What is the main problem most people face when trying to communicate in English? No, it’s not fluid. Rather, it is an insufficient vocabulary. Fluency develops only when you know how and where to use a word. There are a number of ‘tried and tested’ exercises and ways to increase and improve vocabulary, but they benefit very few people.

What good will it do you to read a newspaper if you can’t remember a couple of words you’ve learned in the course? The only way to improve your vocabulary and the power of words is to learn the words with their meaning, connotations and how to use them in your communication.

Here are some simple tricks to not only learn, but also retain new words and phrases.

• Learn root words: Many English words are actually versions of Latin, Greek, and French words. It is fascinating to learn the roots of English words and it helps to remember the words. Also, many English words have interesting anecdotes about how and when they developed. When you learn such an intriguing trivia about a word, you’re bound to remember it.

• Learn the context in which the word is used: It is natural for us to skip an unfamiliar word. Don’t do that if you’re trying to improve your vocabulary. If at first glance you cannot understand what the word means, read the entire sentence/paragraph and try to understand the word based on the context in which it is used. Also, consult a dictionary for its meaning.

• Make new word flash cards: Flash cards are a great way to study anywhere, anytime. Make cards with the new words you want to learn and also write a sentence with the same word. In this way, you can quickly remember not only the word, but also form the correct sentence using it.

• To solve crosswords: Newspapers and magazines publish crossword puzzles almost daily. Solving them will help you learn new words along with their meaning. Now, there couldn’t be a more fun and exciting way to improve your vocabulary! And since it’s a puzzle, you’ll remember the words simply because of the fun you have while solving it.

Improve your vocabulary even more by learning English online

With the help of online English courses, one can improve pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency in the English language. Online English learning is an easy, practical and convenient method, where one can learn according to their time and flexibility. Online English courses help you improve English communication skills as well as become fluent in English by employing simple and engaging teaching methods.