How do I improve my vocab?

Question

I write alot of paper for school, and I'd like to use better words in these papers to impress my professors. Usually, I can remember a new word for a few days after I have learned it, and than I forget it. Any ideas??

Answer 1

One thing you could do is to sign up for a word of the day email at www.dictionary.com. This is an easy way to introduce yourself to new words and improve your vocabulary at the same time!

http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/list/

Answer 2

I would suggest several things. One is that you have to use a word several times before you 'own' it, so try to incorporate new words immediately into papers and speaking.

If you are a visual learner, make up some flash cards to flip through regularly. Or put new words and their definitions on index cards and tape them around the house (the bathroom mirror, the fridge door, etc...) so you will see them regularly. If you have a friend in the same boat, get a vocabulary buddy to learn new words with (think how fun the dinner table conversation can get).

I would also recommend some sites that send you a word of the day, or even one of those daily page calendars for your room. I'll attach some of the web sites below.

Good luck - as a professor who has graded many, many research papers, I commend you on wanting to expand your vocabulary!

Answer 3

Dear the80sroxs,
Its a common problem among the English learners that they forget the new vocabulary. They, however, can understand it when used by somebody else but they don't get it when they are writing or talking to someone else. This is called your PASSIVE VOCABULARY, the words which you can understand but cannot use
The solution which I can come up with is whenever you learn some words, pick up any word from them and try to make it your word of the day i.e. just decide it to use this word anyhow when speaking to someone or when writing someone. Once you will use it, you won't easily forget it. Likewise, choose the next word, the next day. Make it your habit to use dictionary and don't let it pile any dust over it. You should have a good dictionary with you. Your dictionary is good when it has following qualities:
1. It should be monolingual (i.e. English to English)
2. It should have exemplary sentences with the headword.
3. It should have pictorial illustrations in it.

Get yourself a highlighter and whenever you see a useful sentence in your dictionary, highlight it. And pick a sentence a day to use it during your conservation.
Hope it will be helpful

Answer 4

The most important thing you can do is to read many different types of writing from centuries-old literature to modern techno geek stuff.

In the meantime, some search engines such as google have a word a day feature that you can subscribe to. And when you are writing, use a thesaurus to find more interesting words. Thesaurus.com also has a word a day you can sign up for.

Answer 5

Some years back I kept a Praying Mantis as a pet, and they only eat live food! Consequently, I acquired the skill of GENTLY capturing live flies in flight, or off any surface, so that I could feed my Mantis uninjured and active prey. Most moving incident was late one night when on arrival home I found my Mantis shedding its skin. I watched, enthralled, for over an hour and I shall never forget seeing my Mantis gradually extend and spread its brand new rainbow-shimmering wings. Next day I released it onto a grapevine in my garden, the same garden in which I subsequently found a swarm of very tiny, recently hatched mantids! They are the cutest little creatures you could ever imagine.

Answer 6

take the dictionary and go through it or even while reading a book..note down all the words which are new to you. on a flash card where one side contains i would say around 5 to 8 words and on the other side the meaning...
everyday go through ur flash cards see if u say the meaning without peeking back...do that everyday keep expanding ur flash cards and as u repeat the cards everyday you get familiar with them...and adding new cards keeps expanding ur vocab

Answer 7

Stop trying to shorten words that aren't supposed to be shortened, like "vocab" for vocabulary. And learn the difference between "than" and "then".

Instead of trying to learn new words, get the old ones right first.

Answer 8

READ!!!!! Books, magazines, newspapers, technical articles, etc. Use the vernacular of the field you are writing about. Don't use big words to impress someone, but use them because they are the standard of communication in the area you are writing in.

Answer 9

Study.

Answer 10

There is a program called "Million Dollar Vocabulary". I once heard it advertised on the radio, maybe that could work for you?