Developing Your Vocabulary
Textbooks are full of new words and terms. A vocabulary is a set of words in a particular language or field of knowledge. As you become familiar with the vocabulary of an academic field, reading the texts related to that field becomes easier.
If words are such a basic and essential component of our knowledge, what is the best way to learn them? The following are some basic vocabulary-building strategies:
- Notice and write down unfamiliar terms during your preview of a text. Consider making a flash card for each term or making a list of terms.
- Think about the context when you come across challenging words. See whether you can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar term by using the words around it.
- Consider a word’s parts. If context by itself is not enough to help you guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word, try analyzing the term to discover its root (or base part) and any prefixes (parts that come before the root) or suffixes (parts that follow the root). For example, transport has the root port, which means “carry,” and the prefix trans, which means “across.” Together the word means “carrying across” or “carrying from one place to another.” Knowing the meaning of prefixes and suffixes can be very helpful. For example, anti means “against,” and pro means “for.”
- Use the glossary of the text or a dictionary. Textbook publishers carefully compile glossaries to help students learn the vocabulary of a given discipline. If the text has no glossary, have a dictionary on hand. If a given word has more than one definition, search for the meaning that fits your text. The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary (merriam-webster.com) is especially helpful for college students.
- Use new words in your writing and speaking. If you use a new word a few times, you’ll soon know it. In addition, flash cards can be handy at exam time for reviewing the definitions of new words.
YOUR TURN > TRY IT
Choose a chapter in this or another textbook. As you read it, list the words that are new to you or that you’re not sure you understand. Look up a few of these words in a dictionary. Set a goal to add at least one new word a week to your personal vocabulary. Note these words and their definitions here. To complete this activity, download a copy here.
