As you prepare for the TOEFL, it\u2019s easy to be overwhelmed by a seemingly infinite pile of flashcards. Not only is this no fun, but it\u2019s not the most effective way to learn. It\u2019s way easier to learn something new if you can relate it to things you already know, so let\u2019s apply this rule to vocabulary-building. Here are some tips to help you learn new words and use them appropriately.<\/p>\n
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Mnemonic devices help you remember lots of information by making pictures or stories that connect the new information with other information that is easier to remember.\u00a0 For example, let\u2019s take the word \u201cabridge.\u201d\u00a0 Imagine going on a long trip on foot. If you reach a river, you probably can\u2019t cross immediately. You will have to go out of your way until you find a place where it\u2019s safe to cross, which may be very far away. But if there\u2019s a bridge, your trip will be much shorter. And the word \u201cabridge,\u201d conveniently, means to shorten.<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019re an artist, you probably already do this. But we non-artistic types should not overlook the benefits of learning vocabulary through drawing pictures. As when using mnemonics, drawing pictures will force you to think of concrete, visual connections for abstract words and ideas, which will aid your memory.\u00a0 Plus, if drawing is hard for you, then you will spend more time on each picture, which means more time thinking about each word. When you\u2019re finished (don\u2019t forget to color!), you can put the pictures in a prominent place where you will be tempted to look at them frequently. Even though you won\u2019t be doing any \u201creal\u201d studying, you will be reviewing your words several times each day. This is particularly good if you a few words that just won\u2019t stick in your brain with other study methods.<\/p>\n
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Try to read a little every day from sources that weren\u2019t written specifically for test preparation. It may be overwhelming to try to tackle a whole book every week or to read every article of the New Yorker, so maybe you should just shoot for a paragraph every day. Remember, the goal is quality, not quantity. Find a (non-fiction) book on a topic that interests you or, failing that, read a short news article each day. Be sure not to be confined to one discipline\u2014if you read about geography one day, the next you can read something about culture, and the next economics or business. For an extra gold star, switch up the purposes of the writing; reading not only expositions, but also critiques and opinion articles will make the writing section that much easier to ace.<\/p>\n
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All this reading and drawing you do can only do so much if you don\u2019t have vocabulary to work with. So as you\u2019re out and about, reading, or surfing the Web, pay extra attention to any new words you encounter. Keep a notepad or just a piece of paper in your wallet so you can pull it out and write down words to look up later. I know this sounds onerous, but soon it will become second-nature. Aim for at least 5-10 new words each week. You\u2019ll be surprised by how many unfamiliar words you overlook every day!<\/p>\n
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With these tips, you\u2019ll soon be expanding your vocabulary by leaps and bounds painlessly. How do you learn new words? Share your study tips in the comments!<\/p>\n
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As you prepare for the TOEFL, it\u2019s easy to be overwhelmed by a seemingly infinite pile of flashcards. Not only is this no fun, but it\u2019s not the most effective way to learn. It\u2019s way easier to learn something new if you can relate it to things you already know, so let\u2019s apply this rule […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13604],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[13632],"class_list":["post-25","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vocab"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n