As adults we get lazy about learning new words, but when you’re essay writing on a regular basis you need to be able to express yourself clearly and accurately.  Here are some top tips to grow your vocabulary.

Essay writing goals

Language acquisition isn’t going to happen by accident.  Most adults learn 25 to 50 new words in a year – if that.  You have to decide that you’re going to find and learn some new words every day.

Essay routine

Be curious about the world around you.  What would you like to learn about that so far has been outside your sphere?  Music theory, artists and their work, the history of Greece, the philosophy of Kant.  Choose a topic and set out to learn about it.

Read everything you can get your hands on.  In addition to the targeted research of a topic, make a general decision to read more overall.  Practice critical reading when you read academic sources.

New words in research

When you are reading and you come across a word you don’t know, the common choice is to ignore that word, skip over it and make a guess at what it must mean based on the context around it.  If you want to improve your vocabulary you have to change this habit.  When you see a new word look it up in a dictionary.

As you read in preparation for your essays, be alert to new words.  It is so easy to ignore them – both the ones we read and the ones we hear.  Whatever the context, don’t ignore these words.  Remember them and find out what they mean.

Essay Writing Skill – Etymology

Learn the roots of the words.  If you know that a “cortex” is a shell or the outer skin, then when you are confronted by a word like “decorticated”, you can make a guess that it means to remove (“de-”) the shell.  Learning the roots of words can help you make educated guesses at the meanings and will help you build your vocabulary much faster.

Building your vocabulary is a great language skill which will help you produce a better essay.  Your impressive use of language will make your reader feel you have a good command of the facts too.  It takes time, but it’s an investment worth making.

Did this help?  If you’re having any difficulties with essay writing, let us know!  Post a comment below.