TIPS FOR LEARNING NEW VOCABULARY

Here is a list of ideas for learning new words in English. It's from the website of VCC's on-campus learning centre.

• Highlight or underline words you don’t know.
• Choose words you want or need to learn.
• Look those words up in an English-only dictionary. At the same time, look up related words that may help you remember or learn these words. For example, when looking up the word “wish”, you may also see the word “wishbone” or “wishful thinking”. Write down the definition and any useful phrases and sentences.
• A good dictionary will help you with pronunciation, synonyms, antonyms, grammar use, frequency, usage, collocation. Make friends with your dictionary.
• Try to make a WORD FAMILY TABLE. One word can help you learn many words. For example, “employ,” “employer,” “employee,” “employment,” “unemployed,” “employable,” “self-employed”.
•  It is important to know the basic parts of speech in English to understand how to use the new vocabulary. Review the functions of nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
• Focus on the pronunciation to help you say the word and sometimes to help you spell the word.
• Learn words together in a cluster or tree. Associate them with an idea, topic, or picture. For example, words for “government” “environment” “health”. Make your own dictionary of useful words at the back of your binder or make your own vocabulary notebook.
• You can organize both alphabetically and by topics to help you review your new words.
• TEST YOURSELF. REVIEW. REVIEW.
• Activate your new vocabulary. Write it. Say it. See it. Hear it. Make pocket-size flash cards. Cover the meaning or cover the word or part of the word and test yourself. How much can you remember?

Any student registered in a VCC class is welcome to use the Learning Centres at Broadway or Downtown Campus. If you are not registered in a class, you can visit one of our Learning Centres off-campus. Click here for more information.