Building a Lasting Vocabulary. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 7–27–2 Much of our thinking is done in words The more words

Building a Lasting Vocabulary

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 7–2

Much of our thinkingis done in words

• The more words we have at our disposal, the more precise our thinking can be.


Ways to boost your vocabulary

• Harness the power of interest

• Use the right tools

• Explore the boundaries of your existing vocabulary

• Learn the components for building new words

• Appreciate the vivid histories of many words


Interest can provide the engine for increasing your vocabulary

• Malcolm X saw a large vocabulary as a ticket to success. Once he did, he had a compelling interest in building his own vocabulary.

• A golf course caddy realized that a larger vocabulary resulted in bigger tips. He had an interest in increasing his vocabulary because it made him more money.


How do you develop aninterest in words?

• Look around you. Words are being used in exciting and creative ways

– In newspaper headlines

– In billboards and other advertisements


The tools you need tobuild your vocabulary

• A dictionary

• A stack of file cards


A dictionary for every purpose

• Pocket dictionary: Always have it handy to look up unknown word

• Abridged dictionary: Keep it at your desk as you study

• Unabridged dictionary: Use it for in-depth investigation of words and their origins


Preserving words on file cards

• File cards allow you to recite and overlearn new words


Guidelines for vocabulary cards

• Put each new word on a separate card

• Include its context: Write the sentence where the word appeared.

• Write down the word’s pronunciation as well as its prefix and root

• Put the word’s definitions on the back of the card and star the closest one


How to master a stackof vocabulary cards

• Starting with the front of each card

– Pronounce the word properly

– Read the sentence it occurs in

– Define the word in your own words and from memory


How to master a stack of vocabulary cards (cont’d)

• Flip over to the back of each card

– Check to see if your definition was correct

– If your definition was incorrect, try again until you recite it correctly

– Mark troublesome words with a dot in the upper corner


Reciting your other words

• Grab another stack of cards and repeat the process

• Periodically review the stacks of cards you’ve mastered.


The Frontier Vocabulary System

• Based on natural learning processes: from simple to complex

• The best words to learn are those you partially know: These are on your frontier

• Frontier words are anchored in your background


Ways to find yourown Frontier Words

• Unusual words you use in writing or speaking but can’t fully define

• Words you recognize but rarely use in writing or speaking

• Antonyms of words you already know

• Use only those words that appeal to you


The components of words

• Most words are not indivisible

• Many words are made up of a prefix, a root, and a suffix

• Learning these components can introduce you to constellations of words

• Knowing the meaning of word components can increase your understanding of individual words


Learning a word’s history

• Words, like people, often have their own stories

• Learning a word’s history can help you to like that word

• Knowing a word’s story strengthens your bond with it.

Documents

Building a Lasting Vocabulary. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 7–27–2 Much of our thinking is done in words The more words