Mojza Blog
Improving Your vocabulary
by Shaheer Ali | 25 Dec 2022
Envious of that one kid who seems to have the most impressive vocab, knows the exact words to describe a specific scenario, can tell you the meaning of any word any time, and whose pieces of writing always stand out? Well, not anymore, because we’ve got you covered. So kick back and relax as you read through this article and set forth on your journey to a splendid vocab!
Improving your vocab holds numerous benefits to your personality and career, and they certainly outweigh the difficulties of the learning curve; for example, a faster comprehension speed, clearer expression of ideas, improvement in academic performance, enhanced writing and speaking skills, boosted confidence, and the list goes on. So, what can you do to build your vocab?
Read, read, read
The best advice anyone can give is to read. Not only do you improve your vocab by reading – as you pick up a variety of expressions and sentence structures from the author and inevitably end up using them – but you also collect a bunch of different ideas for your own writings. However, to yield the best outcome, it’s essential that you take note of all the new words you come across and research their individual meaning and contextual usage! Though you don’t always have to read novels for this. Some other things that you can read to improve your vocab are poems, lyrics to your favourite songs, online short stories, newspapers, magazines or even Mojza blogs! Although, it’s crucial that you develop a reading habit; even if it’s for 10 minutes everyday, stick with it.
For starters, Wonder by R.J. Palacio – Mojza’s book suggestion,The Book Thief or the Harry Potter series is perfect.
Visual Media
In this day and age, there are rarely any people who don’t enjoy visual media like YouTube and Netflix etc. Plus what if I told you that it is an effective way of enhancing your vocab? Watching movies and TV shows helps you immediately get to learn pronunciations of an array of new words! Apart from that, you can also watch the news, which is a sure-fire way to improve your vocab as well as your general knowledge.
Some good movies and series worth watching are:
– The Bridge to Terabithia
– The Crown
– Harry Potter
– Little Women
WOTD subscriptions FTW!
Another step you can take to proliferate your vocab is to follow WOTD websites or channels. This way – without being burdened by the sheer abundance of words you might have to remember – you can easily manage your pace of learning. Moreover, it’s a guaranteed way to enrich your vocabulary as, even if you don’t find the time to sit down and read, you’ll still get notified of a new word with its meaning and contextual usage everyday.
Some leading WOTD websites include Merriam-Webster and Word of the Day – The New York Times with many other language building tools at your disposal too!
And even Mojza’s own WOTD’s at our Instagram page!
Another crucial tip for building up your vocabulary is to use a word immediately after you learn it because in order to truly grasp a new word, you have to practise using it.
Word Games!
Now, I know learning new words is a tiresome task, but it is one which needs to be completed nonetheless. So how can you make it more entertaining?
Playing word games! Like Google’s Word Coach which shows up when you search for a word’s meaning, Wordle or even other websites’ own word games, such as Merriam-Webster and Online Word Games.
Instead of clicking on YT Shorts, try clicking on some of these games next time. Just practise for 5-10 minutes daily and you’ll be an adept vocabularist in no time.
Spaced repetition , algorithms
Though it sounds scary, spaced repetition is generally a very helpful technique and, when it comes to vocabulary, it most definitely is the chief approach. Scientifically speaking, whenever you learn something new, it remains in your memory for a short while after which – unless you revise it again – you’re going to forget it. So the more you revise, the longer it’ll be retained in your memory. Thus, reviewing something regularly makes sure you only get more and more proficient at it as with each exposure, your memory strengthens. So, the same is advisable for vocabulary. You can easily install a spaced repetition software such as EdApp, Mochi, Anki etc. on your device or forge your own dictionary with all the novel words you have come across, and regularly review it so that your vocabulary continues to augment.
Practice makes perfect
Now that you have your vocab arsenal in place, the next stage in your vocab voyage is practice! Make use of all these tools and start practising. But what can you do to exercise your vocab? The foremost approach to this is to write. It can be journalling, creative writing to unleash your creative spirit, or simply making sentences with the new vocab you just built up. Developing a creative writing habit is one of the most remarkable hobbies of all time, and it’s bound to be significantly helpful in academics and your career!
Another fantabulous way to practise your vocab is speaking. Try hosting and participating in voice events, like Discord stages or livestreams. Be open to share your thoughts, as now that you have an amazing vocab, your ideas will have the appropriate outlet, all the while uplifting your confidence and developing professional speaking skills.
So, what are you waiting for?
Hope you have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious vocab voyage!
Acknowledgements
Author: Shaheer Ali
Mojza
About Mojza
Mojza is a student-led organisation aiming to provide quality resources for Cambridge students.
Other than such weekly blogs, Mojza offers resources for your O levels, IGCSE, and A levels journey. We have notes from reputable teachers, our own original notes and a library of other helpful websites and resources!
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Published 25 December 2022
Last Updated: 17 July 2023
Written by Shaheer Ali