your attention and the result will always be an extensive vocabulary.
8. Listen to the radio or podcasts
Listening to an announcer on a specific topic will help to know words that are normally out of common use. Podcasts also have such varied topics that you will surely find one that catches your eye.
9. Pay attention to your surroundings
The next time you go for a walk or a walk, describe in detail in your head everything you observe. That way you will find gaps in your vocabulary that you will fill with new words intuitively.
10. Reread
There is no more and there is no black thread: the secret to expanding vocabulary is in reading, so acquiring the habit is essential to know more words.
Even if you don’t stop to search the dictionary for each unknown word, try to decipher it by the context of the reading.
