{"id":413,"date":"2017-07-06T21:51:32","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T21:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/olemiss-writing100\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=413"},"modified":"2020-05-08T17:25:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T17:25:33","slug":"read-strategically-diversify-your-vocabulary","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/chapter\/read-strategically-diversify-your-vocabulary\/","title":{"raw":"Read Strategically: Diversify Your Vocabulary","rendered":"Read Strategically: Diversify Your Vocabulary"},"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<h2>Vary Your Interests<\/h2>\r\nDo something different from your daily routine: hunting, fishing, or blogging\u2013any activity that isn't part of your normal life\u2014can become a great way to learn new words, as every niche has its own jargon and unique ways of communicating. Read books and magazines that are different from the ones you\u2019re used to. Watch foreign-language movies. Take up new hobbies; hang out with different people.\r\n<h2>Learn Common Roots and Word Etymology<\/h2>\r\nModern English represents a cornucopia of different languages. In fact, if you limited yourself to words with only specifically \u201cEnglish\u201d origin, you would have a pretty small vocabulary. Throughout its history, the English language has been a notorious borrower of words\u2014in fact it was doing so even before it was English!\u00a0We can still see borrowings from Celtic, which started influencing West Germanic tribes before English was even a language.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1315\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1000\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2483\/2017\/07\/15220921\/EnglishInfluences_new.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"wp-image-1315 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2483\/2017\/07\/15220915\/EnglishInfluences_new.jpg\" alt=\"A timeline of Historical Influences on the English Language. Celtic and Latin influenced West Germanic Languages, which transitioned into Old English between 450 CE and 550 CE. Anglo-Saxon began its influence with the arrival of Germanic Settlements in the late 400s. Norse began its influence on the language in 787 when the Viking Invasions began. Anglo-Norman and Old French began their influence in the 1000s when the Norman Invasions began. French, Latin, Greek, and Italian began their influence in the 1400s to the 1600s due to Renaissance Mixing. From the 1700s to the present, English has been influenced by Empire Import languages, including Hindi, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Malay, and American English. \" width=\"1000\" height=\"448\" \/><\/a> Click here for a larger image.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIf you learn basic root words, especially Latin and Greek roots, you will be able to break apart words to figure out what they mean. Take a look at this <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Greek_and_Latin_roots_in_English\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">List of Greek and Latin roots in English<\/a>. You might be surprised.\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>learn by doing: explore latin roots<\/h3>\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/h5p.org\/h5p\/embed\/133483\" width=\"660\" height=\"370\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou can also learn more about <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Etymology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">etymology<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.factmonster.com\/ipka\/A0907017.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prefixes, and suffixes<\/a>.\r\n\r\nJust to pick an example, when you understand that the prefix \u201cortho\u201d means straight or right, you start to find connections between seemingly unrelated words, such as orthodontist (a specialist who straightens teeth) and orthography (the correct, or straight, way of writing).\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the logic behind words always pays off in terms of learning and recalling. Consider these examples: \u201cbreakfast\u201d means \u201cinterrupt the night\u2019s fast,\u201d and \u201crainbow\u201d means \u201cbow or arc caused by rain.\u201d While these meanings may be trivial to native English speakers, having such insights about words, foreign or otherwise, never fails to deepen your connection to them.\r\n<h2>Maintain a Personal Lexicon<\/h2>\r\nBy keeping a personalized list of learned words, you\u2019ll have a handy reference you can use to review these words later. It\u2019s very likely you\u2019ll want to go back and refresh your memory on recent words, so keeping them in your own list is much more efficient than going back to the dictionary every time.\r\n\r\nEven if you never refer back to your lexicon again, writing words down at least once will greatly enhance your ability to commit them to your permanent memory. Another excellent learning aid is to write an original sentence containing the word \u2014 and using your lexicon to do that is a great way of enforcing this habit. You can also add many other details as you see fit, such as the date you first came across the word or maybe a sequential number to help you reach some word quota you define.\r\n\r\nThere are many ways you can keep your personal word list; each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so make sure to pick the format that works best for you. You may prefer to keep it as a simple text file in the computer, or in a regular paper notebook, or maybe as flash cards in a shoe box.\r\n\r\nOne option is a computer spreadsheet for its handy features such as searching, sorting, and filtering.\r\n<h2>Follow a Process<\/h2>\r\nTo make vocabulary improvement a permanent habit in your everyday life, you should make it as habitual, automatic, and tightly integrated into your daily workflow as possible\u2013otherwise you won\u2019t do it when your days get too busy.\r\n\r\nIn that regard, one particularly useful concept is the one of maintaining a \u201cWord Inbox.\u201d By having a predefined place you use to capture the words you come across, you can process them much more efficiently.