The Importance of Vocabulary in Writing

Every good mechanic has a toolbox full of tools. Some tools are used more than others, but every one has
a specific purpose. In much the same way, writers have a “toolbox.” This “toolbox” is constantly growing
and is filled with items like grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules; figurative language; rhyme;
rhythm; and…vocabulary. Just as really good mechanics can pull out the right tools to make a good engine
even more powerful, good writers can pull out the right tools at the right time to make good writing even
more powerful. One tool that can “power up” your writing is a strong vocabulary.

Why is a Strong Vocabulary Important?

We use spoken and written words every single day to communicate ideas, thoughts, and emotions to
those around

us. Sometimes we communicate successfully, and sometimes we’re not quite so successful. “That’s not
what I meant!” becomes our mantra (an often repeated word or phrase). However, a good vocabulary
can help us say what we mean.

Let’s say that you are outside in your yard and see a large black car stop in the road. You can see four
tinted windows on one side of the car, and you assume there are four tinted windows on the other side,
too. Just then, the driver’s door opens, and a man wearing white gloves steps out. He walks to the back
of the car and looks underneath. He shrugs his shoulders, climbs back into the car, and drives away.

After you remember to close your mouth, which has been hanging open, you run next door to tell your
friend what you saw. What do you say? If you know a couple of key words, you can quickly explain to this
person what you saw. Instead of describing the number of windows and the length of the car, you could
simply say that you saw a black limousine (a long, luxurious car). Then, instead of describing the man with
the white gloves, you could say you saw the chauffeur (someone paid to drive a car or limousine) walk to
the back of the car. Knowing these key words can help you quickly and effectively communicate your
meaning.

More info on Descriptive Writing

When you’re faced with a writing assignment, a good vocabulary is an indispensable (very important or
necessary) tool. If you have several synonyms (words with similar meanings) in your repertoire
(“toolbox”), you’ll be able to choose the best word for the job. Avoid vague words like “stuff” or “things”
when you write. These words do not give the reader a good sense of your meaning. Also, use strong verbs
that give the reader good information.

Here’s an example:

POOR: People do a lot of things.

BETTER: People perform a lot of tasks.

Ways that having a strong vocabulary helps when writing include:

being able to choose more descriptive words to help your reader envision what you are describing.

being able to adapt your writing for your audience (e.g., simpler words for children and more complex
words for college students).

creating more variety in paragraphs and sentences with vocabulary words which keep your reader
interested in what you have to say.

More info on Sentence Variety

Increasing Your Vocabulary

If you don’t have a strong vocabulary yet, the first way you can develop one is with a couple of tools: a
thesaurus and a dictionary. A thesaurus (a resource that lists synonyms and antonyms of words) is a
helpful tool, but it is essential (very important and necessary) that you use a dictionary along with it. For
example, imagine that I want to say that putting an engine together is difficult. However, I want a more
descriptive word than “difficult.” What other word could I use? A thesaurus might give me choices like
these: complex, intricate, tricky, and thorny. Do I know what those words mean, though? That’s where a
dictionary comes in.

Outer Space Vocabulary Writing Prompt

Writing prompts that include specific vocabulary words can be powerful skill boosters.sense of the
meanings of each word. The next step, then, is for me to look the words up in a dictionary to be certain
of their meanings.

The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary gives these definitions (among others):

complex: hard to separate, analyze, or solve

intricate: having many complexly interrelating parts or elements

tricky: requiring skill, knack, or caution

thorny: full of difficulties or controversial points

Notice that each word has a slightly different meaning. Which meaning seems to work best when talking
about an engine? Since an engine has many complexly interrelating (connected together like a puzzle)
parts, the word “intricate” seems to be a great choice. Putting an engine together can definitely be
intricate work. My choice is made. The thesaurus and dictionary have saved the day and have helped me
develop my vocabulary!

Another way to develop a strong vocabulary is to read books with rich vocabulary. These books will help
you see the words in context (in their natural settings). The context can help you guess the meanings of
the words and can give you a good sense of how they’re used.

Be sure to pay attention to vocabulary words as you read. Write down words that you don’t know and
look them up. Try to find them elsewhere, and write down the sentences you find. Listen for them in the
world around you. Write down the sentences that you hear. Study these words when you can, and try to
use them in your speaking and writing.

Another good idea is to keep a word journal. Try to incorporate interesting words into your journal entry
for the day (or week). If you’re not sure if you’re using the word correctly, ask a parent, a teacher, or a
brainy friend.

Vocabulary games are another great way to develop your vocabulary. You can find hundreds of ways to
build your vocabulary. Who doesn’t love playing games? And these games have the added benefit of
helping you add to your writer’s “toolbox.” Do you have difficulty with homophones (words that sound
alike)? Then try these homophone games. You can even bone up on synonyms (words with similar
meanings). Learning the meanings of root words is another way you can strengthen your vocabulary skills,
so try these games and see what you know. Strengthening your vocabulary doesn’t have to be boring!

Time4Writing can Help

Online courses like Time4Writing’s mechanics and writing courses have interactive games like the
vocabulary ones in the above links. These games will help you practice new concepts in a fun and lasting
way. And working one-on-one with a Time4Writing teacher is a great way to get feedback on your writing,
including your vocabulary. Work on developing and strengthening your vocabulary, and keep your writer’s
“toolbox” full!

