During conversations in a foreign language, do you often find that you can’t express yourself properly? This may be because you are lacking some vocabulary which is essential to get your point across.
But what are the best ways to expand your vocabulary?
1. Reading news articles
Reading news articles is one of the best way to expand your vocabulary in a foreign language, as they often contain words that are relevant to the current period. For example, reading French newspapers during COVID allowed me to learn terms that I wouldn’t normally come across such as lockdown, curfew, and other medical words. News articles also allow you to come across words that will be useful to you and your interests, because you can select ones which you think will be beneficial. You could even try to spend a week reading news articles about music, and another about politics. This way you are bound to come across a tonne of new, useful vocab. Don’t forget to make a note of it!
2. Reading books
This may seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how beneficial this can be. Bonus points if the book is non-fiction, as this can really help to push your every day vocab to the next level. Again, you can select books that are of interest to you, so you’re more likely to come across words that would be useful to you.
3. Travel
Going to a country where the foreign language is spoken is possibly the most useful thing you can do. Once you are there, you’re instantly immersed into a whole array of words through signs, menus, and even museums. You can learn words which you wouldn’t normally come across in any form of media. You will learn the words for different food items very quickly, and other things often occurring on signs such as names of places etc.
4. Music
Music is a great tool to learn more familiar, idiomatic words. This can be great if you have a solid foundation of a language and are hoping to sound a little more natural when you speak. However, it is important to be aware of the tone and register of the given song. You don’t want to be using certain language inappropriately. Always check in a dictionary to see whether the word is vulgar or informal before using it in a job interview!
Now you know the best sources of new vocabulary, you might be wondering the most effective way to retain it.
Everybody is different with this one. People have different methods of learning. Some prefer to write vocabulary lists (handwriting is usually always more effective in this case). Others may wish to use tools such as Quizlet. This is a great site which allows you to create interactive flashcards, and is often recommended by teachers when it comes to learning vocabulary.
Have you got any more tips when it comes to new vocab exposure or methods of retention? Comment below!