For many English language learners, English vocabulary exercises are one of the most challenging parts to mastering English.
When learning a new language, I like to take an approach to learning that is exciting and keeps me interested.
You are reading: Books for improving vocabulary
If you’re like me, sitting down and going through 50 flashcards seems like a terrible way to spend an afternoon. Fortunately, building your vocabulary doesn’t have to be boring!
content
- why it’s important to have a great english vocabulary
- exciting ways to build your vocabulary
- 6 english vocabulary books
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- 1. “McGraw-Hill Essential Dictionary of ESL”
- 2. series of vocabulary in use in English
- 3. “oxford illustrated dictionary”
- 4. “504 absolutely essential words”
- 5. “ntc vocabulary builders”
- 6. “word power made simple”
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
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why it is important to have a large vocabulary in English
Developing your vocabulary is one of the most important parts of learning a new language. In a way, having a large vocabulary is more important than knowing the correct grammar rules and word order.
Your extensive vocabulary allows you to be understandable, which is important if you find yourself in a situation where you urgently need to express yourself.
You never know if you’ll ever have to say “I lost my passport” or “I have food poisoning.” Even if you’re not fluent in English grammar, your vocabulary knowledge can mean the difference between getting help or not.
exciting ways to build your vocabulary
Learning English is supposed to be fun and engaging, and sitting at your desk memorizing flashcards is anything but. Fortunately, there are several exciting ways to build your vocabulary that don’t involve flashcards and exercises.
One of the best ways to make learning vocabulary exciting is to motivate yourself. maybe you meet your conversation group at a fancy restaurant and need to have a little chat. Or maybe you have a big trip coming up and you need to learn a bunch of essential English words and phrases that travelers need. you’ll be much more inclined to ditch the flashcards and pick up one of those tourist books.
Well, maybe you don’t have a big dinner or a trip planned. that just means you’ll have to get creative with your approach and find what works for you. There are a number of alternative ways to learn vocabulary that don’t involve exercises or flashcards; learning English has never been so easy! Here are some tips to help you increase your vocabulary:
- know the context of the words you learn. pay attention to how they are used in sentences.
- Use new words as much as possible. Mention them in your conversations and include them in your writing.
- start simple. learn the words you use most in your daily activities. things related to time, food and daily routine are good.
- learn in groups. types of food, means of transportation, vocabulary for hospital visits are excellent groupings. learning random words, like “cheese” and then “submarine”, will only confuse you.
- stay away from opposites. don’t mix opposites with your groupings, it will only confuse you. stick with the synonyms.
6 English vocabulary books
1. “mcgraw-hill’s essential dictionary of english as a second language”
The first thing you are going to need is a good dictionary so you can look up those interesting words you find.
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The advantage of this dictionary is that it has been created specifically for learners of English. this means that the book has been designed in an easy to understand way so that nothing gets lost in translation.
There are also a number of additional resources that come with the dictionary. there are sections covering grammar rules and conversational English. There’s even a section full of vocabulary words and pictures showing different topics like electronics, animals, or classroom vocabulary.
If you really like the book and want to sound like a native English speaker, consider using this book in conjunction with “Dictionary of American Idioms” and “Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquialisms” , which are also mcgraw-hill books. These vocabulary books will help you learn the fun, unique, and sometimes strange expressions that (American) English speakers use in conversation.
2. series of vocabulary in use in English
The English Vocabulary in Use Series is Cambridge University Press’s best-selling book series that helps English learners of all levels improve their vocabulary and work towards mastering the English language. one of the nicest features of this series is that students can choose to study american english or british english, which is great for people preparing for ielts or toefl.
Another thing that’s nice is that the books are designed for different skill levels. the series includes:
- “basic vocabulary in use“
- “elementary vocabulary“
- “pre-intermediate and intermediate vocabulary“
- “high intermediate vocabulary“
- “advanced vocabulary“
“Basic vocabulary in use” teaches 1200 of the most important words in English and is perfect for beginners. the rest of the series features thousands of words unique to skill level, with terms becoming more technical and more specific with each new book.
3. “oxford illustrated dictionary”
If you’re a visual learner like me, you can really appreciate a dictionary that relies on beautiful photos and illustrations to teach vocabulary. The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary is perfect for this and also includes sections on target vocabulary, pre-reading questions and stories to help you see the context of the words covered.
They even have bilingual versions of the dictionary, so you may be able to find one that uses both English and your native language.
4. “504 absolutely essential words”
This vocabulary book is best for people who want to learn survival English or need to build a solid foundation before moving on to more advanced material. As the name suggests, it covers over 500 of the most important and frequently used words in English.
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This book is also great for students preparing for English proficiency exams and is packed with supplementary material that makes learning vocabulary quick and easy. You get easy-to-understand sample sentences, short reading passages, and world-building exercises to help you learn to understand words in context.
5. “ntc vocabulary builders”
another easy to use vocabulary book from mcgraw-hill is “ntc vocabulary builders”. This book is designed for advanced English learners who need help with English vocabulary used in a professional setting. This makes this series of books perfect for students learning business English or who need to master English at work.
the “blue book” is the advanced version and is for upper-intermediate and advanced learners. there is also a “green book” for high beginners and the “red book”, which is designed for intermediate students. All three levels are quite challenging compared to other books, so they are only recommended for serious students preparing for proficiency exams or who need to learn English for their profession.
6. “word power made simple”
Do you want a fun way to learn 1000 of the most used words in English? “the power of words made easy” is the right book for you! It has several games and activities that will help you learn in a fun way.
Vocabulary words come with a series of explanations that put the definitions in context, so you can get a better idea of how to correctly use these words in conversation and writing. If you’re a general thinker, you’ll love how these descriptions give you useful background information. Plus, this book is packed with valuable tips on how you can maximize your study habits and learn more words in less time.
improve your vocabulary today
The best way to build a huge vocabulary is to immerse yourself in English. If you’re just starting out, try reading some articles on the Simplified English page of Wikipedia. You can also use sites like youtube to watch video clips in English and listen to music in English.
Hear the words you’ve learned in videos and music, then zoom in to learn new ones. Subtitled videos and movies make it easy to find new words.
To simplify this process, you can use an online immersion platform. fluentu, for example, teaches English using video clips with interactive subtitles that let you look up words as you watch. The program also has review quizzes and flashcards to increase vocabulary retention.
These resources will help you remember the material covered in your vocabulary books, allowing you to build your vocabulary much faster. they will also help make the learning process fun and refreshing, since no one wants to read textbooks all day!
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
