Having a good vocabulary is extremely important for success in competitive exams like TOEFL and IELTS. There are several ways to improve your English vocabulary. Reading, for instance, is a great way to learn new words. The beauty of this method is that it allows you to learn words using context. And words thus learned are easy to remember. Here are some more tips to improve your English vocabulary.

Learn words in groups

It is a great method. Don’t just pick up random words from a vocabulary. Instead, create vocabulary lists of related words. For example, you have learned the word roasting. Now learn other cooking-related words like frying, steaming, boiling etc.

Use Technology to Help You

Watch films and TV shows. They are a great way to understand native speakers of English. What’s more, you will also pick up vocabulary used in everyday situations.

Specific Vocabulary Lists

It is not easy to learn a long list of unrelated words. It is not very useful either. Instead, learn specific vocabulary. For example, you can create separate lists for business, travel, health and computer vocabulary.

Word Formation Charts

A word can appear in several different forms. For example, investigate is a verb. Investigation and investigator are nouns, whereas investigative is an adjective. When you learn a new word, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the different forms in which this word can appear. Word formation skills are especially important for success in ESL tests.

Learn Collocations

These are word combinations that always go together. Examples are: do the dishes, make a bed, have a rest and go for a walk.

Learn words in the Academic Word List

If you are preparing for a test like TOEFL or IELTS, learning words in the Academic Word List is a must. These are the words that frequently appear in academic text books.