If you’re scratching your head trying to figure out the best way to learn English vocabulary, we’re here to help. Learning vocabulary is a part of any good learning method, whether you opt for a textbook, classes, or an online learning platform, but there are ways to make improving your lexicon a priority in your learning journey.

Use post its

When you’re trying to learn English, one of the best tips we can offer is to integrate it into every corner of your life – by which we mean the fridge, your bathroom mirror, and your bedside table.

One of the cheapest solutions we can think of to learn English vocabulary quickly is to buy a pack of post its and surround yourself with new terms. This way, every time you prepare a meal or take a shower, you’ll be confronted with new vocabulary in English without ever having to take the time to sit down and study.

Download an app

While we wouldn’t recommend using an app as your only method to learn English, it’s an excellent way to bolster one or more other methods. App learning tools are usually fun and broken down into bite-size chunks, meaning you can fit language learning into any spare moment.

Learn English online

The best way to learn English vocabulary has to be taking your learning online. Joining an online learning platform is the most effective way of injecting some fun into your English studies – and making things fun is the easiest way to keep vocabulary fresh in your mind.

Any good online learning platform will have dedicated resources for learning English. The best will also provide exercises to help you test what you’re learning and to apply your new knowledge to real life situations.

Whenever we start learning a new skill, it makes sense to figure out what you need to know before you dive in. Ask yourself why exactly you need to learn English, and what areas of vocabulary will serve you best. Then you can identify the vocabulary that is essential to meet your goals.

Finance and banking

Are you developing your business English to work in the world of finance and banking? If so, here’s a short list of essential terms to take with you into the workplace. Of course, this isn’t all of the vocabulary you’ll need to work in the sector, but it’s a good place to start.

• profitable - that produces a profit
• spread - a numerical difference between two amounts, such as two interest rates
• to lend - to give money to someone who agrees that they will pay the money back in the future
• get away with - to succeed in avoiding punishment for something
• commission - an amount of money, typically a percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction
• overdraft - a deficit in a bank account caused by drawing more money than the account holds
• shareholder - the owner of shares in a company or bank
• put together - to prepare a piece of work by collecting several ideas and suggestions and organizing them
• yields - the income returned on an investment
• managed fund - an investment fund run on behalf of an investor by an agent
• trading - the activity of buying and selling in this case stocks, bond, etc.
• bear - to accept, tolerate especially something unpleasant
• hedge funds -  a type of investment that can make a lot of profit (despite market fluctuations called “hedging”) but involves a large risk
• disclose - to show something that was hidden

How many of these words and their definitions did you know?

Building and construction

Another industry that requires a lot of specific vocabulary for success is building and construction. If you need to interact with this sector as part of your professional development, learning the essential vocabulary will be key. Here’s a short list of vocabulary for survival in the industry:

• subsidiary - A secondary company that’s owned and controlled by another company
• single-story building - Structure that is one floor only. 
• crawl space foundation - a type of structural foundation that allows to have some space between the first floor of the building and the ground. 
• reinforced concrete - concrete that contains steel bars that enhance its structural performance. 
• aggregates - A material used in construction and formed of different groups and fragments of gravel and crushed stones. 
• set - the verb for “setting” which is a chemical reaction between cement and water which results in hardening the cement.   
• masonries - Structural pieces like bricks and stones that are bound together by a cement-based material.
• carbon footprint - The amount of carbon dioxide produced and sent in the atmosphere as a consequence of a certain activity of an individual, a machine or any other source.
• tensile strength - The resistance of material under tensions 
• timber - Timber is a type of wood which has been manufactured and processed into beams and planks
• newbuilds - a house or a building one that has been built recently but has never been owned, used or lived in.

When you join GlobalExam and become an online learner, you’ll get access to a whole range of grammar and vocabulary resources divided according to your goal:

• Improve my industry skills: if you want to focus on industry-specific skills, such as building construction, cyber security, health and pharma,  banking and finance , tourism ...
• Boost my career: if you want to focus on career-specific skills, such as  marketing, communication, human resources, sales, purchasing, CSM or management
• Boost my skills: if you want to focus on specific skills, such as negotiation, write a professional email, manage a project,manage interculturality, recruitment, answer the phone, travelling in business, conducting a meeting or greeting a client
• Boost my level: if you want to improve your level more generally with grammar sheets

Among all these fantastic resources are plenty of great ways to learn English vocabulary. Each of the above modules is composed of multiple units and situations that expose learners to vocabulary and grammar in realistic business contexts. The best way to learn English vocabulary can often be to allow yourself to read and interact with new and familiar terms without the pressure of a never-ending list of complicated words.

