Improving Your English Vocabulary

A large part of learning to speak English is to improve your vocabulary. Improving your vocabulary will help you feel more confident when speaking English. It will also help you understand what you are hearing when others are speaking English. There are many tools you can use to improve your English vocabulary.• Get a dictionary. There are some good English dictionaries available online. A good dictionary helps you learn more words. The following are some of the ways to use a dictionary to improve your English vocabulary:o Write down words that are new to you. Look the words up in a dictionary, and then write down the meanings of the words. Keep all of your words together so you can look at them when you need them.o Pay attention to the definition. Some words have more than one meaning, so be sure to read the whole definition. Many dictionaries will also give examples of the word in a sentence. This helps you understand the word and learn to use it.o Find new words and learn what they mean. If you learn 10 new words each day, Monday through Friday, you will learn 200 new words each month. Saturday and Sunday can be used to review your new words to be sure you know what they mean.• Read in English. Read books, magazines and news articles every day. Try to guess the meaning of new words by looking at the whole sentence. When you read words that you do not understand, look in your dictionary.• Ask English speakers. When you think you understand a word, write it in a sentence. Ask someone who speaks English well to read your sentence and tell you if you have used the word correctly. When speaking, ask if you have used the right words.• Use vocabulary books. There are many vocabulary books available. Some websites also offer free vocabulary worksheets. Some books and worksheets are very easy for beginning learners, and some are very hard for more advanced learners. Make sure you use books and worksheets that are right for your level.• Work crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzles are a good way to learn words and their meanings. Crossword puzzles provide clues that are definitions of words. The words that go with the definition are the answers that go into the puzzle. Crossword puzzles come in many levels, so you can work puzzles that are right for you.• If you think you are ready for difficult words, get a copy of a magazine called Reader’s Digest. Each issue has a vocabulary quiz that has 20 words. Each word offers multiple choices for the definition. The correct answers are included in the magazine.• Practice. All of these tools will help you improve your English vocabulary, but you must practice. When you learn a new word, write sentences using that word. Try to use the word when speaking. You will better remember the word if you use it.
When you are learning English, you must do the same things you did when learning your own language. When you began speaking your own language, you knew only a few words. You learned more words by listening, reading and asking others. As you learn new words, practice them so you will know them well.

Learning English – Tips for Beginners

Learning any new language is always a long and hard process. But there are little tips and tricks that can help along the way. With a little effort and dedication, learning a new language can become fun and exciting. Here are a few hints that will help a beginner in learning English.Tip #1: Use what you learn. This, more than anything else, is going to help a person learn English quickly and with accuracy. It also helps to learn first those words you can use often. A student should start to notice which words they use most often and learn how to say them in English.Tip #2: Work with others. Learning English by oneself can be a trying ordeal. Learning English with a friend can be fun and exciting. Two friends learning together can remind each other to use what they have learned and correct each other when they make mistakes.
Tip #3: Learn songs. If someone were asked to remember what their mother said to them at their childhood bedside, they probably wouldn’t be able to say. However, if someone were asked to sing a song that their mother sang to them at that same bedside, they could sing it back without missing a word. The human brain remembers song a lot better than it remembers straight words. Singing English songs can help with improving accent and remembering how words go together.
Tip #4: Write down new words. If a person can put new information into their brain in several different ways, they will remember it better. Writing down new words lets your mind remember the way it looks, the way it feels to write it. Even better, say the word aloud as you write it.
Tip #5: Write down what you hear. As a person learns English, he will hear new words every time he talks with someone in English. If these new words are not written down, they will be forgotten by the time the person makes it back to a dictionary where they can look the word up. One of the best investments a new English student can make is to buy a small notebook and pen that they can carry with them everywhere they go. Students are often shy about asking people about some word they just said. The truth is most people are more than happy to help, even spelling out words when asked. Everyone likes to feel like they have been helpful.
Tip #6: Read a book. In American schools, the smartest kids and quickest learners are those that take the time to read. Reading will supply a student with new vocabulary and lots of valuable practice. For those who are just starting, Dr. Seuss books provide a quick and fun way to absorb basic vocabulary.
As in everything else in life, the true key to success is very simple: practice, practice, practice. Anyone who is willing to make a real effort every single day can learn English, or any other language, for that matter. All it takes is a little time and dedication.

http://www.learning-english.ca/

Games for Learning English

Learning any language can often become quite a tedious affair. There are endless grammar rules to memorize, and thousands of vocabulary words to try to hold in mind until they are needed. One of the primary enemies in learning English is boredom. English learning games can provide a bit fun in the long process of learning a language. Here are a few ideas for English learning games that can be used in classrooms or among friends.
Game #1: Fill in the blanks. How many times is an English student left searching for just the right word? This game can help students learn different ways of saying something and making it fun. Simply take an easy to understand paragraph (song lyrics are often good for this game) and take out several words. For instance:
Johnny was walking home one fine _______ and happened to notice a ______ lying on the ground. He stopped to pick it up and found that it was glued onto a piece of _____.
English students can find different words that will work in each sentence. If the students want ot make a competition out of it, they can award points for who can come up with the most alternative words for the blanks. On the other hand, points can be awarded in each round for the student who can think up the longest word that would fit in the sentence.
Game #2: Jeopardy: This fun American English learning game can give a lot of help for English students who are learning the correct way to ask questions. In Jeopardy, a contestant chooses a category and the person running the game reads out the answer. Students then raise their hand when they know the answer. The first student to raise their hand gets the first chance to answer. The answer must be in the form of a question. For example:Student picks category, “US History.” The person running the game reads the clue, “This person was the first president of the United States.” Then, the first student who raised their hand would have to say, “Who was George Washington?” in order to win the points for the question.
Game #3: Charades: This is an excellent English learning game for students who are learning adjectives and other descriptions. The students divide into two teams. On one team’s turn, one student gets up and acts out a clue, such as ‘Elevator,’ and the members of his or her team try to guess what they are acting out. The students can only speak in English while trying to guess the clues. Any student who speaks to in their native language is disqualified form the round.
English learning games are a lot of fun and provide a fun and exciting way to recall everything that the students have learned during a particular session. As with any other activity, it is a lot easier to learn if it is fun. Other suggestions might include breaking up a lesson by learning some children’s songs or nursery rhymes.

http://www.learning-english.ca/games-for-learning-english/