It can be quite intimidating when setting out to develop your vocabulary. Often what has come before has been upsetting or frustrating to get you to this point. Building vocabulary is not brain surgery. A little effort and the right vocabulary learning tools, you will be well on your way to having a rich vocabulary.
Levels of Vocabulary
One important consideration when working out ‘what I can do to improve my vocabulary’ is to examine the different vocabulary levels. According to Beck et al. (2002), there are four levels of vocabulary. Level One consists of words that are used in daily language. They are spoken repeatedly and are used in different ways in our daily lives. Level One words are well-known. Generally, as an English speaker, you don’t have to build Level One’s vocabulary as you already possess the basics.
Level Two words, however, are quite different to Level One. Often you need to be taught this vocabulary or you could pick it up from reading. This vocabulary is very important to educational success. The next Level – Level Three – consists of vocabulary from specialized disciplines or occupations. This could include business vocabulary or academic vocabulary. The final level of vocabulary – Level Four – is different to all other levels. They are infrequently used and are generally obscure. They don’t relate to any occupation and are not valuable in most work and social environments (Beck et al., 2002).
Vocabulary Learning Strategies
In considering the different levels of vocabulary and asking ‘what can I do to improve my vocabulary’, there are a number of techniques you can use to build word knowledge. You need to adapt your strategy based upon the Level of vocabulary knowledge you are acquiring. Some of these strategies include:
- Conduct broad reading. Not only should you read a lot, but also read a diverse array of material. Some individuals have vocabulary knowledge in one area but lack it in others. This is not a rich vocabulary in the true sense of the word. As such, it is important to be exposed to many different types of vocabulary.
- Prefixes, suffixes, and roots. If you work on becoming familiar with these, you will have more of a chance of understanding unknown words when you come across them. You won’t be left wondering ‘what can I do to improve my vocabulary’. These, in effect, are signs or clues. Knowledge of word parts is particularly useful when in a setting without access to a dictionary. In the first instance, they will help an individual get out of a sticky situation.
- Learn how to use reference materials efficiently and properly (such as dictionaries and thesauruses). Just like using a computer, if you know how to use it properly, you can maximise its full potential. If you don’t learn to fully tap into the capabilities, your learning curve will be a lot flatter.
For maximum learning, teachers provide direct instruction in both groups of words and stand-alone words. Take this into consideration when learning vocabulary and complete exercises that incorporate both forms. In addition, not all vocabulary learning is indirect and you often require formal learning of some description (Pikulski and Templeton, 2004).
When left wondering ‘what can I do to improve my vocabulary’, there are a number of additional strategies that can be used. These can include repetition, vocabulary flash cards, and the use of vocabulary-building software. Although repetition is sometimes viewed as an old and antiquated idea of learning, it does work. Much like any type of learning, if we repeatedly learn it in different ways, it eventually sticks. The principle is the same with vocabulary.
Index or flash cards are another way of developing one’s vocabulary. Repetition is also a feature of index cards. You repeatedly go through the Flash cards until you’ve learnt the word. These cards should incorporate: the word; its definition; its use in a sentence; and antonyms, synonyms, and roots.
Finally, the use of software not only incorporates different learning techniques to learn the one word, but it is also a fun way of learning vocabulary. Ultimate Vocabulary’s software supplies over fifty usage examples; an instant message service that periodically reminds the user of their current wordlist; and the Learning Curve component that intelligently filters words that have already been learnt.
References
Beck et al. (2002) In Pikulski and Templeton 2004, Teaching and Developing Vocabulary: Key to Long-Term Reading Success, Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pikulski, JJ and Templeton, S 2004, Teaching and Developing Vocabulary: Key to Long-Term Reading Success, Houghton Mifflin Company.