How is your vocabulary study progressing? Have you discovered that – no matter how much you grumble about the need to put in some daily study time – the best results come from regular practice? We’re sure of your eventual acquiescence once you realize the benefits of a focused and steady routine, even if you’re still loudly protesting the time it takes.

First of all, don’t think that you need to spend hours each day on your English vocabulary improvement program. If you have a good software package like Ultimate Vocabulary that’s been scientifically designed to target the essentials of vocabulary building and help you build a personalized study plan, then you really only need ten or fifteen minutes of concentrated attention to make quick progress. If you’re studying on your own, you might need to spend a half an hour a day on your studies, but you can break that into two. If you pick out a word or two from your morning newspaper and by the time you leave for work you’ll be able to have all the elements you need to review the word throughout the day.

Let’s use today’s word, acquiescence, as an example. Once you’ve selected your target word, take a few minutes to do the following:

Get a definition. Acquiescence means “silent agreement (to something)” or “agreement without protest.” Some words have several meanings depending on how they’re used, so make sure you’re familiar with all of the main definitions.

Find an example. Many dictionaries have sentences using the word in context, but you may have to search on line. Once you’ve found an example and understand how to use the word correctly, create your own sentences to practice.

Carl’s acquiescence to his supervisor’s constant demands led everyone to believe he was happy with his job, but in fact Carl spent all of his free time looking for another position.

Identify the related parts of speech. One of the best ways to memorize a word is to link it to other bits of information. In this case, you’ll find it easier to remember this word once you realize that there are several derivations of the noun acquiescence: the verb to acquiesce and the adjective acquiescent.

Learn more about the word. You can get more information about a word by looking up its etymology. When you know the origins of the word, you’ll also discover other words that are related to it. For example, acquiescence comes from the Latin root word quietis, which is where we get the word “quiet.” Once you know this, the definition becomes even more clear, and your understanding of the word will be much better.

Accept the fact that daily practice is essential to achieving an excellent vocabulary, and find fifteen minutes in your schedule to devote to this valuable routine.