\r\n\r\nYour process can be as simple as you wish\u2014the key is to specify it beforehand and then follow it. By knowing exactly how and how often to process your inbox, you stay on top of your vocabulary improvement process, even when there are other pressing matters crying out for your attention.\r\n<h2>Leverage Every Resource You Can<\/h2>\r\nThe internet is a gold mine of resources for vocabulary building. Here are a few to get you started, though many more exist:\r\n\r\nThere are plenty of<a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/search?hl=en&amp;q=vocabulary+software&amp;btnG=Google+Search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> vocabulary applications<\/a> you can try. There are many<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3FinitialSearch%3D1%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26field-keywords%3Dvocabulary%26x%3D9%26y%3D20&amp;tag=phaedrus0b&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> vocabulary-related books<\/a> you can explore. There is a wealth of free literature on sites such as<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/wiki\/Main_Page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Project Gutenberg<\/a>. If you use the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.getfirefox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Firefox<\/a> browser, there are many ways to integrate dictionary lookup functions, such as the plug-ins<a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/735\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Answers.com<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/68\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> DictionarySearch<\/a>. You can find specialized vocabulary lists, such as these<a href=\"http:\/\/www.psychpage.com\/learning\/library\/assess\/feelings.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> feeling words<\/a> or<a href=\"http:\/\/www.msgarrettonline.com\/descripwords.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> descriptive words<\/a>. You can even learn<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pangloss.com\/seidel\/shake_rule.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> some classy, Shakespearean insults<\/a>!\r\n\r\nThe point is that you\u2019re only limited by your willingness to learn: let curiosity be your guide and you will never run out of resources to learn from.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>practice<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/5602\r\n\r\n<\/div>","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<h2>Vary Your Interests<\/h2>\n<p>Do something different from your daily routine: hunting, fishing, or blogging\u2013any activity that isn&#8217;t part of your normal life\u2014can become a great way to learn new words, as every niche has its own jargon and unique ways of communicating. Read books and magazines that are different from the ones you\u2019re used to. Watch foreign-language movies. Take up new hobbies; hang out with different people.<\/p>\n<h2>Learn Common Roots and Word Etymology<\/h2>\n<p>Modern English represents a cornucopia of different languages. In fact, if you limited yourself to words with only specifically \u201cEnglish\u201d origin, you would have a pretty small vocabulary. Throughout its history, the English language has been a notorious borrower of words\u2014in fact it was doing so even before it was English!\u00a0We can still see borrowings from Celtic, which started influencing West Germanic tribes before English was even a language.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1315\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2483\/2017\/07\/15220921\/EnglishInfluences_new.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1315\" class=\"wp-image-1315 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2483\/2017\/07\/15220915\/EnglishInfluences_new.jpg\" alt=\"A timeline of Historical Influences on the English Language. Celtic and Latin influenced West Germanic Languages, which transitioned into Old English between 450 CE and 550 CE. Anglo-Saxon began its influence with the arrival of Germanic Settlements in the late 400s. Norse began its influence on the language in 787 when the Viking Invasions began. Anglo-Norman and Old French began their influence in the 1000s when the Norman Invasions began. French, Latin, Greek, and Italian began their influence in the 1400s to the 1600s due to Renaissance Mixing. From the 1700s to the present, English has been influenced by Empire Import languages, including Hindi, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Malay, and American English.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"448\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1315\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click here for a larger image.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you learn basic root words, especially Latin and Greek roots, you will be able to break apart words to figure out what they mean. Take a look at this <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_Greek_and_Latin_roots_in_English\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">List of Greek and Latin roots in English<\/a>. You might be surprised.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>learn by doing: explore latin roots<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/h5p.org\/h5p\/embed\/133483\" width=\"660\" height=\"370\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can also learn more about <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Etymology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">etymology<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.factmonster.com\/ipka\/A0907017.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prefixes, and suffixes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Just to pick an example, when you understand that the prefix \u201cortho\u201d means straight or right, you start to find connections between seemingly unrelated words, such as orthodontist (a specialist who straightens teeth) and orthography (the correct, or straight, way of writing).<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the logic behind words always pays off in terms of learning and recalling. Consider these examples: \u201cbreakfast\u201d means \u201cinterrupt the night\u2019s fast,\u201d and \u201crainbow\u201d means \u201cbow or arc caused by rain.\u201d While these meanings may be trivial to native English speakers, having such insights about words, foreign or otherwise, never fails to deepen your connection to them.