If you’re looking to target vocabulary specifically, you can do that too on GlobalExam. When you learn English online with us, you can enroll yourself on an intensive vocabulary course of three levels: beginner; intermediate; and advanced level. Let's take a closer look at how it works.

Learn English vocabulary for survival

Our course to learn English vocabulary starts at beginner level for learners of business English. This stage of the course is divided into six key situations, designed to familiarize you with the key vocabulary needed for survival in the business world in a series of realistic scenarios.

Your journey will begin with Tom, a salesman, who joins a new company and goes about meeting his colleagues and getting started in a new work environment.

In each twenty-minute situation, you’ll be introduced to essential terms for surviving in an English workplace. Even if you’re not a beginner in English, the best way to learn English vocabulary is to mix the old with the new: we recommend consolidating familiar terms in this stage of the course before challenging yourself.

Each situation targets a new set of words in the context of a continuous story. In addition to helping you achieve your goal to learn English vocabulary, you’ll also be introduced to key grammar points as you go.

When you complete the situation “The place to sell”, you’ll learn:

• Vocabulary related to retail
• How to use demonstrative adjectives
• How to differentiate between “some” and “any”

Learn English to be autonomous at work

The next stage in our course to learn English vocabulary is for intermediate speakers with the goal of training you to become autonomous in an English-speaking workplace. This unit is divided into seven situations, designed to walk you through common experiences in an office.

Here we meet new characters in Tom’s workplace and encounter scenarios including a weekly meeting, a phone call to discuss company results, and planning the launch of a new product.

Each twenty-minute situation targets a new selection of vocabulary, old and new, to develop your ability to confront different workplace scenarios. This stage in the course pushes speakers to use more and more specific business terms and apply nuance to vocabulary choices.

When you complete the situation “The eco-friendly approach”, you’ll learn:

• Important vocabulary for manufacturing
• How to talk about logistics and production
• How to describe tasks and responsibilities related to manufacturing

Learn English online to shine in society

The final stage of our specialized vocabulary course is for advanced English speakers looking to put their skills to the test. This unit has six situations that push your ability to learn English vocabulary into new areas in the business world.

The stories continue with characters Linda and Tom, who find themselves in situations such as writing a thank-you speech, finalizing travel arrangements, and seeking funding for a project.

Completing the final six twenty-minute situations should leave you ready to take our certification test. You know the best way to learn English vocabulary? Add some pressure!

In the situation “Let’s talk business”, you’ll learn:

• Important vocabulary for negotiations, persuasion and marketing
• How to talk about sponsorship and advertising

GlobalExam is a comprehensive learning platform that is 100% online. If you’re considering taking your mission to learn English vocabulary digital, look no further!

When you sign up to our Business English platform, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a whole range of grammar and vocabulary exercises in the context of realistic business scenarios designed to put your knowledge into context and give you the experience of real living and working environments. 

As you complete situations and units, you’ll be able to track your progress and see where your strengths and weaknesses are. This is an essential part of improving, keeping motivated, and staying on track to meeting your targets.

Our platform is designed to help beginner, intermediate and expert-level English speakers, so there’s something for everyone.

One of the most effective ways to boost your English lexicon when you learn English online with us is to take advantage of our virtual lessons. Our virtual learning platforms enables you to enrich your learning in individual or group virtual classes in two different types of settings:

• Individual lessons of thirty minutes
• Group lessons (six people maximum) of one hour

Our virtual classes complement our e-learning materials, giving you the opportunity to put your new English vocabulary into practice.

One of the main advantages of learning as a virtual student, is the benefit of a teacher’s close guidance and advice. Our English teachers are all native speakers with TESOL qualifications and the necessary experience in business English to ensure that you reach your goals. 

If independent study online feels a little daunting, virtual lessons are the perfect way to make sure you can regularly touch base with a qualified guide and keep on track to achieve your goals.

If you opt for individual lessons, you can determine exactly what you study each lesson. So, if you’re still wondering how to learn English vocabulary, why not book yourself an individual session with one of our virtual teachers and find the answer together?

Sound good? See you there!