This week, I’m tackling the tricky topic of how to learn vocabulary. For a lot of language learners, memorising vocabulary is one of the most difficult and least fun aspects of learning a new language. It’s time consuming, dull and repetitive. That being said, if you do it right, you can lessen the amount of time you need to spend on it. So in this post, I would like to share some of my top tips for language learning!
Flashcards
Flashcards can be used in so many ways to aid vocabulary learning. You could try an app such as Anki where you can make different sets of flashcards, organised by subject and the best part is that you can use them on the go! If you prefer a more traditional method, the actual act of writing out the vocabulary on a card can actually make it stick in your head better. You can use them to test yourself, or check out this video I made for more inspiration on other ways to use flashcards:
Memrise and Duolingo
Memrise and Duolingo are a great way to practise vocabulary. If you don’t already know, Duolingo is a set free course online with lots of different languages available. It’s a great way of learning vocabulary, as the course is set up in little modules that are grouped by subject. If you have a set a vocabulary you already want to learn, you can use Memrise to create a course with your own words in.
Posters and Post-it Notes
Both of these can be a great resource for vocabulary learning. Writing out your vocabulary on a post-it note or poster will help in itself and then you can pop it up somewhere in your house where you will see it regularly – maybe by the door or kettle, so you’ll see it when you leave the house or make a cup of tea.
Frequency Dictionaries
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what vocabulary to learn. A great way of finding vocab to learn, is by using a frequency dictionary. This tells you what the most commonly words used in a language are. If you learn the most frequently used words, this will be a great starting block for being able to speak to natives.
Talking to natives/other learners
A great way of solidifying the vocabulary you have learned is to practise using it! You can practise with other language learners or, even better, a native speaker. If you don’t already know anyone who speaks your target language, you can search for a language practice partner on an app or website like Tandem.
I hope these tips help you to learn vocabulary! Let me know how you get on on social media.
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