The Writer's Basket

Vocabulary Expansion

Reading is undoubtedly the best way to expand your vocabulary. When I was in the business of teaching English, vocabulary deveopment was a topic of considerable effort--at least on the teacher's part. Once a person leaves the school setting, vocabulary expansion doesn't generally rate as a very high priority. Writers are undoubtedly more likely to be vocabulary conscious than the average Joe. I know I'm more vocabulary conscious than most.

I attribute my own vast vocabulary to reading, especially all the reading I did in college while majoring in history and English. I sometimes come across words in reading that I know, but don't know how I know them. If I check the dictionary, the definition I have in my head is usually near what I find online at http://www.m-w.com . I'm lucky that way, blessed with a large vocabulary.

These days I am making somewhat of an effort to grab onto words I don't know. It seems a philosophical and noble endeavor to increase one's vocabulary, but it's not something to be accomplished by reading the dictionary. I've subscribed to those word-of-the-day web offerings, but have found that most of the words don't stick with me. The reason is that people best remember new words when they are introduced in context. Having a mindset for the general concept or category of a word enables your brain to file the information with others of the same kind, and retrieve the word when you need it again.

When I read books, both fiction and non-fiction, I usually have a pencil in my hand. Most books I own are seriously highlighted for main points or exceptional passages. For awhile, I was underlining unfamiliar words, and jotting the definition on the page. Had I carried the idea through, I could've listed my "new vocabulary" inside the back cover of the book. I should try to remember that, the next time I tackle a reading with a front and back cover. I seem to do most of my reading online these days.

I've run across another option for vocabulary expansion on afternoon television. Our local NBC affiliate airs Marv Griffin's Crosswords at 2:00 pm. I have it set to record, so that I'm a regular viewer. Regularly, the puzzle-solvers say, and correctly spell, a word that I don't know. For that reason alone, I consider "Crosswords" to be television worth watching.

I keep my trusty note paper handy during the show, and I'm accumulating a list of words to integrate into my life. I haven't completely checked out the web site for the show, but this seems an appropriate place to leave a link. If you have a large vocabulary, and plan to visit in California, it could be a profitable game show to participate in. Until I make it to California, I guess I'll just have to keep playing from my easy chair.

http://www.crosswords.tv.