ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English & EAL => Topic started by: clarke54321 on May 27, 2016, 08:59:12 pm
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Hey everyone,
How do I expand a vocabulary in English? Where do I seek new words?
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Reading newspaper I think should help
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i'd say read 'good' essays and responses....since they generally have vocabulary that is relevant to the kind of work
you would be doing in class. i do this a lot. then i get a word that stands out look it up and attach a definition to it- then just memorise it. once you start using it in practice essays and assignments (even general conversation if u can) it will become more familiar and you are more likely to remember it in exams and tests.
hope this helps :)
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To the OP,
Some extra tips aside from the ones mentioned:
- read in general: newspapers, novels, blogs, top essays... basically anything you can get your hands on
- write anything, whether it be a story, a to do list, an essay, a letter
- find synonyms to words you tend to use a lot: Find a few old essays and jot down the words that appear to be commonly used between them (e.g. presents) and find synonyms. Use your trusty friend for English (your dictionary) and its friend (the thesaurus) to fully discover their synonym's meanings and how you'd use them in context. Now use this new knowledge!
- Jot down words you know are sophisticated and see how you could use them.
- Sign up to dictionary.com's Word of the Day posts and/or check it out every day (or something equivalent). You might learn a useful word or two. (If you liked this, try to play some vocabulary games on pretty much any website that offers word games. Not the coolest idea, but they get the job done.)
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I find that if you love using your technology (as we all do), you can download loads of helpful apps that can not only provide you with useful words, but also give you tips with how to remember them. May I suggest one of my favourites:
"VoLT - Vocabulary Learning Techniques".
There are heaps of apps you can find for Apple and Google devices...
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I find that if you love using your technology (as we all do), you can download loads of helpful apps that can not only provide you with useful words, but also give you tips with how to remember them. May I suggest one of my favourites:
"VoLT - Vocabulary Learning Techniques".
There are heaps of apps you can find for Apple and Google devices...
Fantastic, I will download this! :)
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Also, this post might help out :)
Edit: if you check the AN blog/articles, somewhere in there Lauren made an awesome post in more detail specifically on vocab building. :)
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What I did back then was having a notebook recording every single new words I've encountered, and then finding out their meaning. You can easily encounter them in many places, like books and newspaper.
After doing that, practice crafting sentences from them so you can get a feel for the words and how they're being used.
Keep doing this everyday consistently, and before you know it, you'll have a massive increase in your vocabulary bank. ;D
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The best way to broaden your vocab is simply through reading. But I don't mean passively. A good reader will always define words that aren't familiar (through google or any other dictionary you can get your hands on - I find reading on my kindle extremely handy because there is an inputted dictionary) and I find it is useful to include all these new words in a list, alongside their definitions. This list could be on a vocab website (like vocabulary.com) or simply just a word document or sticky note. That way you can open the list anytime, familiarize yourself with the meaning of the words and begin to use them in your own essays or conversations. The best way to learning is to stay active in your thoughts!