4.5: Building Your Vocabulary
Read this section. Learning new vocabulary is not all about flashcards and memorization. When you read effectively, you absorb the meanings of many words quickly. However, one of the main objectives of many college-level texts, especially in introductory courses, is to provide you with new vocabulary that is specific to the subject matter you are studying. Therefore, you should have a strategy for how to learn and incorporate new words into your writing and verbal communication. Additionally, if one of your reasons for achieving a college education is to advance your career or socioeconomic status, you will want to pay particular attention to eliminating what this text refers to as "lazy speech," which many people consider to be an indicator of lack of education. Make sure to complete the activities and checkpoint exercises within the text.
For an even more accurate measurement of any "lazy speech" you may use, consider recording a conversation with a friend (with their permission, of course) and listening to yourself, noting any verbal expressions you may want to eliminate.
In your notebook, make a list of the specific types of new words you may be interested in acquiring through your undergraduate reading.