Fun Ways to Learn English Vocabulary

Make vocabulary learning enjoyable.easy find image by igor kisselev from Fotolia.com

With an extensive vocabulary, a student can read, write and communicate more effectively. Much time is devoted to increasing the breadth of student vocabulary in traditional English classrooms. Commonly, this time is spent completing worksheets or exploring dictionary definitions of novel terms. While these activities are effective ways to enhance vocabulary, they are often boring. Teachers can increase the students' natural desire to build their vocabularies by engaging them in fun activities dealing with the discipline.

Vocabulary Pictures

Mix vocabulary study and art by creating vocabulary pictures. Instruct each student to create a picture that in some way illustrates one or more of the vocabulary words. Students will likely enjoy creating these graphic representations, and the practice will cement their understanding of the vocabulary words they are exploring.

Make vocabulary study into an interactive activity by creating a vocabulary memory game. To create this game, cut card stock into squares that are roughly four inches by four inches. Divide the squares into two piles. On the squares in one pile, write the definitions to vocabulary words. On the other set of squares, write the words themselves. Mix the two piles together.

To play the game, spread the squares out face down in front of the students. Allow students to take turns turning over two squares at a time. If the student turns over a matching word and definition, she gets to pick up the cards. If the cards do not match, she must turn them back over and try again. Continue in this fashion until all of the cards have been paired. The student with the most matches at the end of the game wins.

Practice vocabulary usage by composing vocabulary stories. Give each student a list of the vocabulary words you have been studying. Ask the student to compose a story in which he properly uses as many of the vocabulary words as possible. Instruct the students to highlight each vocabulary word as they use it in the story. Give a prize to the student who successfully uses the most words in his original tale.

Get your students on the look out for vocabulary words by engaging them in a vocabulary scavenger hunt. Tell them that you will award them one extra credit point for each vocabulary word they find in print media. Have them bring in newspaper articles or magazines containing vocabulary words, or copy pages of books if the word is present. Display these vocabulary artifacts on a classroom wall so that students can see how prevalent the words they are learning really are.