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We find that this kind of vocabulary knowledge is important for conveying subtle shades of meaning. Often, English has several words that are almost but not quite synonyms. You might use them in the same place in a sentence, but they will give your sentence a different tone or level of formality. We have found that being able to distinguish between near synonyms helps me to sound more fluent. For example, two words might convey the same basic meaning, but one will sound more confident and the other more polite. We think this kind of knowledge is easiest to learn through context, so the more you are exposed to real English, the easier it will be to learn.
A second reason to learn vocabulary deeply is that words are often used in different ways in different contexts. Often, the same word will have different meanings, and an experienced speaker will be able to keep them straight. In addition, many words have phrasal verb forms, idiomatic expressions, or are used in metaphors. If you just try to memorize a list of vocabulary words, you won’t learn most of these. Instead, you need to be exposed to the same words over and over, so that you can build up a network of associations that will help you to remember the word more quickly and comfortably, and to use it in a wider variety of situations.
Finally, the better you know a word, the easier it will be to understand when you hear or read it. If you know a word well, you will be able to recognize its meaning and keep listening or reading without having to stop to look it up or figure it out from context. This will make listening and reading much easier and less stressful, because you will be able to focus on the overall meaning instead of getting bogged down in details. In addition, the more you understand when you listen and read, the more challenging material you will be able to handle, which will in turn help you to learn even more vocabulary.
Overall, we think the key to becoming fluent in another language is not just to learn a lot of words, but to really know them. This will help you to use them effectively when you speak and write, and to understand them easily when you listen and read. Instead of just memorizing lists, try to learn words in context, so that you can start to build up the networks of association that experienced speakers rely on. Don’t be afraid to look up words you don’t know, but also don’t rely just on memorizing the definitions you find in a dictionary. With time and practice, you will develop a sense of how to use words in a way that sounds natural and fluent.