LESSONS
Use Images To Increase Vocabulary
With mastery of a good vocabulary filled with powerful and versatile words, you'll definitely be going places fast. You'll be able to easily finish your reading materials, speak knowledgeably on a variety of topics, and write eloquently and clearly, all because you have a good vocabulary backing you up. You'll build confidence in your skills in public speaking, whether at a professional conference or a private party. But even with all of these potential benefits, many people find vocabulary building not only singularly unpleasant but also too time-consuming.
The thing is, time is a part of learning. You can't cram every word you want to learn in your brain in one day. A more effective approach so you can increase vocabulary easily is to take it slowly but surely. Mastery takes time, but using the easy methods we provide in these lessons, you'll definitely be able to achieve your goals.
Importance Of Imagery To Increase Vocabulary
One of the best ways to improve word retention is to associate them with images. This is a technique tried and tested by many teachers. Why else would teachers use flash cards or printed images and show them to kids when introducing words? Compared to letters or words, the brain retains images better.
Images and pictures captured on flash cards, billboards, and magazine pages are not the only effective ones when helping you build vocabulary. Each image and action seen by your eyes is processed by your brain and able to be stored in your memories. Even a simple action, when captured by the brain, will immediately bring along certain words linked to it.
How To Use Images To Increase Vocabulary
One method of incorporating images into vocabulary study is to make a "learning tree." Draw a large trunk and then work your way to the branches. The branches will separate the words by type. Group words into different word categories (nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs) or by related words (like "happy" and "cheerful" and "upbeat"). Add tiny branches to those big branches and then write the words above them or in the branches. Use a different colored pen to highlight the words. Now draw pictures that will represent the image. It doesn't have to be the exact image of the word but something that will remind you of the word. When you encounter new words, add another branch and draw another image. You can also use stickers or printed pictures.
As mentioned earlier, you can also use actions to depict images. Look in the mirror and then act the words out. Talk to yourself in the mirror. If you encounter the word "grin", then face your reflection in the mirror and "grin". Say to yourself, "This is how you grin".
Action words are easier to memorize because they can be acted. You can also observe the actions of other people and your memory will capture these images. In order to get the most out of this natural behavior, you need to learn to be observant. Once you learn a new word, you can quickly associate it with the things you can see around you.
Try dissecting the word into syllables and put an image to each syllable. This is often done in games and it works when memorizing long and unusual-sounding words. You can use images that will depict the sound of the syllables.
As you can see, increasing vocabulary is not that difficult. With the right technique, you can quickly memorize a few words, and then a few more. Working at it every day, you'll be surprised at how many words you can learn. Once you have mastered imagery, you can combine this method with the other methods you have previously learned in these free lessons.
NEXT LESSON: How To Play With Words To Increase Vocabulary