The technique of "elaboration" is one of the most effective ways of building your vocabulary.
The technique of elaboration works like this: when you learn a new word, link that new word to meaningful information.
For example, look up the dictionary for a word you do not know, or do not know well.
Assume you find the word "nonplussed". The dictionary defines nonplussed as "A state of perplexity, confusion, or bewilderment".
If you left the matter here, then you would be unlikely to remember the meaning of "nonplussed". This is because you have done no elaboration; you need to link "nonplussed" to meaningful information, such as similar words, examples, and personal experiences.
For example, perhaps you might think of the bewildered or puzzled look of your friend when you tell them the real meaning of "nonplussed".
Another good elaboration technique is to read as many examples of the word's usage as possible. The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, includes the following examples for "nonplussed":
- He stares round the company with his vacant and nonplussed eyes
- She swept from the room, leaving the nonplussed artist to puzzle over the cause of her ... behavior
- Her pitted and usually nonplussed face becomes even more befuddled whenever she hears English
To get the most out of the usage examples, say the examples out loud and visualise the events that the examples depict. Then think of your own examples. Inventing your own examples involves even more "elaboration" and thus improves your retention even more.
Vocabulary-building software can also help in building vocabulary through elaboration.
For example, the popular Ultimate Vocabulary software comes with "Word Inspector" technology. Among other things, this technology lets you look up any word in Ultimate Vocabulary's dictionary and read a random selection of "50 Power Examples."
For "nonplussed", Ultimate Vocabulary finds 63 usage examples. Elaboration like this can improve your retention of word meanings by around 600%.
References
A fuller article on building vocabulary through elaboration is provided free as 1 of 5 free lessons available from Ultimate Vocabulary. Go to Ultimate Vocabulary to receive your 5 free vocabulary mini-courses.