How to Increase your English vocabulary using internet?

(In reply to Yahoo answers, original post appears here.

Let me summarize some of the tools computers/Internet has to offer you
to increase your vocab. Definitely you should look other ways as well,
but IT is damn powerful and easiest way!

I would suggest you to use web extensively to learn English. These are my few suggestions:

1.
Install Firefox (Internet Browser), install a plug in (Extension) called
Dictionary tool-tip. When you restart your fire fox, Tool-tip will work
:-) This will immensely help you to know meanings of words you
encounted newly. Just double clicking on any word will pop-up a
definition, you can chose any major dictionaries to do this task.

2)
Read lot. Especially from the good sources, I suggest you two major
sources: BBC English learning page and The New Yorker magazine (Sources
provided). BBC have H2G2 community, where you can put a writeup for
evaluation. H2G2 is great I tell you!

3) Install Real player.
Stream Radio stations, especially NPR and BBC. This might not help you
to immensely increase vocab, but definitely your English. If you are
using mac, install iTunes, and stream Old time Mystery radio. If you
are using Linux (like me, Ubuntu fan ;-) ) install RhythmBox or XMMS.

4)
As many already pointed out, Flash cards will be of great use. Go to
any book stall, get yourself a set of flash cards (Usually comes in
2000s) and start cramming. If you cant afford it, you can make
beautiful Flash cards using FX (look Source) and print it out, cut it
neatly.

5) Read a lot! If you are using windows OS, Install
Microsoft Reader (Free download from Microsoft). You can make a good
digital library of classics. Books need to be in .lit formats. I
suggest you to download utorrent, and search in ISO Torrents for .lit
books. When ever you see a new word, search in www.dictionary.com and
make a flash card. There are many free offline dictionaries (to
download) available in internet as well.

6)In yahoo games, play a game called LITERATI. That will help you great, I tell you!

7) Yahoo chat have many rooms in Education section, chat with a native English speaker will definitely help you as well.

8)
If you have apple's iPod, there are many podcasts available to help
your vocab. My Suggestion is: Away With Words (now known as: On Words)
of NPR (I love it). You don't have to have iPod to listen podcasts
anyway.

9) Subscribe to Anu Garg's Word of the day, email. A new
email will wait for you each day, with a fresh (probably a new word for
you, but not a "common" word). There are many word of the day mails
like webster, dictionary.com etc but I find wordsmith's the best, and definitely the original AWAD.

You can add this 'word of the day' in your home page (Google IG via gadgets or Yahoo home page via RSS). I use google/ig by the way ;-)

All the best!

Comments

Unknown said…
your answer is awesome my friend...
8:25 PM
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