JP WilliamsGrowing your vocabulary gives you the freedom to fully participate in activities that would not normally be available. Opportunities abound when a person has a rich vocabulary. Essentially, by developing your vocabulary, you are developing your capacity for learning (Manzo et al., 2006). Whether it is at work, study, or social events, improving your vocabulary can give you the confidence you need to succeed. The good news is that there are many effective techniques on how to improve vocabulary.
Different Types of Vocabulary Knowledge
Knowing vocabulary does not simply refer to an individual's knowledge of the meaning of words. When developing your vocabulary, you need to consider the difference between: receptive and productive; and breath and depth (Belisle, 2007).
Receptive vocabulary refers to your understanding of vocabulary when you hear or read it. Productive vocabulary denotes the understanding of words and phrases in verbal and written scenarios (Belisle, 2007). Expressive vocabulary is another word used for productive vocabulary. Expressive (productive) vocabulary generally requires greater knowledge and understanding than receptive vocabulary (Allen, 2006).
When considering techniques on how to improve vocabulary, the learner must be aware that depth relates to word knowledge. Depth refers to the "meaning ... morphology, phonology, syntax, sociolinguistic aspects, differences between written and spoken uses, and strategies for approaching unknown words" (Belisle, 2007, p. 2). Breadth, on the other hand, refers to understanding the different meanings that are attached to the word.
Increasing one's vocabulary can also occur via unplanned association. That is, improving vocabulary can occur through exposure and non-structured learning. The problem with this technique, however, is that the learner must possess existing vocabulary knowledge. In many scenarios, this is not the case. Additionally, understanding or inferring the meaning of a word by just hearing it in context is not always possible. As such, structured learning is often necessary (e.g. vocabulary building software). Ultimate Vocabularyâs Ultimate Words component enables the learner to commence at Level 1 and advance as they become more knowledgeable.
Another known strategy to improve vocabulary is that of gaining understanding of a word in context. Word meaning is influenced by how a word is said or the language that surrounds it. Immersing yourself in reading will increase your vocabulary.
Understanding Words with Context Clues
In order to develop understanding, context clues can be one of those techniques on how to improve vocabulary. There are different types of context clues, including: cause and effect; contrast or opposites; synonyms or paraphrases; and, examples. The cause and effect type is a word in a sentence that causes something to happen and an effect is produced by it. This will assist in understanding the word meaning. For example, âour dawdling on the beach made us late for the start of the game'.
Another strategy on how to improve vocabulary is that of the contrast or opposite type of context clue. In this clue, two words that are opposite to each other are used in the same sentence. For example, 'the shirt was large, but the jacket was petite'. The synonym or paraphrase context clue refers to similar words or phrases used within a sentence or paragraph and assists in understanding the meaning of the word. For example, 'we set sail on the ocean and went out to sea'. With the example type of context clue, the category in which an example is given will help you understand the meaning (such as, 'the Persian is a very fluffy cat').
According to Bromley (2007), there are a number of other techniques on how to improve vocabulary. If you donât understand a word, split it into syllables. If you know the meanings of these word parts, your chances of understanding the word are greatly increased.
Along these same lines is breaking words into prefixes, suffixes, and roots. These will also help you to understand the meaning of the word. Another method of developing your vocabulary is to take your time. Learning too many words at once will lead to overload and will be ineffectual. Try and associate words with your own understandings and existing knowledge. This will allow long-term memory retention.