Having a decent mastery over the words is essential to learn a second language. The truth is that grammar mistakes are less serious than vocabulary mistakes. Make a grammar mistake and you will still be understood. Choose the wrong word and you will not be able to convey the intended message.

Words are essential to convey ideas. The following tips will help in learning and improving your English vocabulary.

Read. By reading, you will improve your chances of getting exposed to more and words. The more words you come into contact with, the better your vocabulary will be. While reading, you may encounter unfamiliar words. Look them up in a dictionary. Ideally, you should try and pick their meanings from the context itself. Then look the words up. You will easily remember the words learned from context.

Revise the words as often as possible. You will not learn a new word by just looking it up in the dictionary. Repeat it 10 or 20 times and it will become a part of your vocabulary. Repeat both the word and its meaning. It also helps to write the word. Use the words you have learned in speech and writing.

Relate the word to words you know. Try to find words with similar or related meanings. Do crossword puzzles, Scrabble and Boggle. Playing with words is a fun way of learning English.

Use ESL sites on the Net. There are several sites that give free vocabulary lessons on the internet. Subscribe to one of the Word a Day by email newsletter.

Be a good listener. Make good use of every opportunity you get to interact with people who speak good English. By listening to them you will considerably improve your language skills. Students living in a country where English isn’t widely spoken should listen to English TV and radio channels. Read English newspapers and magazines. If you live in an English speaking country, make friends with native English speakers. You will automatically improve your English as you hear them speak.