Quick-Fix Workshop

Communications Centre

Why do large vocabularies

characterize executives and possibly
outstanding men and women in other
fields? The final answer seems to be
that words are the instruments by
means of which men and women grasp
the thoughts of others and with which
they do much of their own thinking.
They are the tools of thought.
- Johnson OConnor

 Everyone from those just

learning English to journalism
veterans knows the
frustration of not having the
right word immediately
available in that lexicon
(vocabulary) one carries
between ones ears

 Whether youre reading a newspaper,

billboard sign, cereal box, or
textbook, it can be extremely
frustrating to encounter words whose
meanings elude us
Not knowing the meaning of certain
words may hinder your success
academically and in your daily life
activities

Remember: LANGUAGE = POWER

A Few Interesting Facts

According to David Orrs 2000
article, Verbicide,:
In the past 50 yearsthe
working vocabulary of the
average 14 year-old has declined
from some 25,000 words to 10,000
words. This is not merely a
decline in numbers of words but
in the capacity to think.

 The problem of
language, however,
is a global
problem. Of the
roughly 6500
languages now
spoken on Earth,
half are on the
brink of extinction
and only 150 or so
are expected to
survive to the year
2100.

 Language everywhere is being

whittled down to conform to the
limited objectives of the global
economy and homogenized to accord
with the shallow imperatives of the
information age.

So, what can we do to

preserve and improve our
crucial knowledge of words?

Learning New Words

One of the best ways of learning
new words is to meet them in
context
In such situations it is very
often possible, by reading a
sentence carefully and by
recognizing certain clues, to
guess with reasonable accuracy
the meaning of an unfamiliar word

 Sentences or paragraphs frequently

offer the following clues to the
meanings of unfamiliar words:
The general sense or meaning of the
sentence or paragraph
Tone and point of view of the writer
Connectives such as and and or, which
can signal a likeness, or but, yet and
conversely can indicate a contrast
Punctuation marks such as a colon
indicating a list, a dash indicating
additional information, or an
exclamation mark indicating intensity

Using Context Clues

Try to determine the meaning of
each of the following italicized
words from its context in the
sentence. Check a good dictionary
to evaluate how close you have
come

1. Many doctors
today endorse a
holistic view of
medicine one that
includes attention
to nutrition,
exercise, and
psychological needs
as well as to drugs
and surgery.

Dictionary
meaning?

2. In spite of the
fact that the
clouds scudded
across the sky
Dictionary
overhead, there
was not the
meaning?
suggestion of a
breeze, much
less a wind, in
the harbour.

3. I enjoyed
meeting the
affable owner
of the shop;
Dictionary
her easy-going
meaning?
and cheerful
manner endeared
her to me.

Strategies for Remembering

New Words
Say the word aloud several times:
Saying the word aloud, especially
along with a short phrase, will
help you remember it
Learn how to use the pronunciation
guide in your dictionary, and if
you are an ESL learner, ask a
native speaker to pronounce new
words into your tape recorder

 Tie new words to old:

When you encounter a new word,
think of a method for
recalling the meaning
This will often involve using
a word that you already know

 Use visualization:
For example, to recall that
draconian measures are harsh
and extreme, visualize Dracula
biting someones neck for
missing class!

 Write vocabulary cards:

This technique DOES work
Keep a stack of cards in your pocket or bag
and whenever you hear a new word, write it on
a card
Set aside a few minutes each day to look up
the words in a dictionary
On one side of the card write the word and
its pronunciation cue
On the reverse side, write the definition (in
your own words) and also a sentence for the
word

 Make use of your new words

Share your new-found words with
friends and family
Drop new words into a
conversation
Teach your friends and family
the meaning of your new words

 Review, review , review:

You cant expect to learn a new
word and never forget it
Periodically go back over the
words youve learned and quiz
yourself
Flag the words you missed and
review them again

Using All the Resources

Books:
There are many books about
vocabulary building available in
bookstores
Look for one that includes
helpful exercises and the kinds
of words that you would like to
learn

 Read more and keep a

dictionary nearby:
Reading widely is the most effective
and natural way to improve your
vocabulary
When you come upon an unfamiliar word,
dont ignore it but rather write it
down and find its meaning in the
dictionary

 Dictionaries and Thesauruses:

Buy two dictionaries; keep a quality
dictionary at home (Oxford is best) and
carry a small portable dictionary with you
Check online dictionaries, too the
online Merriam Websters WWWebster
Dictionary
Consult a thesaurus for synonyms but make
sure you understand the meaning of each
word by looking it up in the dictionary

 Word puzzles
Try Madlibs online or in book
form

Crosswords
Make it a daily activity to
complete one crossword from a book
of crosswords or from a newspaper

Magnetic Poetry

 The Internet:
You can use the Internet as an
aid to vocabulary development by
exploring the abundant
opportunities for reading
Read online newspapers:
The Globe and Mail
The Hamilton Spectator

 Choose online magazines such as

Atlantic and Mother Jones that
challenge your mind and vocabulary
with full-text articles
Atlantic has a language section
select from Word Court, Word
Fugitive, and Word Police
www.theatlantic.com/language/
Read the New York Times Book Review
www.nytimes.com
(one-time registration is FREE!)

 Subscribe to a service that will

provide you with a new word each
day:
www.wordsmith.org
www.vocabvitamins.com
www.merriam-webster.com

 Word of the Day from OED (Oxford

English Dictionary)
The New York Times Word of the
Day
www.nytimes.com/learning/student
s/wordofday/index.html
Check out the word archive

Have fun building

those vocabulary
muscles!