BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY THE NO MORE TEARS WAY

And no. This is not the copy from a Johnson and Johnson’s baby shampoo advert. If you’re one of those millions of students –  or their anxious parents – who are constantly trying to acquire a superior arsenal of words, i.e. a better vocabulary, fret no more. As a vocabulary and Language Arts instructor with several years’ experience, I can safely say that  vocab lists, memorizing word meanings, and solving crossword puzzles designed to upgrade your word-hoard only take you so far. That is not to say that the playing of word games, or the perusal of vocabulary flashcards is a completely futile exercise; it isn’t. But, having said that
(and done that), if you’re still finding your lexicon short of impressive phraseology, there are more efficacious ways to change the status quo for the better.

• READ: I have said this in my earlier articles, and am, at the cost of sounding repetitive, stressing upon it again. There is no substitute for reading. The more one reads, whether it is fiction, news articles, poetry, or even gossip magazines, the more varied one’s lingo becomes.
• LOOK-UP: This one follows from the point above. During the course of your reading, you will doubtless come across several words that you don’t know the meaning of. Or, you may have an idea of what they mean, but are unsure of how they can be used in context. Make a note of each word, its meanings ,and an example sentence to illustrate how that word is used (dictionaries usually provide example sentences; better still, construct one on your own).
• COPY well-written articles, paragraphs and poems into a journal. Doing this on a daily basis helps you to imbibe the superior expression of other writers and make it your own.This is not plagiarism, for you are not using other authors’ writing and claiming it as your own. This is merely a self-improvement drill.
• USE the new words and expressions that you come across. Many of us actually have a pretty wide array of words that we know and understand the meaning of. Yet, when we speak, we subconsciously ‘dumb down’ our vocabulary because we want to avoid sounding ‘bookish’.  Being articulate is an advantage, not a drawback.
• THESAURUS ALERT! this point is seemingly contradictory to the one above, but is actually a logical extension of it. Refrain from over-using the thesaurus in your writing. Remember, synonyms are words ‘similar’ in meaning to one another. They are not always perfect replacements for each other. If you are ‘iffy’ about the way a particular word is used, don’t stuff it in there just to prove that you know big words. Your writing may end up sounding unnecessarily pretentious.

There are numerous reasons to strive for a more robust vocabulary. Students see vocabulary acquisition as a strategy to winning test scores. Through the  decades, research has thrown up evidence that a wider vocabulary is a surefire predictor of professional success.

And, what are the hallmarks of good  communication? It has to be simple, not unnecessarily verbose. You may be surprised to know that knowing more words helps you to actually simplify your communication as you are now able to optimize their use.  As you learn about subtle differences in word meaning and usage, you are able to pick and choose; to fit the right words and expressions into the right places.Having  words at your disposal enables you to fine-tune your  communication, making it more effective.

However, what about the intangible benefits of learning? Isn’t it fun to have a large vocabulary? Doesn’t a narrow  vocabulary deprive you of being able to fully appreciate  the  nuances in a piece of writing,  or understanding a joke based on wordplay? So, why not learn for the sheer pleasure of it? As the authors of  the Yo Momma Book of Vocabulary Building say about vocabulary, “It makes life more interesting.”