<\/p>\n<h2>Maintain a Personal Lexicon<\/h2>\n<p>By keeping a personalized list of learned words, you\u2019ll have a handy reference you can use to review these words later. It\u2019s very likely you\u2019ll want to go back and refresh your memory on recent words, so keeping them in your own list is much more efficient than going back to the dictionary every time.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you never refer back to your lexicon again, writing words down at least once will greatly enhance your ability to commit them to your permanent memory. Another excellent learning aid is to write an original sentence containing the word \u2014 and using your lexicon to do that is a great way of enforcing this habit. You can also add many other details as you see fit, such as the date you first came across the word or maybe a sequential number to help you reach some word quota you define.<\/p>\n<p>There are many ways you can keep your personal word list; each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so make sure to pick the format that works best for you. You may prefer to keep it as a simple text file in the computer, or in a regular paper notebook, or maybe as flash cards in a shoe box.<\/p>\n<p>One option is a computer spreadsheet for its handy features such as searching, sorting, and filtering.<\/p>\n<h2>Follow a Process<\/h2>\n<p>To make vocabulary improvement a permanent habit in your everyday life, you should make it as habitual, automatic, and tightly integrated into your daily workflow as possible\u2013otherwise you won\u2019t do it when your days get too busy.<\/p>\n<p>In that regard, one particularly useful concept is the one of maintaining a \u201cWord Inbox.\u201d By having a predefined place you use to capture the words you come across, you can process them much more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>Your process can be as simple as you wish\u2014the key is to specify it beforehand and then follow it. By knowing exactly how and how often to process your inbox, you stay on top of your vocabulary improvement process, even when there are other pressing matters crying out for your attention.<\/p>\n<h2>Leverage Every Resource You Can<\/h2>\n<p>The internet is a gold mine of resources for vocabulary building. Here are a few to get you started, though many more exist:<\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of<a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/search?hl=en&amp;q=vocabulary+software&amp;btnG=Google+Search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> vocabulary applications<\/a> you can try. There are many<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3FinitialSearch%3D1%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26field-keywords%3Dvocabulary%26x%3D9%26y%3D20&amp;tag=phaedrus0b&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> vocabulary-related books<\/a> you can explore. There is a wealth of free literature on sites such as<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/wiki\/Main_Page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Project Gutenberg<\/a>. If you use the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.getfirefox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Firefox<\/a> browser, there are many ways to integrate dictionary lookup functions, such as the plug-ins<a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/735\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Answers.com<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/68\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> DictionarySearch<\/a>. You can find specialized vocabulary lists, such as these<a href=\"http:\/\/www.psychpage.com\/learning\/library\/assess\/feelings.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> feeling words<\/a> or<a href=\"http:\/\/www.msgarrettonline.com\/descripwords.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> descriptive words<\/a>. You can even learn<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pangloss.com\/seidel\/shake_rule.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> some classy, Shakespearean insults<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>The point is that you\u2019re only limited by your willingness to learn: let curiosity be your guide and you will never run out of resources to learn from.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>practice<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"lumen_assessment_5602\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/load?assessment_id=5602&#38;embed=1&#38;external_user_id=&#38;external_context_id=&#38;iframe_resize_id=lumen_assessment_5602\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:400px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\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-413\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Image: Historical Influences on the English Language. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><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. <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>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/litemind.com\/10-strategies-improve-vocabulary\/\">https:\/\/litemind.com\/10-strategies-improve-vocabulary\/<\/a>. <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><\/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":12,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Revision and Adaptation\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"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\":\"https:\/\/litemind.com\/10-strategies-improve-vocabulary\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Image: Historical Influences on the English Language\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"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-413","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":375,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15005"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1306,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/413\/revisions\/1306"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/375"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/413\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=413"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=413"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-writingskillslab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}