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2�3�2 Enhancing Vocabulary Gradually, it is through the process of reading
We have seen that when we get ready to that we enhance our vocabulary.
read, we need to know the words in a language. Once we get familiar with the process
Has your English teacher in school asked you of reading, our vocabulary improves every
to develop your vocabulary? What do you time we read something. A good vocabulary
mean by vocabulary? Vocabulary is nothing is essential for good communication. When
but the words in a language. A strong vocab- we are familiar with plenty of words, we can
ulary is essential for developing good read- express our thoughts in a better way. Also, we
ing skills as well as writing skills. Why is it will be able to understand written works. So,
important to enhance your vocabulary? How reading skills are a key to improving one’s
does it help with reading and writing? As chil- communication skills.
dren, we learn a lot of words in our mother
tongue from spoken language. We listen to A vocabulary can be built using different
the people around us and learn the language means:
from them. Then, when we get introduced to 1. Using dictionary.
the alphabets and words in school, we learn to 2. Using thesaurus. A thesaurus gives you
read and write them.
the synonyms of a particular word.
When we start learning to read a foreign 3. Subscribe to online feeds like “A word
language, our vocabulary will be very weak. a day”.
When we learn a language that is not our 4. Play word games. The Wordle game
mother tongue, we will not be familiar with has become a rage in recent times. Do-
the language through a spoken medium. So, the ing crossword puzzles also help.
first step is to listen to the language. We have 5. Learn roots of words and meanings of
already discussed listening skills in the previ- suffixes and prefixes.
ous units. When we listen to the language, we 6. Understanding meaning by context.
start picking up the words, which enhance our Reading habit helps this.
vocabulary. When we move from listening to 7. Keep a book to note down new words
reading, with our not-so-strong vocabulary, we you come across.
try to understand the words and their meaning. 8. Start using newly learnt words.

As we have discussed earlier, in the initial
stage of reading, we might come across many 2�3�3 Speed Reading
unfamiliar words. When we encounter such Once we have a strong vocabulary and
words, we try to know their meaning. Some- have developed the habit of reading, we try to
times, we tend to assume their meaning accord- enhance our reading skills. If we read things
ing to the context in which we find them. Have regularly or more frequently, we gradually
you ever experienced a situation where you improve our reading speed gradually. Let us
guessed the meaning of a word according to take an example. When we find a novel to read,
the context in which it was used? While read- what is the first thing that we all do? We go
ing, if we find a word twice, thrice, or multiple through the list of contents given on the first
times, we try to assume its meaning according page and see how many chapters are there and
to the context. Repetition of words helps us how long the chapters are. We go through this
learn their meaning. Otherwise, we take the content very quickly so that we get a general
help of a dictionary to find word meanings.

70 SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication