38 Language-Learning Experts Reveal Their

Favorite Methods for Learning Vocabulary

Ask The Experts

Summary
Expert

Summary of Method

Website

Aaron Knight

Never learn a single word by

itself. Learn groups of words
that travel together.

PhraseMix

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Albert Wolfe

Put the words where youll see

them as often as possible.

Laowai Chinese

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Andr Klein

Reading engaging stories.

Anne Merritt

Studying vocabulary in context.

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Memory Palaces
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Anthony Metivier
Ben Whately

Learn Out Live

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Using Mems is my best

recommendation to learning
lots of vocab, fast!

AnneMerrit.com
Magnetic Memory Method
Memrise

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Benny Lewis

Real-life conversations. The

embarrassment of not knowing

a word will burn it into your
memory.

Fluent in 3 Months

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Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Use "smart" flashcards with short

sentences that feature real
people/facts in your life.
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French Today

Catherine Wentworth

Reading, writing, and repeating

words out loud until they are
set in memory is a simple but
powerful way to learn new
vocabulary.

Women Learn Thai

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Corinne McKay

Learning vocabulary through

audio materials.

TranslateWrite

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David Mansaray

Try to describe the world

around you in the language
you're learning. This exposes
gaps in your vocabulary.

Language is Culture

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Donovan Lee Mcgrath

Make the target language

relevant (e.g. tag familiar
things around your home using
the target language, which
should also include such things
as shopping lists, etc.).

DonovanLeeMcGrath.com

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Flora Petersen

Embed your new language into

your life and your daily
routine.
Read more

Babbel.com

Idahosa Ness

Make sure you can recognize

the sounds (of your new
language) and are able to
produce them yourself. This
helps greatly with vocabulary
learning.

the Mimic Method

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James Heisig

Read, read, READ.

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Nanzan Institute for Religion

and Culture

John Fotheringham

The key is to focus on learning

vocabulary in context.
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Ask, check, find out
whenever you dont know a
word and it keeps appearing,
look it up because its probably
important.

Language Mastery

Kerstin Hammes

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Fluent Language

Kevin Chen

My favorite vocabulary
building technique is
storing new words that I
encounter from chatting with
friends into an SRS program.

italki

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Lizzie Fane

1. Language Immersion for

Chrome.
2.Listen while you read.

ThirdYearAbroad.com

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Lucas Kern

I think a good vocabularybuilding method is a method

that keeps you motivated.

Leicht-Deutsch-Lernen.com

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Lutz Marten

I dont think there is one right

method. I think it varies from
learner to learner. And indeed
for the same learner over time.

SOAS University of London

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Lynn McBride

A great way to improve

vocabulary is by reading and
writing.

Southern Fried French

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Mark Thomson

Step 1: Listen and repeat

Step 2: Determine meaning
from context.
Step 3: Create a mnemonic
device.
Step 4: Write the word onto a
flashcard.
Step 5: Use the new word right
away.

Russian Accelerator

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Martin Benjamin

My favorite method is
language exchange.

Kamusi Project

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Olle Linge

I think reading and listening in

combination with Spaced
Repetition Software is the best
way to expand vocabulary.
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Hacking Chinese

scar Pellus
Pat Wyman

Learning words through

stories.

Unlimited Spanish

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The best way to recall

vocabulary is via pictures with
association.

HowToLearn.com

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Professor Jabba

If we could only recommend

one vocabulary building
method, it would be
conversation.

Jabbalab

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Samuel Gendreau

Learning through context.

Simon Ager

I tend to pick up a lot of my

vocabulary from extensive
listening and reading.

Lingholic

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Omniglot.com

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Stuart Jay Raj

I personally use association,

colors / emotions and the
Major Method.

Susana Wald

Constantly reading, very rarely

going to a dictionary (in deadend streets, so to speak) and
listening to others talk.

Susanna Zaraysky

Find music that you like and

that you can easily decipher
and learn the lyrics of the
songs.

StuJay.com

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Susana-Wald.com

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Create Your World Book

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Tim Bewer

I write all my new vocabulary

words on a piece of paper that
I always keep in my pocket. I
pull it out when I have any free
time and use it to practice.

Tomasz P. Szynalski

1. Natural input
2. Spaced Repetition Software
(if youre an introvert)

TimBewer.com

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Anti Moon

Wiktor Kostrzewski

16Kinds

The only system worth

recommending is one that
works ahead of you, not
against you. For learning
vocabulary, it helps to create a
rich context for the items
youre learning.
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William E. Linney

I feel that the best way to

memorize new vocabulary is to
use the word in spoken
conversations.

Getting Started with Latin

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Yangyang

I think remembering words

with sentences or paragraphs
is good way to learn
vocabulary.

Lang-8

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