The Power Of Words

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The Power Of Words

• Enhancing Your Vocabulary
• Quick-Fix Workshop
• The Communication Centre

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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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.

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• 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.

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• 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?

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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

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• 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

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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

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• 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?

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

• Dictionary meaning?

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

• Dictionary meaning?

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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

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• 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

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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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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

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• 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

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• Dictionaries and Thesauri
• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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!)

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• Subscribe to a service that will provide you with
  a new word each day
• www.wordsmith.org
• www.vocabvitamins.com
• www.merriam-webster.com

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• Word of the Day from OED (Oxford English
  Dictionary)
• The New York Times Word of the Day
• www.nytimes.com/learning/students/wordofday/index.
  html
• Check out the word archive

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Have fun building those vocabulary muscles!