Make your own word box
- Use one card per word, with the English on one side and a translation on the other.
- Test yourself with the cards, sort them into categories, play games with them.
Find a good basic vocabulary word list
- Look for a list between 1000 and 2000 words which are sorted according to topic areas.
- Revise eight words per day regularly. In your mind, try to lock the particular word onto an image for it (e.g. for influenza, think of a person sneezing).
- To practise, randomly pick a number of words and make up a simple, but probably crazy, story using the words. You can do the same with the words in your vocabulary box.
Have a good general attitude towards learning words
- Note down all new words.
- 'Fish for language' by going through life with an open eye and attentive ear.
- 'Soliloquize', i.e. translate along in your mind silently, when:
- you are doing things (as if you were speaking to an imaginary friend by your side).
- you are listening to the news.
- you watch people doing something.
- you see any object around.
- Read aloud to yourself from printed text.
- Increase your exposure to words with:
- TV and radio
- books, magazines and newspapers
- films
- songs
- Correspond with an English-speaking pen-friend.
Language Level