HOW TO STUDY IN COLLEGE

Chapter 6 – Improving your vocabulary

Improving your vocabulary

Trouble/struggles in a class can sometimes be traced to poor comprehension of terms essential to subject matter

Some first year courses can introduce almost as many new words as a first year FL course Chemistry: kinetic, isomer, etc.

Some courses introduce new meanings for terms you already know; should be learned as if new words

Improving your vocabulary

A large wide-ranging vocabulary is necessary for grasping important ideas and facts (mechanic and tool kit analogy)

Using a dictionary

According to text, using a dictionary is the best way to improve vocabulary when your encounter a new word

Context clues: can be useful, but have limitations Provides only the meaning fitting the situation You often end up with a synonym (not quite

the same) Your guesswork can be slightly or greatly

mistaken

Using a dictionary

Pocket dictionary suggested . . . Abridged vs. unabridged Be aware that NO WORD IS EVER FULLY

DEFINED EVEN BY A GOOD DICTIONARY! Words have multiple shades of meaning –

these become apparent when using words in a variety of context.

DETERIORATION (pollution, corruption, recession, atrophy, loss) The deterioration of: honesty in government,

economy, atmosphere, muscles . . ..

Recognizing word roots and prefixes Get to know the most common English roots

and prefixes to help learn more than one word at a time

Root = the core of the word; it holds the basic meaning

Prefix = a word beginning that modifies the root

Estimated 60% of common use English are made partly or entirely of prefixes or roots – once learned, they can help you understand many words with no dictionary

Recognizing word roots and prefixes

video

Recognizing word roots and prefixes Table 6.1 (129) – Common word roots

(bio, cardio, geo, hydro, pyro) Table 6.2 (130) – common prefixes (anti,

de, multi, non, pre) Knowing meanings of prefixes/roots can

unlock meanings of unfamiliar words, but it should not replace a good ol’ dictionary

Mastering difficult words

No quick/easy way to a powerful vocabulary Book suggests writing new words down on

notecards record words encountered in the classroom or in

textbooks In textbook readings, pay special attention

to the definitions of words (defined after first used or in glossary)

Learn words that intrigue you; more effective than memorizing from a given list

The frontier vocabulary system Based on natural learning processes

The four characteristics of all learning processes: Skills progress from the simple to the complex Each skill is developed in an orderly sequence of steps Each step is at a different level of difficulty No significant step may be skipped. Each step seems

to develop the muscle or brain pattern that makes the next step possible.

Same with learning words – progress from simple to complex

Difficulty in learning a word depends on the complexity of the idea it stands for

The frontier vocabulary system The basis of the frontier vocabulary system:1. Easiest words learned first2. At the forward edge of the mass of all the words

that have been mastered is an individual’s frontier; very few words beyond frontier have been mastered

3. Greatest learning takes place in the frontier area 4. Words in the frontier area are similar; here,

almost-known words need only a “slight straightening out”

5. Learning becomes inefficient when a learner skips beyond the frontier

The frontier vocabulary system Frontier words: you might know how to

pronounce it; you may know one of its meanings.

You can master these words with minimal effort, rapid progress

Vocabulary development

Words are difficult to remember out of context; it helps to have a body of information with which to associate a word

Learn words by concept/illustration – this makes them especially memorable