41 Vocabulary Development
A good vocabulary is a vital part of effective communication. A command of many words will make you a better writer, speaker, listener, and reader. Studies have shown that students with a strong vocabulary, and students who work to improve a limited vocabulary, are more successful in school. And one research study found that a good vocabulary, more than any other factor, was common to people enjoying successful careers. This section will describe three ways of developing your word power: (1) regular reading, (2) vocabulary wordsheets, and (3) vocabulary study books. You should keep in mind from the start, however, that none of the approaches will help unless you truly decide that vocabulary development is an important goal. Only when you have this attitude can you begin doing the sustained work needed to improve your word power.
Regular Reading
Through reading a good deal, you will learn words by encountering them a number of times in a variety of sentences. Repeated exposure to a word in context will eventually make it a part of your working language.
You should develop the habit of reading a daily newspaper and one or more weekly magazines like Time, Newsweek, or even People, as well as monthly magazines suited to your interests. In addition, you should try to read some books for pleasure. This may be especially difficult at times when you also have textbook reading to do. Try, however, to redirect a regular half hour to one hour of your recreational time to reading books, rather than watching television, listening to music, or the like. Doing so, you may eventually reap the rewards of an improved vocabulary and discover that reading can be truly enjoyable. If you would like some recommendations, ask your instructor for a copy of the “List of Interesting Books” in the Instructor's Manual that accompanies English Skills with Readings.
Vocabulary Wordsheets
Vocabulary wordsheets are another means of vocabulary development. Whenever you read, you should mark off words that you want to learn. After you have accumulated a number of words, sit down with a dictionary and look up basic information about each of them. Put this information on a wordsheet like the one shown below. Be sure also to write down a sentence in which each word appears. A word is always best learned not in a vacuum but in the context of surrounding words.
Study each word as follows. To begin with, make sure you can correctly pronounce the word and its derivations. (Pages 501-504 explain the dictionary pronunciation key that will help you pronounce each word properly.) Next, study the main meanings of the word until you can say them without looking at them. Finally, spend a moment looking at the example of the word in context. Follow the same process with the second word. Then, after testing yourself on the first and the second words, go on to the third word. After you learn each new word, remember to continue to test yourself on all the words you have studied. Repeated self-testing is a key to effective learning.
Activity
In your reading, locate four words that you would like to master. Enter them in the spaces on the vocabulary wordsheet below and fill in all the needed information. Your instructor may then check your wordsheet and perhaps give you a quick oral quiz on selected words.
You may receive a standing assignment to add five words a week to a wordsheet and to study the words. Note that you can create your own wordsheets using loose-leaf paper, or your instructor may give you copies of the wordsheet that appears below.
Vocabulary Wordsheet
1. Word: _________________ Pronunciation:
Meanings:
Other forms of the word:
Use of the word in context:
2. Word: _________________ Pronunciation:
Meanings:
Other forms of the word:
Use of the word in context:
3. Word: _________________ Pronunciation:
Meanings:
Other forms of the word:
Use of the word in context:
4. Word: _________________ Pronunciation:
Meanings:
Other forms of the word:
Use of the word in context:
5. Word: _________________ Pronunciation:
Meanings:
Other forms of the word:
Use of the word in context:
Vocabulary Study Books
A third way to increase your word power is to use vocabulary study books. Many vocabulary books and programs are available. The best are those that present words in one or more contexts and then provide several reinforcement activities for each word. These books will help you increase your vocabulary if you have the determination required to work with them on a regular basis.