Finding the words that you need at the moment you need them is the struggle of every language learner.

As promised, I will continue to give you techniques that you can use to help you increase your vocabulary.

Just remember, we all learn in different ways, so each different technique is for you to try and see which ones work best for you.

**** Fourth Technique: ****

– Read, read, and read some more.

The more you read, the more vocabulary you will be exposed to. Read actively, not passively, to absorb as many new words as possible.

To read actively you need to do the following;

1- Don’t rush!
2- Highlight unfamiliar words and look them up in a dictionary (preferably English/English)
3- Revisit the word in the context of the sentence
4- Limit the time so you can stay focused and not get tired
5- Choose around ten words per time because beyond that you risk forgetting them

This way you will be able to understand the word and the context it is in. Also, you will be able to remember it as it is easier to retain words that make sense to us and have a context that we can remember them by.

Read a variety of materials, from short stories and novels to newspapers and blogs, to acquire vocab at varying levels of difficulty and a wide range of topics.

Just make sure to separate your leisurely/spare-time reading from your active, vocabulary-building reading. When we read in our spare-time we do not wish to actively think of the words and their meaning. Therefore, it is best to allocate/assign a specific time for your active, vocabulary-building reading during which you can focus on learning those new words.

When reading to boost your vocabulary, limit yourself. Stick to just a few pages of novel, one news story, one magazine article and really take your time. This way you can focus, and you will be able to remember the words you learn.