{"id":410,"date":"2017-07-06T20:44:15","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T20:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/olemiss-writing100\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=410"},"modified":"2025-06-02T18:23:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:23:16","slug":"read-strategically-retain-new-words","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/chapter\/read-strategically-retain-new-words\/","title":{"raw":"Read Strategically: Retain New Words","rendered":"Read Strategically: Retain New Words"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objective<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Evaluate strategies for retaining new words<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-469\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2097\/2017\/07\/10223757\/7658268052_20211013cb_k-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Two students studying \" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/>\r\n\r\nThere are several proven benefits from improving your vocabulary, but how should we go about learning new words in the most effective way? By using the following ten vocabulary-building strategies, you are guaranteed to develop a strong vocabulary and keep improving it every day.\r\n<h2>Read Voraciously<\/h2>\r\nIt\u2019s undeniable that reading is the most effective way to get new vocabulary. When you read, you see words being used in context\u2014and that\u2019s what makes it much more effective than, for example, merely memorizing word lists.\r\n\r\nWith context information surrounding each new word, there\u2019s a good chance you can guess its meaning just by understanding the overall text. Finding out the meaning of words in such a way is the natural way of learning language\u2013and reading provides the best opportunity to get exposed to this natural way of learning.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re not able to infer the meaning of new words when reading, it\u2019s probably because there are too many unknown words in the text. In that case, try reading easier materials. The key to good reading is making it a pleasurable activity. Don\u2019t be afraid of coming across unknown words, but make sure the text is appropriate for your reading level.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>do I get this?<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/eaccdb12-8ed7-42a0-829a-235a556decae\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Make Friends with the Dictionary<\/h2>\r\nA dictionary is the first indispensable resource to improve your vocabulary. It\u2019s only by looking up a word in a dictionary that you will learn its precise meaning, spelling, alternate definitions, and additional useful information about it. A thesaurus is also a valuable resource for learning by finding connections between words, such as their synonyms and antonyms.\r\n\r\nFor online dictionaries, there are many free options with great extra features. Even if you have a good dictionary in print already, you can\u2019t miss having a good online dictionary at your disposal.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merriam-Webster\u2019s Online Dictionary<\/a> is a well-established and well-regarded name in the realm of dictionaries.\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>tech tip<\/h3>\r\nMost modern Web browsers make it really easy to define a word without even going to a dictionary to search for the word.\r\n\r\nHere are some extensions and methods for you to try out:\r\n\r\n<strong>Chrome<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/google-dictionary-by-goog\/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Dictionary <\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Firefox<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/oxford-english-dictionary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford Dictionary Pop-Up<\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong>Microsoft Edge<\/strong>: Right-click the word and click \u201cAsk Cortana.\u201d A search panel will slide in showing the definition.\r\n\r\n<strong>Apple Safari:<\/strong> Right-click the word and select the \u201cLook Up\u201d option. MacOS will look up the word in its own built in dictionary.\r\n\r\nThere are many other ways to use your Web browser to build your vocabulary. Spend some time searching the Web to find the tools that work best for you.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Use It or Lose It<\/h2>\r\nDon\u2019t settle after you learn a new word by reading it or looking it up in the dictionary: these are good starts, but it\u2019s by <strong>using the new words<\/strong> that you truly commit them to your long-term memory.\r\n\r\nBe creative and try to use your newly learned words in as many ways as possible:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Write them down.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Say them aloud.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Create sentences with them, mentally or in writing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Try to use them in a conversation.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Discuss them with friends.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIt\u2019s also important to be aware of your own language style: every time you catch yourself saying common or nonspecific words such as \u201cnice,\u201d try coming up with richer and more precise expressions instead.\r\n<h2>Learn One New Word a Day<\/h2>\r\nIf you learn just one new word every day, you\u2019ll soon notice they add up pretty quickly.\r\n\r\nTry\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/word-of-the-day\">Merriam-Webster\u2019s Online Word of the Day<\/a>\u00a0which provides audio explanation, pronunciation, and word history.","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objective<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Evaluate strategies for retaining new words<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-469\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2097\/2017\/07\/10223757\/7658268052_20211013cb_k-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Two students studying\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are several proven benefits from improving your vocabulary, but how should we go about learning new words in the most effective way? By using the following ten vocabulary-building strategies, you are guaranteed to develop a strong vocabulary and keep improving it every day.<\/p>\n<h2>Read Voraciously<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s undeniable that reading is the most effective way to get new vocabulary. When you read, you see words being used in context\u2014and that\u2019s what makes it much more effective than, for example, merely memorizing word lists.