Words are powerful. What you say determines much of how other people perceive you. Others will judge your knowledge, social skills, and personality by the things you say. It is important to think carefully about your words before you speak.

Words are symbols of concepts and carry meaning. Considering this, as you learn English, you must correctly understand what words mean. Otherwise you will have embarrasing moments as you seek to relate to Americans!

If you are in a conversation and do not understand an English word, do not be afraid to stop and ask. Americans believe that what they are speaking is important and would rather you stop them to understand what they are saying, instead of nodding in agreement without knowing what they are trying to communicate to you.

To the right is a good English dictionary available online where you can look up word meanings. It even gives examples of words being used in proper context.