What’s the first image that comes to your mind when you think vocabulary study session? Is it a picture of a person sitting alone at a library cubicle or small table, a single lamp shining down on the book open in front of them? Is it a classroom scene, with one or two dozen people listening to a lecture? Maybe the first thing you think of is a group of laughing, chattering people all working on their words together. Each of these can be effective study environments, and you’ll benefit from trying them all out.

If your habit is to study alone, you’ll find that the give-and-take of group study will stimulate you to learn faster, and having other people to trade ideas with can quickly increase your comprehension of associated words and phrases. Or try a formal class, which will challenge you with tests and quizzes, but also provide you the expert support of a professor or teacher’s aide.

If you’ve only studied vocabulary in a class, you might not feel like study can be fun. Joining a language discussion group will help you relax and enjoy yourself, and you’ll find that the better you feel about the way you spend your time, the easier it will be to learn. You’ll also benefit from some solo study sessions, to help you develop your sense of purpose and priorities, rather than relying on an outside influence.

If you’ve been in a group study program, you’ve probably been learning a lot, but perhaps not at the depth that you’d hoped. Signing up for an English class, especially one that includes discussions about word origins and language development, will give you a firmer base for your vocabulary-building exercises, and the assigned homework will give you the opportunity for regular, concentrated study on your own.

Those of you using the Ultimate Vocabulary software know what a benefit it is to have the resource of a support system. Whether it’s a local ESL group, a tutor at a nearby college or university, or a friend who’s also focused on improving their professional or academic vocabulary, don’t be afraid to take advantage of the help and knowledge of other people. And remember, one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else – support other people in their vocabulary study, and you’ll all come out ahead.