Imagine that you want to build a house out of bricks. Obviously, you’ll need a lot of bricks, and you’ll need to accumulate a large stockpile of them before you begin construction. However, you need to also know what to do with those bricks once you’ve made them, and how to assemble them correctly, otherwise you’ll just have a pile of bricks, not a useful and well-designed home.

Vocabulary study is really about building a house, not just about learning words (the building blocks of language). Unless you’re a professional Scrabble player who merely needs to remember letter patterns, you’ve got to learn more about words and how to use them in order to truly learn English, or any language. Many studies have been done over the years about how to teach English vocabulary, and the valuable information gained by researchers who specialize in language instruction is always worth exploring if you want to maximize your English language skills. Here are some tips that veteran English scholars and instructors Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman recommend be a part of any English vocabulary study program:

Learn synonyms, both in words and meanings. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to look up any synonyms to the words you’re learning. Not only will that allow you to get a better understanding of the word itself, but it will allow you to double or triple your vocabulary acquisition at the same time. In addition, make sure you know the different meanings for the same word; for example, a class could refer to a group of students, a category of objects, or a quality of sophistication, depending on context.

Focus on pronunciation. While written English is an invaluable tool, most of your use of the language will probably be in spoken conversation. If you don’t know exactly how a word is pronounced, you run the risk of confusion and misunderstanding between you and your listeners.

Find out all the ways a word can be used. The English language is rich in idiom, and words can change in meaning depending on when and how you use them. Take note of any examples you can find about common phrases or sayings that use your vocabulary words, and learn those too. If English isn’t your native language, be sure that you have some time with a native speaker so that you know how conversational English is supposed to sound.

Resource: Gairns, R., Redman, S. Working With Words: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. Cambridge University Press (1986)