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There are so many reasons people decide to learn new languages, irrespective of their age. To learn a foreign language, you need to build up a new set of vocabulary to get the words you would use to communicate. Most individuals shy away from learning even when they need new languages for business because learning words is difficult, some may call it impossible.
This is not the case; they just do not go about it the right way. To begin, you need to first determine your reason for doing so. This would tell you what words to focus on and how to master them.
Once you have determined your reason, you need to concentrate on setting clear and achievable goals. Your goals should be small and realistic for the interval you plan to achieve them. To make your learning process easier, you can implement a few methods to perfect your new vocabulary soon enough.
5 Effective Ways to Learn Foreign Language Vocabulary
Looking for how to learn vocabulary, here are some tips you can try.
1. Apply Yourself to an Immersive Environment
When you are learning a new language, it is always best to be within an environment of native speakers. By immersing yourself in the culture of your location; movies, songs, food, and everything in between.
You would be surrounded by others who are fluent, so you would hear the language often and train your ears faster. You would also speak more typically because you would need to communicate with others using the language.
If you cannot immerse yourself in a physical environment, you should create a virtual one for yourself. You can start by buying books and magazines in the language you are trying to learn.
Listen to music and podcasts, watch movies and TV shows, and try any audio or video versions of media that already exist in your native language.
These media follow interesting storylines and relate to events that would help your memory to concentrate on. This way, you can get more familiar with the words, pronunciation, and instances of word usage. When you do not understand something, you can simply look it up and familiarize yourself with it.
2. Practice Makes Perfect – Practice Some More
Practice is necessary for perfecting any skill, and a new language is no different. You should practice daily on unfamiliar words and old ones in your vocabulary to ensure you don’t forget them. Don’t just read the words to memorize them; speak each word aloud as often as possible to learn the right pronunciation and intonation.
If you can, use these words in your everyday conversation with others in place of some native words. Even if you do not understand it, you can use little phrases and explain them. Doing this regularly would help you understand the words better in the right setting.
Anna Brighton, who is an ESL certified teacher and a staff writer at papersowl.com, argues: You are increasing your knowledge of the foreign language to the extent that you are able whenever you come across something written in it that you can read and study. You can then take note of the words and phrases you do not understand. This would help you encounter words in different settings and reinforce your learning. She continues with this piece of advice: “The more you use the words in your vocabulary, the more you get used to them and the better command of a language you have. So, apply your knowledge every day”.
3. Memorizing is Key
It is not enough to just learn words and expand your vocabulary on the script; you need to also memorize your vocabulary. There are different memorization techniques you can use to get your newfound vocabulary off your jottings and stuck in your head.
Flashcards are a common way of memorizing stuff. They are also great for vocabulary learning. An intriguing way to use flashcards is to write the new word on one side of the paper and the meaning on the other.
You can switch between memorizing the word and trying to get the meaning and memorizing the meaning and trying to get the word.
You can decide to make physical flashcards on stick-it notes that go up on your reading wall or maybe on your headboard for quick memorization before bed. You could also opt for mobile apps or internet programs with the same function.
Visual cues are also great for memorization because images stick. You can draw an image beside the new word on your flashcard or simply imagine an image in your mind’s eye and concentrate on it whenever you see or use the word.
4. Use the Right Learning Tools
There are so many tools that can help facilitate your language learning process. Try one of the many language learning apps that teach you at a suitable pace and help you with accountability and structure. With these apps, you can learn the right words and phrases at the right moment in your journey.
There are also exciting games that help reinforce your learning and memorization. Some apps give you a platform to meet and interact with other learners of the same language.
On these platforms, you can even try conversations with “pen pals.” By consistently using these apps and learning platforms, you can progress in your learning quickly. The best part is that most of these platforms are free, so you would not even have to spend anything, just your time.
Remember, there is no best way or tool to learn. You can use tools and software to learn; don’t forget the good ol’ dictionary. You would frequently encounter words that you do not understand, perhaps while studying or watching movies and TV shows. Keep it handy at all times; when you look the word up, you should look for the definition, pronunciation, and examples for context.
5. Get Creative
It is left to find the right method that works for you. One of the essential things to do, irrespective of how you decide to learn, is to involve yourself with your learning process as much as possible.
Be a proactive learner; read your words aloud and correct your pronunciation as much as possible, jot down the words frequently to master their spellings, and listen to recordings to get used to the way they sound.
Learn the synonyms and antonyms of the words in your vocabulary to push yourself even further. With time, you should try translating words, phrases, and full sentences by explaining them using the same language.
Take your learning to greater heights by memorizing your vocabulary in chunks or clusters. Instead of learning your vocabulary in isolation, put it in simple phrases or sentences, study it in the right setting, and share it with your penpals.
You can find a community of language learners for more practice. The more you use these phrases, the better (ever wonder why insults and swearing words in foreign languages are easier to learn?) you get at mastering them.
Conclusion
Learning new vocabulary from a foreign language is not about memorizing many words and using them disjointly when you need to. As you must have noticed from your mother tongue, it requires a pattern to the many isolated words you learn and their meanings.
Thus, it is understandable that simply learning the words does not lead to a successful language learning process. Speaking a language is a complex notion which takes into account many things besides vocabulary.
Once you get the hang of these five ways to learn foreign vocabulary outlined in this guide, you should be able to build a foundation for other parts of the learning process. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended to learn the new vocabulary along with the other things.
Pay equal attention to grammar and practice all of the skills at the same time. This way your learning process will be efficient and you will be able to use the language in no time.
Ihsan Sharif is a talented writer known for his engaging articles on linguistic topics. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for language, Ihsan brings complex linguistic concepts to life, making them accessible and interesting to a wide audience.
