|
The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for.
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
It is with words that we conceive and express thoughts and ideas. The words that we understand and use, i.e., vocabulary, reflect the limits of our mind.
As children we all learn new words at a phenomenal rate. Research shows that children learn new words at the rate of several hundred a year. In adults, however, this rate slows down to 25–50 words annually. It is sad but true: for most of us the inclination to learn new words reduces drastically with age.
When was the last time you looked up a new word in a dictionary, noted its meaning and usage, and then actually used it?
Words matter
A strong and wide-ranging vocabulary is a highly valued asset both socially and professionally. People who use the right words have a definite edge in any situation.
Studies have proven that the most noticeable performance characteristic shared by successful people is not physical appearance, financial backing, or family connections, but vocabulary.
- Earl Nightingale (one of the world’s foremost experts on success and what makes people successful) wrote of a study in which a vocabulary test was given to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing companies. Presidents and vice-presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168; superintendents 140; foremen 114; floor bosses 86. In almost every case, vocabulary correlated with executive level and income.
- Career counselors agree that verbal mastery is directly linked to career advancement.
|
So, whether or not you like it, people will judge you by the way you speak and the words you use (or don’t use!).
Use the right words (whether in speech or in writing) and people will respect and admire you, and the doors of opportunity will swing open. Each day that you spend without improving and expanding your vocabulary, you are letting opportunity, better income, better status, and a better image of you slip by!
How do you rate your vocabulary?
How well do you express yourself, in speech and in writing?
Do you often find yourself groping for words?
Do you take time to understand what others say or what you read?
Do you find yourself using the same words all the time?
Do you find it difficult to compose letters, memos, and reports?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to all these questions, you know that your vocabulary needs improvement.
Even if you answered ‘No’ to most of the questions, you, like most others, would benefit from learning new words. Knowing that improving your vocabulary is a sure route to success, would you still neglect it?
Improving your vocabulary can work wonders
Improving your vocabulary will help you improve all areas of communication — listening, understanding, speaking, reading, and writing.
Vocabulary and listening comprehension
While listening to someone using words you don't know, don’t you feel lost and intimidated? And, very often, while you are trying to figure out what the strange words mean, the conversation advances without you.
Every day we hear words that we do not recognize or understand. If we make no effort to understand them, we are then at the mercy of the speakers — their words, then, whether true of false and whether or not we like them, will prevail!
A strong vocabulary ensures that you recognize and understand the words people use and therefore helps you contribute meaningfully and fruitfully.
Vocabulary and reading comprehension
Have you ever reached the end of a page in a book and realized that you didn’t know what you had read? Well, somewhere earlier on that page you went past a word or words that you did not know!
Here’s an example. ‘It was found that when the crepuscule arrived the children were quieter and when it was not present, they were much livelier.’ You think you don’t understand the whole idea, but the inability to understand came entirely from one word you could not define — crepuscule, which means twilight or darkness.
Since comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading, you cannot overestimate the importance of vocabulary development in reading comprehension.
Vocabulary and effective speech
When you have the right vocabulary, you will know the right words to use. When you use the wrong word, or use a word without knowing its various shades of meaning, you are likely to commit embarrassing blunders. And knowing the right word to use is not easy, since English is a funny language:
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a
pig.
When the stars are out they are
visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
When you wind up your watch it starts
But when you wind up a speech it ends.
Building up and improving your vocabulary will help you know the right words to use on every occasion.
What, then, is a strong vocabulary?
Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that count:
A good vocabulary does not mean knowledge of long or difficult words. Instead, it means expressing yourself through words that people understand.
With the right words at your disposal, you will be able to use simple and clear sentences, without unnecessary words that bore and confuse.
Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that convey consideration and trust:
Very often we do not realize the nuances and undertones of words that we use. We then run the risk of sounding rude and hostile, without intending it.
For instance, consider:
- Do something about the big mess you made’ versus ‘Let's straighten out this confusion.’
- ‘What do you expect us to do about it?’ versus ‘How may we help you?’
Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that paint pictures:
Martin Luther King, Nehru, Vivekananda … their speeches and writing inspire us even today. In your own circle of friends and acquaintances, you probably have come across people whose words paint vivid pictures, and others who make us yawn.
Good writers and speakers know that people are engaged and aroused by the use of words that are concrete and vivid, and turned off by the abstract and the colorless.
For instance:
- ‘We're seeing what we can do about meeting those projections.’ isn't the same as ‘We'll move heaven and earth for you.’
Acquiring your greatest asset — vocabulary
Clearly, successful people have a vocabulary that works. Is this a gift that they are born with or a result of their educational and social background?
Even if you do not have the family, academic and social background or work experience that fosters a strong vocabulary, don’t panic! A good vocabulary can be acquired. New words can be learned.
Unfortunately, most people pick up words in a haphazard manner or by chance. It then takes years to acquire a strong and effective vocabulary.
Instead, a progressive and structured vocabulary-building program such as Word Mine will help you learn natural vocabulary-building skills that you can use to master hundreds of new words easily. You will then be fully equipped to face competitive exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, etc.
Conclusion
If you cannot express ideas clearly and elegantly, if you hesitate because of uncertainty about the right word, you will appear incompetent and under-qualified. Financial rewards, recognition, and promotion could pass you by.
When you improve your vocabulary, you immediately boost your powers of expression. The more words you have, the more ideas you can express, and the greater influence you will have on people.
|
