By: Barnali Bose, Editor-ICN Group
Educational research has inferred that the more extensive one’s vocabulary, the better is supposedly, one’s chances of success.
This is because,success to a great extent depends on the ability to communicate one’s ideas with clarity.
A person can communicate well, only if he fulfills two conditions. First of all, knowledge of the subject matter and secondly,but more importantly, his grasp over the language.
Thus, vocabulary development not only entails learning new words but developing mastery over their use in the right context.
To become adept at using a language :
A child learns by listening and repeating what he hears being spoken. Children never tire asking questions. It is because of this instinctive urge to know more, that they are wonders at vocabulary expansion.
It is tragic that this spirit of enquiry tends to slide downwards with the pressures of growing up. If only we can keep the candle of curiosity enkindled, we can, as adults continue to increase our vocabulary.
When we talk of usage of words, immediately the question of Grammar crops up. Readers will, I believe, endorse my view that Grammar of any language for non-native speakers is not easy to master. It requires years of consistent effort to grasp the intricacies of Grammar and apply the same in spoken and written form.
What non-native English speakers can do:
Listen attentively
Well, one has to be a good listener to learn correct pronunciation and usage of English words. Listen to the English news. Watch English films and series.Watch interesting ‘Talk shows’. Listen to audios of famous orators.
Pay particular attention to how the words sound. Distinguish between accents of different countries. Allow ‘new’ words and their sounds to echo in your ears.
Read intently
Read,read and never give up reading. Read fiction,non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, notices,in fact whatever sane you can lay your hands on.
It is important to be alert to and be aware of the language and style of what you are reading or listening to. You might even use a highlighter to mark words or phrases you find interesting so as not to lose track of them.
Access to digital reading has made it easy for those on the move.
Create mental images of words
Pause for a few seconds when a ‘new’ word pops up. Reread it, observe the context in which the word has been used and continue reading.
Click a mental shot of it. Form a mental image of the ‘squiggles and wiggles’ of uncommonly spelt words. This will help you remember even those words that have seemingly bizarre spelling.
Repeat
When you come across a ‘new’ word, utter it aloud, if you are alone. When in company, mutter under your breath, a number of times.
Try to repeat, not merely the word but the sentence, in the context of which, it has been used.
Repetion helps learning and stores words as well as phrases in our long term memory.
Use newly acquired vocabulary
Try to use ‘new’ words, in both speech and in writing. Using them, will reinforce your learning and the words will remain etched in your long term memory.
Remember,dear readers, the broader the horizon of one’s reading and socialising, the better and faster will be the evolution of one’s language skills.
It is my firm belief that affluent speakers and successful writers, have always been keen listeners and voracious readers.
Invest in a good dictionary
Refer to a dictionary whenever you think you need to be sure of meanings and usage. In fact, you can access dictionaries online, even when on the move.
However, remember a dictionary is not for reading but for reference only. Learning words directly from the dictionary is a wasteful activity. This is because, words learnt without context are mere words and contribute nothing in developing one’s language.
Avoid using social media abbreviations /slang in speech or in writing
We are all familiar with the meaning of slang and are well aware that using slang is not considered a mark of sophistication.
Earlier,we were familiar with nationally or internationally used abbreviations such as FIR, NOC, POK, B.A, S.D.O, WHO, IDL, U.S.A, U.S.S.R, NASA, U.N.O, UNESCO and WWF to state a few.
But now with the infiltration of social media into our lives,abbreviations and misspellings as lol( laughing out loud), btw( by the way), brb,( be right back), bae( before anything else), gtg( got to go), Omg( oh my God/Gosh), to mention a few, rule the roost, on Twitter, WhatsApp and Messenger.
An interesting fact is that OK ( Oll Korrect), used to imply an approval, an answer in the affirmative, is actually slang, although, we do not now consider it to be so.
Those who wish to learn good English should better not fall into the sms Language trap. One might argue that telegraphic messages too used minimum words to convey a message.
My response to it would be that we don’t need to be stringent with number of words, as messages today, are not billable,whereas telegrams definitely were.
Nonetheless, precision is the unwritten rule in language so that the interest of the reader does not wane away.
Its Words,Words And Words that make the world go round:
Learning a Language is a continuous process and developing one’s language prowess most definitely is. It can be acquired with time and consistent effort. However, the encouraging fact is, it is never too late to begin.
In modern times, almost everyone is at least a bilinguist, if not multi linguist. Being proficient in at least one foreign language besides English, is the norm rather than an exception, among today’s educated class.
Modern techniques for broadcast, together with the rapid translation of one language into another have made transfer of knowledge and information from one corner of the world to the other, seem like child’s play.
This, in turn, has helped accelerate scientific, technological, political and social change in the modern age. Both Positive and negative, though the impact, all of this can to a great extent, be attributed to the dominant role of language.
Thoughts and ideas culminate into words and words manifest into action, action that can transform the world for better or for worse.
Hence, it would not be an exaggeration to say,“ Words have wheels to roll and wings to fly.” or better still ,“Words give us wheels to roll and wings to fly.”
( concluded )