<\/p>\n<p>With context information surrounding each new word, there\u2019s a good chance you can guess its meaning just by understanding the overall text. Finding out the meaning of words in such a way is the natural way of learning language\u2013and reading provides the best opportunity to get exposed to this natural way of learning.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not able to infer the meaning of new words when reading, it\u2019s probably because there are too many unknown words in the text. In that case, try reading easier materials. The key to good reading is making it a pleasurable activity. Don\u2019t be afraid of coming across unknown words, but make sure the text is appropriate for your reading level.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>do I get this?<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_eaccdb12-8ed7-42a0-829a-235a556decae\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/eaccdb12-8ed7-42a0-829a-235a556decae?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_eaccdb12-8ed7-42a0-829a-235a556decae\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Make Friends with the Dictionary<\/h2>\n<p>A dictionary is the first indispensable resource to improve your vocabulary. It\u2019s only by looking up a word in a dictionary that you will learn its precise meaning, spelling, alternate definitions, and additional useful information about it. A thesaurus is also a valuable resource for learning by finding connections between words, such as their synonyms and antonyms.<\/p>\n<p>For online dictionaries, there are many free options with great extra features. Even if you have a good dictionary in print already, you can\u2019t miss having a good online dictionary at your disposal.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merriam-Webster\u2019s Online Dictionary<\/a> is a well-established and well-regarded name in the realm of dictionaries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>tech tip<\/h3>\n<p>Most modern Web browsers make it really easy to define a word without even going to a dictionary to search for the word.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some extensions and methods for you to try out:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chrome<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/google-dictionary-by-goog\/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Dictionary <\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firefox<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/oxford-english-dictionary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford Dictionary Pop-Up<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Microsoft Edge<\/strong>: Right-click the word and click \u201cAsk Cortana.\u201d A search panel will slide in showing the definition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Apple Safari:<\/strong> Right-click the word and select the \u201cLook Up\u201d option. MacOS will look up the word in its own built in dictionary.<\/p>\n<p>There are many other ways to use your Web browser to build your vocabulary. Spend some time searching the Web to find the tools that work best for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Use It or Lose It<\/h2>\n<p>Don\u2019t settle after you learn a new word by reading it or looking it up in the dictionary: these are good starts, but it\u2019s by <strong>using the new words<\/strong> that you truly commit them to your long-term memory.<\/p>\n<p>Be creative and try to use your newly learned words in as many ways as possible:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Write them down.<\/li>\n<li>Say them aloud.<\/li>\n<li>Create sentences with them, mentally or in writing.<\/li>\n<li>Try to use them in a conversation.<\/li>\n<li>Discuss them with friends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to be aware of your own language style: every time you catch yourself saying common or nonspecific words such as \u201cnice,\u201d try coming up with richer and more precise expressions instead.<\/p>\n<h2>Learn One New Word a Day<\/h2>\n<p>If you learn just one new word every day, you\u2019ll soon notice they add up pretty quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Try\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/word-of-the-day\">Merriam-Webster\u2019s Online Word of the Day<\/a>\u00a0which provides audio explanation, pronunciation, and word history.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-410\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and Adaptation. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning and University of Mississippi. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>10 Sure-Fire Strategies to Improve Your Vocabulary. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Luciano Passuello. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Litemind. <strong>Project<\/strong>: https:\/\/litemind.com\/10-strategies-improve-vocabulary\/. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Learning. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: CollegeDegrees360. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/83633410@N07\/7658268052\/\">https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/83633410@N07\/7658268052\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":15005,"menu_order":11,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Revision and Adaptation\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning and University of Mississippi\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"10 Sure-Fire Strategies to Improve Your Vocabulary\",\"author\":\"Luciano Passuello\",\"organization\":\"Litemind\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"https:\/\/litemind.com\/10-strategies-improve-vocabulary\/\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Learning\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"CollegeDegrees360\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/83633410@N07\/7658268052\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"2f3ed22a-786f-4f0e-82a0-9b61aac3ff44, 0a63ff2b-2391-456f-963e-424ce2150e80","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-410","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":375,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15005"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1694,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/410\/revisions\/1694"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/375"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/410\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=410"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=410"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}