Home » Education & Career » College Study Skills » What's the Word on Vocabulary Building?

What's the Word on Vocabulary Building?

© Flora Brown

Many students want to do well in their studies, but are unaware of the role their vocabulary plays in learning. Because words are building blocks of communication, to be successful you must master the strategies that insure a rich vocabulary and unlock the specialized terminology presented in your college courses. Here are seven vocabulary-building strategies used by successful students.

First, gain respect for words. If you wonder if words matter look at the way the Vietnamese community recently reacted when Presidential Candidate Mc Cain referred to his former Communist captors as "gooks." While he coupled his use of this word with an explanation, it may still hurt his chances with those who took offense. Even though we may recite that old adage "Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me" we don't mean it. Words carry powerful emotional impact; words we don't understand create stumbling blocks.

Second, assess your current vocabulary. Do you have difficulty reading the daily newspaper, everyday reading materials, and understanding radio and television news? Each of us has a general vocabulary that enables us to understand the reading we encounter. In addition to your general vocabulary you will build your specialized vocabulary in college. The need to build your vocabulary is inescapable and is a lifelong pursuit. The English language offers a special challenge since it has more words than any other tongue on earth, approximately 450,000 according to Robert Claiborne, The Roots of English .

Third, learn to use your dictionary. Invest in a current unabridged dictionary for home and a paperback for carrying with you. Become acquainted with all that the dictionary offers you. We all know that the dictionary contains meanings of words, but you also can count on the dictionary to help you pronounce words as well as spell and use them properly in your writing, among other information. In the back of your dictionary you will usually find guidelines on punctuation, numbers, capitalization, abbreviation and bibliographies. Absorb the introductory part that tells you how to use your dictionary and you'll discover a wealth of help for you there.

Fourth, develop a fascination with words. Words have interesting histories always printed in square brackets [ ]. The word bully, for example, comes from a Dutch word boel that meant lover, brother and a Middle High German word buole that meant lover also. This word has moved from being someone close to you to being someone close to who takes advantage of that relationship to tyrannize the smaller or weaker. Likewise, learning the meaning of common roots will help your vocabulary grow with ease. Knowing that the root chron means time, for example, gives you the key the words chronicle, chronometer, chronic, chronological, and more.

The copyright of the article What's the Word on Vocabulary Building? in College Study Skills is owned by . Permission to republish What's the Word on Vocabulary Building? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.