Building Your Vocabulary 

A good vocabulary is needed in order to express one’s thoughts appropriately.  If ever you have a limited vocabulary, you might have a hard time expressing your ideas properly that some people might even misunderstand what you are trying to say.  In order to avoid such a dreadful event, you must learn how to build your vocabulary as soon as possible. 

Reading and Watching Television 

There is no doubt that reading a lot of books improves your vocabulary.  There are different types of books in terms of their depth in vocabulary.  There are books appropriate for younger people and there are those that are more suited to an older and more learned audience.  If you are pretty new to reading novels and the like, you can simply look for lighter ones.  And as you go along, you can start reading those books which have a wider range of vocabulary.  Television shows also help you out in getting a better vocabulary.  Of course, you have to choose what programs you watch. 

Vocabulary Notebook 

A great way to make sure that you learn from reading or watching television is to take note of the new, unfamiliar or vague words you read or hear.  It is also advisable to set a goal as to how many words you list down per set of time.  Another thing is that you really shouldn’t limit yourself to books or television.  Whenever you see or hear a new word, list it down.  A small notebook may prove to be a handy tool since you can bring it anywhere with you.  When you get the opportunity to look it up in the dictionary, do so.  The next thing that you should do is to construct several sentences using the new words you’ve just learned.  You can recite the sentences if you are alone, and the next thing you know, you’ll be using the new words on your next conversation. 

Thesaurus 

Another useful tool to build your vocabulary aside from the dictionary is the thesaurus.  The thesaurus is somewhat like the dictionary, although the difference is that it lists the synonyms and antonyms of the words you look up.  It is a very helpful tool to make sure that you use the appropriate word for the appropriate occasion. Get used to looking things up at the dictionary or thesaurus.  Remember to practice.  Be confident.  Use the newly learned words on conversations, and soon you’ll have a better vocabulary than before.