Tips for improving your vocabulary
English is the richest language in the world with more than 1,000,000 words. However, most adults’ only know 40 to 50,000 words. In order to increase your vocabulary there are some strategies to use.
First of all, you can learn what a word means by looking at the context that it is used in. In order to do this, you need to stop reaching for a dictionary when an unfamiliar word comes up while you are reading. Instead, try to figure its meaning out by looking at the words around it. Herein there will be clues to help you unlock the word’s general meaning. If you still cannot figure out what the word means and your book has a glossary in it, use it.
A glossary will give you the specific definition of the word as it is used in your book. This is because a glossary is a mini-dictionary that is located in the back of your book. In case this does not work, you can always reach for a dictionary. Herein you will not only find what the meaning of the word is but you will also find the word’s correct spelling, pronunciation, derivations and what part of speech it is. Since there will probably be a variety of definitions available, you should try to fit the definition back into the original context.
Another way in which you can try to figure out the meaning of a word is by looking at its structure. Here is where knowing the different parts of speech are will help you to understand and unlock the meanings of words. These different parts of speech include:
1. Prefixes are the part of a word that is sometimes attached to the front of the word.
2. Roots are the basic part of words.
3. Suffixes are attached to the end of a word.
In order to learn even more words, you need to read various types of materials. Then once you do learn more words, you also need to use the following strategy to help you remember the new words that you are learning. Part of this has to do with making the time to actively review the new words that you are learning. Otherwise you are going to have to learn the word over and over again each time that you see the word. An easy way to do this is to write each new word on the front of an index card with its meaning on the back. You should also write a sample sentence underneath of the definition.
Whenever it is time to review the words that you are learning you should look at the word and try to recall the definition on the back. Then look at the definition and the sample sentence and try to recall what the word is. As you review the cards, sort them into 2 stacks: those that you know and those that you do not know. You can then concentrate upon those words that you do not know whenever you are studying and only periodically review all of the cards. This is critical to remembering the words that you are learning.
February 12th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Teaching English in South Korea
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