By Patrick Fitz

Reading consists of making the written word make sense, so understanding those words is of utmost importance in order to get the most out of the process of reading. Every language is composed of many thousands of words and, while no more than several hundred account for a large percentage of any given language’s primary lexicon, the best way to maximize comprehension in the language is to build a vocabulary.

Often among the most rote (and boring!) activities of language learning, vocabulary exercises—of which flash cards, fill-in-the-blank conversations, and routine drills form the bulk of practice—are among the most essential to improve functionality in the target language. English is no exception: in fact, a language with as wide-ranging and variegated vocabulary as English demands special attention.

Thus, education consultants recommend that secondary students fully commit to expanding their vocabularies, especially for test prep purposes. SAT classes and ACT test prep courses are far more beneficial when students arrive with a rich and diverse vocabulary. This will be noticed in the admissions process as well, primarily through well-written essays and writing supplements full of relevant and appropriate vocabulary.

Fortunately, there are patterns and trends in the words of this language that facilitate learning and lessen the burden of committing to memory so many different words. Read on to develop strategies for building out a vocabulary of note.

Take Note of New Words

The first shift to make is psychological. A student must say to themselves: “There are words I don’t know, and I need to learn some of them.”

Native or near-native speakers already know this intrinsically, perhaps counterintuitively. Likewise, very beginners are acutely aware of just how many words are out there that they do not know, cannot use, and barely recognize a second time. It’s the learners in the middle who are most at play here—able to survive (and maybe even thrive) in the language but still not all the way there.

Next, a student should dedicate themselves to not only recognizing that they do not understand a word in context but also to writing this word down in a log or adding to a running list on an app. It’s not enough simply to say, “I have encountered this word and I do not know what it is. After looking up the definition in the dictionary, I now understand the sentence.” This is not how to successfully learn new words.

Top vocab builders maintain long, extensive notes of new words—even words seen before. While a full accompanying dictionary definition may not be necessary, the very act of physically taking note of a new word and its meaning is supremely powerful. The mind learns by doing, not just observing, and vocabulary is no different.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Most students need to both see and use a word multiple times before it really sticks in the mind. In fact, science suggests that the average person learning the average word needs to actively engage with it more than a dozen times before the word can be said to be committed to memory.

Consequently, completing a drill once and then never using the relevant new vocabulary again portends future loss of that vocabulary. This is the reason that popular online software—including websites such as Babbel and Duolingo—routinely bring back old vocabulary from past units. Use it or lose it is a general rule for building out an impressive vocabulary: without ordinary usage, a word is more likely to be forgotten than remembered.

This includes both seeing and doing. Encountering a word only once in context may be enough to remember it—yet more likely, it will not. Similarly, jotting down a few sentences featuring that same word is great for the moment but not for the future; it may stick, it may not. Only by repeating words, both in context and in usage, can they regularly enter someone’s daily lexicon. Linguists refer to this as one measure of fluency: how many (and how easily) words can be recalled and appropriately be deployed in speech and in writing.

A note: language is a funny thing. Oftentimes people observe that certain words are, for them, and for whatever reason, essentially unrememberable. No matter how many times said word is run into, it never enters the memory for later usage. This will happen. The key is to be able to minimize this occurrence and respond correctly: not with frustration but with humility.

Read Widely

The absolute best way to develop a vocabulary in any language is to read widely in that language. Encountering a word in its natural habitat provides both relevant context for decoding as well as a satisfactory example of how the word is actually used. Stale drills connecting untethered words to their definitions—without situating those words in broader sentences and paragraphs—is a recipe for forgetfulness.

A diverse reading list spanning genres, subject matter, breadth and depth, and voices is ideal for this purpose. As many words have a multivalence of meanings, recognizing any given word in several different contexts will reinforce both the denotation of the word itself and the various connotations that have sprung up through regular usage in the language. Consequently, the act of reading different things—as opposed to one singular source (that may also have its own idiosyncratic style guide and usages)—will provide that necessary context across linguistic purposes.

While the academic term is long and arduous, students should still be striving to spend at least a little bit of time, either at the end of the day or some time in between, to read beyond required texts and not purely for assignments. The summer months are the best time to beef up vocabulary skills: more time, more focus, and more resources accessible to every student. Cultivate a list of interesting fiction, topical news, informative nonfiction—whatever is both rigorous and stimulating, while at the same time engaging and sustainable.

Conclusion

Vocabulary development is a marathon, not a sprint. While the occasional burst may be necessary to overcome a quiz here and there, a sustained commitment to building up a functional stock of words requires going the metaphorical distance. Education consultants here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi note that overcoming demoralizing moments and surmounting setbacks is part of any learning process, and building vocabulary is no different.

Test prep, including SAT classes and , typically does not extensively cover vocabulary building or even really vocabulary at all, despite the fact that it is (even the math section!) a test of words. Therefore, students must make learning new words part of their own routines in order to succeed on standardized testing.

Yet more importantly, a large vocabulary facilitates interaction with the world and leads to a more enriched existence. It’s worth the investment of energy and time.

- Hale Education Group