Vocabulary in Academic Context

 

"A teacher helping her student" (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by Global Partnership for Education - GPE

 Development Vocabulary in Academic Context

The dictionary should be a companion of any student who wants to develop his or her vocabulary. He should endeavor to look up words whose meaning he cannot easily make out in the context while reading. Therefore, it is advisable that you are tempted to think of looking up words when you have finished reading as it is often actually difficult to do this.

Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing

There are four ways by which vocabulary can be improved to a large extent. They are listening, reading, speaking and writing.

- Listening

For anyone developing this vocabulary in any Language or a field of study, he has to have the opportunity to listen to people speak the language or teach the subject. What makes a person a doctor is not that the person is born a doctor. That person has to attend an institution where he is taught the language that pertains to medicine and he comes out thinking, speaking and acting like a doctor because he has been listening to a Language pertaining to medicine throughout the Course of his study. This also applies to professionals like engineers and lawyers, accountants and pharmacists. These have developed their skills and vocabulary in any Language. Thai is important for all especially those in the language department. For you to understand a language properly and develop your vocabulary in that subject, you have to listen to those who are competent or skilled in that Language or subject.

It is therefore important that you attend occasion where you will hear people talk about subject of your interest. Tutorials, lectures and seminars are some of the occasions where you can hear experts on different subject speak. Absolute concentration is important when listening to people speak at any occasion. Be quick to note any unknown word so that you can look up it’s meaning later.

- Speaking

The paradoxical statement “the best way to learn a language is speak it” may sound superficially not plausible, but on a deep study of that statement one finds that is an element of truth in it. For one to develop a vocabulary in a specific subject area, one has to practice intensively by speaking, reading, listening and writing using English medium. Refusing to speak frequently as a result of shyness will not help you to be fluent in the language. Endeavor to involve yourself in situations where you can speak. Speaking in symposia, tutorial and seminars will help you improve your vocabulary to large extent.

- Reading

Perhaps this is the most effective method of improving ones vocabulary I’m the academics. Reading is very important and that must to voraciously. Why must you? You may ask. For a well developed vocabulary, one had to read widely. You must not confine yourself to reading only things that pertain to your field of study alone. Read any quality material that comes your way. This is how you can develop your vocabulary generally.

However, for you to develop your vocabulary in any course of study, be it law, biochemistry, linguistic medicine or any other course, you have to read various materials pertaining to each of these course concentrating on lecture notes and recommended texts is not enough to develop your vocabulary in any Field of study.

Reading other materials together, with lecture notes and recommended texts will help you to be more equipped in the subject. Be ready in your extensive reading activities to jot down in a reading diary words that are not familiar and learn their meaning.

- Writing

Thai is another method by which vocabulary can be improved. Writing notes during lectures is important in your vocabulary to be developed. Wrong spellings most times spoil well written materials. Therefore, writing notes helps you to know words that are difficult to spell. Looking up the right spelling of a word in the dictionary gives you the opportunity of knowing the meaning of the word. Any other forms of writing apart from note taking during lecture or during private reading periods are also necessary. Writing papers for seminars and tutorials will also help you develop your vocabulary as the will mean extra research and reading in reading in your field.

Apart from knowing the general meaning of a word and their prefixes and suffixes and making the dictionary an indispensable companion, it is also necessary to read, wrote, listen and communicate freely in order to improve your vocabulary.