Vocabulary Building

Vocabulary Building
 

I've picked up a few basics but I still need to build up my vocabulary substantially. I've started using flash cards that I made myself and it has helped some but retention is a problem. I know I can't expect to memorize them all the first or even second or third time but it is beginning to become frustrating.
I've also looked into dual language books.

Will either of these pay off in the long run?
What techniques would you recommend I try for building my Spanish vocabulary?

Yes, both will help a lot, but everybody learns in different ways. I found that flash cards are excellent when used in small batches to begin with, increasing the size of batch to mix known and new words. The whole process can be dry and tedious, so finding somebody else to help makes it more fun.

Hi El Gato, take a look at this post of mine. Especially the last part about how to practice thinking in Spanish. In the last year or so that I started that process myself I have developed my vocabulary more than in the 10 years before that! It works like a charm, IF you put in the effort.

As noted by a post, different people have different learning styles, but reading for pleasure on a topic that interests you can help expand vocab a lot. (At least for me.) There seems to be a lot of logical / osmosis in vocabulary expansion by about topics that interest you

I think the problem with flash cards is that you learn things in isolation. It's only natural that that would make them difficult to remember. You need to immediately APPLY whatever new thing you learn.

I am a musician and it's exactly the same with music (or anything else, for that matter). If I learn a certain chord form on the guitar neck but don't actually start USING it in my playing I will quickly forget it.

Regarding language, when you learn a new word, you also have to start USING it immediately, which means creating sentences with it. That way the word has a context for you, instead of just being some letters on a card.

I agree with the previous poster that reading is very good. Obviously all the words are in context when you read, and it's also a good idea to start reading stuff that you are actually interested in, because it will be more pleasurable than reading random stuff.

But then again, I also recommend you think about which topics you would like to increase your vocabulary on and read specifically about those topics. For example, let's say you have noticed that you really lack vocabulary when it comes to the topic of kitchens and cooking. Then the obvious thing to do is start reading cookbooks/recipes in Spanish , and things like the kitchen area of department store websites in Spanish (like http://www.elcorteingles.es).

A great advantage of department store websites is that they have photos of most of their products so that you also link an image to the word, which helps to remember it much better.

In fact, I highly recommend specific websites in general. It's a fantastic way to learn vocabulary for a specific area/topic.

Want to learn more words around the topic of train travel? Look up the Spanish national rail service website.

Want to know more words around the topic of banks? Look up websites of Spanish banks.

Want to know more words around the topic of supermarkets/food/shopping? Look up websites of Spanish supermarkets.

But really think about what topics interest you and you want to learn more about, then simply go online and look for Spanish websites of companies, stores, government organizations, museums, institutions, schools etc. etc.

I have been speaking Spanish for years now and am married to a Spanish speaker. We only speak Spanish at home. When I first started learning Spanish I already knew some Italian after living in Italy for 2 years. I applied the way I learned Italian to learning Spanish. I carried a small bilingual phrase dictionary with me everywhere I went even at work. When ever I had a break or any free time I would pull out my bilingual dictionary and study it. I also watched Italian TV and listened to Italian radio. So I did the same thing with Spanish. My wife would watch Spanish soap operas and I started watching them with her. I found out that I was learning more Spanish vocabulary in a few weeks with the Spanish soap operas than studing on my own for a year. I also took notes and recorded the Span. soap operas. Made flash cards from vocabulary words and phrases from the Span. S.O. I rewinded when I needed to. Also I went to church in Spanish and attended Spanish A.A. meetngs. I listen to music in Spanish and memorize the lyrics. I know many songs in Spanish by memory. Italian songs too. In California we have Spanish speakers everywhere and I always make it a point to talk to them. There is a kind of brotherhood among Spanish speakers. At the gym I speak Spanish. If I go out to eat I order my food in Spanish. I talk on the phone in Spanish. I listen to the news in Spanish.