English Vocabulary: How to Learn More Words

Learning vocabulary is hard, and learning it in English has specific difficulties. For example, the language is not pronounced phonetically, which can cause you many problems when spelling. So, how can you learn new vocabulary when the words aren’t written like they sound? In this blog post you will learn how to increase your vocabulary, and get several resources, too.

What’s the Best Way to Increase English Vocabulary?

First, you should never learn vocabulary out of context. What does that mean? Well, it means that you should learn your words how they are used: speaking, reading, writing, listening. Do not learn them by looking at lists because you cannot see how it is used–a verb, noun, adjective, etc. But the question is how do you do this?

Reading to Grow English Vocabulary

Reading is the easiest and fastest way to grow your vocabulary. There are many ways to do this. For example, you can read novels, short novels, plays, novellas, poetry, newspapers, comics, journals, magazines, or, as I’ll explain below, through graphic novels.

Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels are NOT just for children and teens. The genre is for all ages and proficiency levels. Reading these is actually very easy because they follow a familiar pattern. For example, you often read them from left to right, top to bottom. This is not always the case. To learn more about how to read a graphic novel, download free resources here.

Learning Vocabulary from Graphic Novels

Since graphic novels are, well, graphic, they give you a picture and plenty of vocabulary words in context. I have listed 6 reasons why they can help you below.

1. You get a picture/word association. This helps you remember the word AND its meaning.
2. It helps with reading comprehension. If you do not remember the words you learn, then why learn them?
3. Many novels are in translation now. This allows you to read it in a language that you already know, and then in English.
4. They’re stimulating! Each one has its own design and unique story make them interesting to adults and children.
5. You can read them on Libby, by Overdrive! This is great if you prefer e-books, or prefer reading on the go. If you live in the U.S.A., and have an address, you can get a free library card from your local public library, use it to register on Libby, and begin reading graphic novels today! However, this app is available only for iOS Devices. Sorry, Android users.
6. Several were regular, tradition novels first. Many of the stories have now been turned into graphic novels, which is kind of cool if you ask me. For instance, the Goosebumps and The Babysitter’s Club series have at least one of the series’ novels that is now a graphic novel.

Conclusion

Learning English vocabulary does not have to be difficult. Use the tips I have given above and you will increase your vocabulary quickly.

So, to recap, we talked about the following: the books are not just for children; you can use Libby, by Overdrive; several books are printed in translation, and many traditional books are now graphic novels (e.g. The Babysitter’s Club and Goosebumps).

Come back next week to get my suggested reading list in my new blog post!

How are you using your new vocabulary? Ready to practice?

Ashley Rhone is the director and English teacher at ParadigmEnglish.com. She is also the host of the Living in English: 365 podcast. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys traveling, playing the harp, reading, and attending church.