Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention

Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention

Wendy Griffin Anderson

Smart Brains Spotlight 

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The topic for today is “Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention”.

Learning should be for life. Every moment of every day we are being presented with new and important lessons.

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Today we learned about improving reading comprehension through vocabulary retention. Let Wendy Griffin Anderson shares with you some useful tips which can help improving reading comprehension through vocabulary retention.

Thank you

Fatima E Porcino

 
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Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention – Wendy Griffin Anderson

Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention

Wendy Griffin Anderson

How can I become fluent in English?

How to improve your English by reading?

Thank you, “Youtube – Learn English with Alex [engVid]“.

Answer by Wendy Griffin Anderson ( BA–English, freelance editor and proofreader for 30+ years ). All credit goes to Wendy Griffin Anderson,  Thank you!

Improving Reading Comprehension through Vocabulary Retention

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READ. Read everything in English that you can get your hands on: fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines — EVERYTHING. When you hit a word you don’t know, look it up. If you can’t look it up right then, jot it down to remind yourself to look it up later. When I’m learning new vocabulary, I go back to grammar-school methods and write the word and its definition out several times to help cement it in my memory. I will often say it aloud as I write, as I have been told that the more senses you use in your learning, the more likely the learning will be permanent. If I say what I’m writing, I’m using several of my senses to engage that word and its definition. (I haven’t figured out a way to smell or taste it yet, LOL!)

One way to really maximize your reading is to read instruction manuals. Most of them these days come with multiple languages included, so you can read a section in English and then compare it to the same section in your native language to gain a clearer understanding. I’ve used this technique to check my understanding of written French and Spanish.

Watch television and movies. If you can get subtitles, that will help, as it will increase your written and your auditory comprehension. Both entertainment and educational programming have value; the first will teach you how native speakers actually use the language in everyday encounters (though I should warn you that most of us do not use profanity/vulgarity quite so frequently as some of those shows might lead you to believe), and the second will help you recognize vocabulary and grammar that are more formal or specialized.

Find native English speakers (or high-level teachers of English) in your area, and ask them to help you with your English. Ask them to correct you if you use a word incorrectly or say something in a way that would be grammatically incorrect. Try to meet them once a week and converse in English as much as possible. (I like to do this over coffee and pastry at a local bistro to make it more fun, and I pay the other person’s tab as a thank-you.)

Use English whenever you can. If you go to a restaurant or store where there’s English-speaking staff, try talking to them in English. I do this at the local Mexican deli, where the owner is a native of Mexico City and is very willing to help me with my Spanish. I’ll try out a new phrase or word and ask him if I’m saying it right, or I’ll place my order in Spanish. (I did explain to him that I was trying to learn Spanish, and he was tickled pink at the chance to help someone learn his language.)

Reference: Wendy Griffin Anderson. “How can I become fluent in English?”  originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Other useful ways to improving reading comprehension through vocabulary retention

Use New Words

Use a word immediately after you learn it. Try to make a game out of using a new word as soon as you learn it. Every day, try to slip in a new word into the conversation, a journal entry, an assignment or an email to a friend. Do this as often as possible, and repeat the word to yourself. – Thank you, WordCounter, WordCounter – Count Words & Correct Writing.

How to Memorize Vocabulary?

How to Memorize Vocabulary?

Thank you, Fun Ways to Expand Your Vocabulary, Study Smarter with IvyPanda. IvyPanda is a student success hub.

Use So You Don’t Lose It

The saying goes: “use it or lose it”. This is true of vocabulary. When you learn a new word, you must practice using it in writing and speaking. Doing this will help your brain to keep the word as part of its vocabulary. So, write the words in your journal, repeat them out loud to yourself and then use them in conversation and in writing. Thank you, E2Language Blog,  E2Language Blog – PTE, OET, IELTS, & TOEFL tips for your exam success.

Put Word Lists In Visible Places

Make lists and stick them at places around your house that you look at all the time.

“I quite often stick them next to my TV so when the ads are on and I don’t want to watch the ads, I can look at the words,” Margot says.

Thank you, ABC,  Australia’s leading source of information and entertainment.

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