What’s your New Year’s resolution? If you’re determined to increase your marketability and improve your communication skills, then we suggest a program of vocabulary-building that will help you expand your working knowledge of powerful and precise words. Here are three tips for making your studies easier and more effective:

Start Small

The word “resolution” comes from the Middle English term for “breaking down into small parts.” You’ll find it easier to keep your resolutions if you set smaller, realistic goals for yourself. If you’re trying to do too much, you might find it harder to remember the details of what you’re studying. For example, rather than trying to learn a list of a hundred Vocab1 words at once, break the list down into groups of five or seven words, and concentrate on those for a week. Use our on-line tools to find different examples of each word as it is used in phrases, and write out two or three sentences of your own using each target word. If you’re not sure how to pronounce a word, click on an audio link, then say the word out loud.

Stay Focused

Another meaning for “resolution” is “bringing into focus.” One way you can focus your mind on each word is by using different methods of learning and practicing that word. Studies have shown that people have several ways of learning things: by hearing them (auditory learning), by seeing them written down and reading them (visual learning), and by writing them down themselves (kinesthetic learning). By using multiple methods, you increase your accuracy and create a solid foundation for your studies. Each time you learn a new word:

• Read the word and examples of how to use it in context.
• Listen to the word and say it out loud to yourself.
• Write the word down, being sure you’re clear on how it’s spelled, and create several practice sentences using the word.

Be Committed

A third definition of “resolution” is the one that started you on this study program in the first place: you are resolved – determined, resolute, committed, avowed – to improve your vocabulary and your language skills. Keep practicing your new words, and look for opportunities to use them in your everyday conversations. Set small, achievable goals for yourself (“I will learn seven new words this week” or “I will use last week’s words at least once in conversation this week”) and enjoy the satisfaction of reaching those goals.

Happy New Year, and happy learning!