When you started your vocabulary study program, did you have a specific goal of learning a particular set of words? Did you have a goal related to the number of new words you wanted to learn, but a less specific idea of what those words should be? Or did you decide to learn words randomly, as you came across them and found them interesting or useful? No matter which type of study you use – and you can switch between them as time goes on, of course – you’ll find word lists helpful.

There are several reasons to use word lists when you study. First, it gives you a manageable block of information to consider, which will keep you from being overwhelmed by the number of words you may have on your “to-do” list. You’ll be more successful if you set short goals for yourself, such as learning five words a day, or ten words a week. Use the first few weeks of your study sessions to discover the number of words and lengths of time you’re comfortable with, and use that as a guide. Break your larger word list into the smaller blocks, and concentrate on each list individually.

The Ultimate Vocabulary program allows you to create your own word lists on-line, but if you’re working on paper, you can still replicate some of the features that Ultimate Vocabulary provides. For example, you can add an image (where possible – this will be easier with nouns and adjectives) to help you remember the word. Not only does this involve another area of your brain, and therefore increase your ability to memorize and retain information, but if you’re primarily a visual learner, using images is key to quick and accurate learning.

Another reason to use word lists is to focus on words that you find difficult to remember. You can create a special list of these harder words, adding new ones as they come up and crossing off ones you’ve mastered, and use it for weekly intensive study sessions. Not only does this help you concentrate on words you need to practice, it also allows you to make progress in your general study sessions. Rather than getting frustrated because you just can’t remember that one last word on your current list, you can move the difficult word to your focus list, and move on to your next group of words. You know you’ll conquer those difficult words eventually, but you don’t have to feel like you’re stuck until you do.

Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements! When you’ve reached the end of your tenth list, or learned your first 100 words, reward yourself with a night out, or go to that movie you’ve been wanting to see. Remember, all work and no play …