HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY

ASMARANI FITRI

1A

A common complaint among college professors is that student writing lacks the sophistication
and level of vocabulary expected of college students. Building your vocabulary has many
advantages beyond improving your writing. A rich, well-developed vocabulary will make you a
better contributor to class discussions, a better reader, and a learner who can make connections
among various disciplines.

The thesaurus feature that comes with Microsoft Word and other word-processing programs is
a huge help for students with underdeveloped vocabularies. A thesaurus in print form can't hurt
either.

Techniques that actually help you to learn new words and build your vocabulary will be more
useful to you in the long run, however. Now, it probably does not sound practical to drop
everything in the middle of writing a paper to improve your vocabulary -- and it's not. That's the
time to use those shortcuts like thesaurus features

But when it's not crunch time, you can employ relatively painless techniques to boost your
command of words. Here are 10 of them:

1. Read. Research shows that one of the best vocabulary builders is reading -- and you will
certainly do a lot of reading in college. Make it a habit to jot down unfamiliar words you come
across while researching your paper and learn their definitions and usage. Consider keeping a file
of new words on 3 x 5 cards with definitions and examples of how to use them in a sentence.

2. Read beyond textbooks. Look for new words when you read for pleasure. And yes, read for
pleasure. Read magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Look for topical words, words in the
news.

3. Learn word roots. I'm tempted to say "Learn Latin." Sixty percent of the English language
comes from Latin. My four years of high-school Latin were the biggest single contributor to my
vocabulary (Thank you, Mr. Rhody). Sadly, fewer and fewer high schools and colleges offer
Latin. And learning the whole language does take time. But you can learn both Latin and Greek
word roots, suffixes, and prefixes, thus giving you the tools to suss out the meanings of words.
Here are just a few Websites that can help you learn:

EnhanceMyVocabulary.com: English Vocabulary Derived from Latin

Etymoline.com
 Word for Word

The Study Hall: Prefixes, Suffixes, & Roots

English vocabulary word directory with links to various thematic units of Words for Our
Modern Age

4. Sort new words. You can combine techniques 1 through 3 by writing new words you
encounter on sticky notes and then applying your knowledge of word roots to sort words based
on their common roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Or group synonyms together, or make sentences
with them. Create a word wall and learn from the relationships among words.

5. Make a new-word list on steroids. Vocabulary expert J. M. Steadman recommends a word

list with more than just definitions. He suggests columns for the new word you want to learn, its
part of speech (noun, verb, etc.), its pronunciation, synonyms for the word, its antonyms, its
derivation (learning those Greek and Latin roots will help), common meanings of the words,
related words, and sentences that illustrate how the word is used. Such a detailed list could be
kept in a notebook or even on a spreadsheet on your computer. Yes, investigating all those
aspects of new words is a lot of work, but research shows that multiple exposures to words truly
helps you learn them.

6. Learn a new word each day. Lots of tools are available to help you learn a new word every
day, including print calendars and Web sites. Here are a few:

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day

Word a Day newsletter from Vocab Vitamins

The OneLook Word of the Day

7. Determine word meanings from their context. Even before you look a word up, try to figure
out what it means by the context in which you find it. You'll certainly encounter lots of words in
context in your college readings. Studies show that strategies in which you self-evaluate how you
have figured out what words mean reinforce your learning of those words.

8. And then use them in new contexts. Use them in your written assignments. Look for
concepts related to the new words you're using.

9. Use new words in conversation. Don't worry about appearing pompous or too smart by
using new word you've learned. You'll learn the words better, and you might even impress your
conversation partners.
10. Cultivate a fascination, affection, and curiosity for words and their histories. If you
think of vocabulary improvement as a distasteful chore, you will obviously not get far with it.
But if you immerse yourself in words, their meanings, uses, and derivations, you'll develop a
life-long facility with words that will serve you well throughout your college years and far
beyond.

Source : MyCollegeSuccessStory.com:
Empowering Academic, College, and Career Success