What is a good way to increase my vocabulary

[AdamDavis14]

So what is a good way to increase my vocabulary. Movies? Books? I have tried listening to some spanish radio, whilst I have been picking out some words I know I don't know most of what they are saying.

[wannalurnspanish]

Boring as it may sound, I do well with lists and flashcards. I have a book that has a good variety of words, broken up into different categories and I've tried to start learning one category at a time. It's called, "Mastering Spanish Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach." I think if I could learn all the words in this book I'd be doing a pretty good job of boosting my Spanish vocabulary.

[MyDigitalpoint]

Try to learn a new world every day, keep listening to Spanish sources regardless you understand them or not; try to pick some of those words and try to find then in your dictionary.

Practice with someone who already speaks Spanish asking him or her to correct you when you are wrong or give you a hint when you forget a world.

Use Google translate to find how a world or a phrase is pronounced in Spanish, just click on the little mic that appears next to the translations.

[polybus]

Reading a lot and making flashcards (either electronic or paper) is a very classic way to increase your vocabulary and one that I used a ton in the past.

Another good way is to find a podcast that teaches Spanish. There are several good ones. Coffee Break Spanish comes to mind since I have it on my phone, but there are many others. Often these podcasts specifically teach several new words and if you can find a podcast at the right level for you, it will be a great way to learn a couple new words a day.

[yellowbird]

Once you have a list of vocab you'd like to learn, I've found that rewriting each word and its definition 10 times really helps the word stick in your brain. I guess everyone is different, but that is how I had to do it in high school while studying Spanish and that is how I've taught myself vocab ever since, and it has worked for me! After that point I just would practice using those words in every day conversation so I don't forget them.

[Hardison]

Another good way is to find a podcast that teaches Spanish. There are several good ones. Coffee Break Spanish comes to mind since I have it on my phone, but there are many others. Often these podcasts specifically teach several new words and if you can find a podcast at the right level for you, it will be a great way to learn a couple new words a day.

Excellent tip. I didn't know that there are podcasts that teach Spanish. Thanks so much for the tip!  I really appreciate it. I hope that they can help me with my pronunciation too. :grin:

[Guest isabbbela]

Paying attention to what people say while they talk, on tv, movies, news, books. The best way to learn vocabulary is by listening to other people saying them. Study books are very limited in that aspect, so just go out there and learn in practice, not theory.

[beneditco]

Hi! What I did to increase my vocabulary was to read a dictionary from the first to the last page. I proposed myself to read 2 pages per day and then try to use them in different sentences and examples.

Of course you won't remember each word but you'll learn many words by doing this. It could be a bit boring but it is worth.

[rosettastone]

I use an English to Spanish Dictionary and just pick words to put on flash cards that I use all day until I memorize them. At one point I would label the objects in a room one room at a time. Learning the kitchen seemed to be the hardest room to learn because there was so many objects in there. There's a website called quia.com that is free and perfect for Spanish vocabulary. This site has flashcard games, word find, matching, jeopardy, quizzes and other neat learning material. And its not just for Spanish, its for most languages and school subjects as well.

[Efrahinu19]

I would say dictionary but that seems like a tedious task. Better yet you should try conversing with people that know the language well and little by little you will pick up on new words. All though I must address that you should try not the learn the slang's of who you're talking to. I will result in misinterpretation and misunderstanding between you and the one whom you are talking to.

[NRiz]

I've heard the program Anki is very good for vocab. I believe its some sort of flashcard program, but I've heard its very useful. Duolingo is alright for vocab too. Duolingo's immersion program is great, you can go through and translate articles, but you only translate the words you know, and you can see how others have translated it.

[pandandesign]

A good way to increase your vocabulary would be by reading books, articles, and newspapers. That's what I have done in the past when I started learning English. Reading is one of the effective way to increase your vocabulary. Hope everything goes well!

[True2marie]

Increase your Spanish vocabulary in three ways:

1. Take a Spanish class.  This type of course will obviously force you to improve your vocabulary.

2. Speak with friends.  They should be Spanish-speaking pals. Tell them your goal is to improve your Spanish vocabulary. Trust me. One of them will step up and help you.

3. Read news articles. They should be on your favorite subject, but in Spanish.

[Bob]

Well you probably won't be able to comprehend what they say without understanding what the words mean first. The first step is to learn basic Spanish vocabulary and grammar. As stated by others, flashcards can be an effective way to learn the vocabulary. The grammar is a bit tougher, so it should be learned out of a textbook or from a class. Of course, don't just immerse yourself in all the Spanish vocabulary and grammar. Start integrating essays, listening activities, and speaking exercises because these will truly help you learn conversational Spanish. All the while, keep adding new vocabulary words and grammar concepts to strengthen what you already know. This should create a fairly solid foundation.

Once you have a strong foundation of basic vocabulary and grammar, you should be able to pick up a few words or two when you listen to Spanish radio or television. This should improve because you keep learning new words and grammar. Talk to Spanish-speaking friends in order to get a feel for what conversational Spanish sounds like. Make the distinction between formal and informal Spanish so that you understand which words to use in what situation. If you keep this routine consistently, your Spanish should become very good.

Take that awesome Spanish you have learned to a foreign country! If you visit a Spanish-speaking country, you immerse yourself in an environment where there is a high demand for Spanish communication. This is the ultimate method to reach almost-native Spanish fluency. Don't be afraid to ask for the definition of words you don't know.

Using these steps, you should be able to speak Spanish very well. Keep in mind vocabulary is not the only aspect you will need to learn. Although it is important, your ultimate goal is to understand Spanish in daily life. Thus, you must integrate yourself into all aspects of Spanish to enjoy the Spanish movies, books, radio, and television.

[PSLoveCharli]

When listening to the radio or any songs I think you have to translate the lyrics to English to be able to learn what they are saying. Once you learn the translation, you will be able to understand the song. Try that and let me know how it goes!

[velma]

The best way I learned the little Spanish that I do know is by learning a new word everyday. Using it in a sentence and downloading a English to Spanish translator to practice saying it and hearing it. I would sometimes watch movies but that did not help me at all. I also increased my vocabulary by writing down Spanish words from a dictionary and reading Spanish books and recognizing words that were similar to English.

[tenzijth]

Repetition, repetition, repetition. That's why full immersion works for language acquisition. When you are fully immersed in another culture, you have no other option but to use what you know, over and over again. With time, more knowledge gets added, but it's the simple fact that you are practicing so much, repeating the same errors and correcting them, using the same vocabulary, that allows you to learn at a much faster rate.

If you're unable to fully immerse, you must try to replicate that where you are, as much as possible. Use the new vocabulary repeatedly and eventually it will stick.