Do you have a plan for daily vocabulary study? If not, we recommend that you try to work in at least ten minutes each day to focus on learning and reviewing the vocabulary that will help you improve your communication, increase your success at work, and advance your long-term career goals and short-term projects. The Ultimate Vocabulary system is designed for this type of focused work, and has the tools you’ll need to get a comprehensive study plan together, but we realize you’re not always near a computer. Here are some other ways to incorporate your vocabulary study into your daily routine:

Keep a journal. Carry a small notebook and a pen or pencil with you (or for the gadget gurus, your iPad, Blackberry or Palm) and when you see or hear a word that’s unfamiliar to you or intrigues you – or one that you thought you knew that’s being used in a new way – write it down, making a note of how it was used and pronounced. When you get the chance, look the word up and add it to your study list if it turns out to be one that you think will be useful to you.

Pick up a paper. Or a magazine, or a newsletter, or a flyer from the shop you’re walking by. See how other people use words to communicate. Be an editor – look carefully for spelling errors, and think about how you’d write the text. Are there words on your vocabulary list that you’d use instead to better express the same ideas?

Use flash cards. Unless you’re one of those lucky people with total recall, you’re going to have to use repetition to learn new words and their definitions. One of the ways you can fit in a few minutes of vocabulary review, no matter where you are, is to create flash cards with those words, definitions, and examples and carry them with you in your handbag, wallet, or backpack. Check out this post for tips on using flash cards, and this one for ideas on how to create them.

How do you make English vocabulary study a part of your day? Leave your suggestions in the comments.