The Importance Of Teaching And Learning Vocabulary English Language Essay

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Published: 23rd March, 2015

Disclaimer: This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our
professional essay writers.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UK Essays.

Vocabulary represents one of most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign
language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills: reading comprehension, listening
comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for the
students in their attempt to use English effectively. When confronted with a native English speaker, when
watching a movie without subtitle or when listening to a favorite English song, when reading a text or
when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. In what follows, the
focus of this introductory chapter will be on why vocabulary is important, on what makes words difficult,
on the main reasons for which students often forget the words they learn and on some techniques which
help them remember the vocabulary.

Why is Vocabulary Important?

Talking about the importance of vocabulary, the linguist David Wilkins argued that: "without grammar
little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." Indeed, people need to use words
in order to express themselves in any language. Most learners, too, acknowledge the importance of
vocabulary acquisition. In my experience as a teacher, I noticed the fact that students usually find it
difficult to speak English fluently. They usually consider speaking and writing activities exhausting because
they keep on using the same expressions and words and very soon their conversation is abruptly
interrupted due to missing words. And the main reason for such communication problems is the lack of
vocabulary. Other students are confronted with the problem of forgetting the words immediately after
the teacher has elicited their meaning or after they have looked them in the dictionary, and this also a
cause of the lack of vocabulary. The more words students learn, the easier they memorize them.

The teacher has an essential role in helping students to improve their vocabulary. Unfortunately,
vocabulary teaching has not been enough responsive to such problems, and teachers have not recognized
the tremendous importance of helping their students to develop an extensive vocabulary. If we look back
in the past, we discover that for a long time, English used teaching approaches such as Direct Method and
Audiolingualism which emphasized the primary importance of teaching grammatical structures. Since the
accent was on grammar, few words were introduced in such courses and most often, they were limited
and related to the grammar structures taught.
By the beginning of 1970s, there was a major change in teaching English. The focus turned from the Direct
Method and Audiolingualism to the Communicative Approach which emphasized the importance of
teaching vocabulary. Students were exposed to diverse vocabulary and speaking activities. Many words
began being introduced during such courses and students were encouraged to express themselves as
much as possible.

Nowadays, there is more freedom in choosing the methods to be used during English classes. The English
syllabus is organized around both vocabulary and grammar structures. Since there is a certain number of
classes allotted for each item in the syllabus, teachers usually have the necessary time to insist on teaching
and practising vocabulary. Vocabulary is no longer treated as an add-on and teachers become more aware
of the importance of vocabulary and attention is paid to the grammar of words, to collocations and to
word frequency. Nevertheless, students still have difficulties in expressing themselves fluently and still
consider speaking tasks exhausting.

What Makes English Vocabulary Difficult

In English, like in any other foreign language, some words are easier to learn than others. Easiest of all are
the words more or less identical to the students' native language, like, for instance, the word "vocabulary."
However, students might be trapped in their confidence with which they memorize such identical words,
since English has a list of some problematic words, called "false friends". These false friends are words
identical in form to certain Romanian words, but completely different in meaning. An example of this
would be "sensible." While many students might confidently translate this word simply "sensibil," they
will be astonished to find out that, the Romanian equivalent for "sensible" is in fact "rational," while the
English equivalent for "sensibil" is "sensitive." This demonstrates the crucial importance of allotting a
special lesson for these false friends and of encouraging students to practise them as often as possible.

Another aspect that makes English vocabulary difficult is the pronunciation of certain words. Research
shows that words that are difficult to pronounce are more difficult to learn. Many learners find that words
with clusters of consonants such as "health" or "crisps" are problematic. Length or complexity of the
words is another characteristic of the difficulty of English vocabulary. A long word will be more difficult to
memorize than a short one. Also, variable stress of words such as "necessary" and "necessity" can add to
their difficulty. The meaning of the words is another controversial feature of the English vocabulary. When
two words overlap in meaning, students are likely to confuse them. An example in this case would be the
difference between "make" and "do." These words have the same meaning, but are used in different
expressions. You "make a decision", but you "do homework." Students might find the use of these two
words confusing.

Main Reasons Why Students Forget the Vocabulary Acquired

It is important that teachers insist on the practice of vocabulary because with all their best will, students
forget the words they learn. Jeremy Harmer identifies two main reasons that cause forgetting:
interference from subsequent learning and insufficient recycling. Most teachers are aware of the fact that
introducing a new vocabulary may imply forgetting the old one. This happens most frequently when words
are taught that are very similar to the ones recently acquired because, according to Harmer, the new
words have the effect of "overwriting" the previously learnt material. This is the reason why teachers
should avoid teaching lexical sets containing words that have similar meanings to the previously ones.

The second cause that triggers forgetting is insufficient recycling of the vocabulary acquired. Research
shows that frequent review of learnt material can dramatically reduce the rate of forgetting. Nevertheless,
it is not enough to simply repeat words and to reencounter them in their original context. What really
helps is to recycle the words in different ways and at equal levels of depth. Research argues that if learners
use or encounter the words in a different way from that in which they first met them, then better learning
is likely to be achieved. Another important aspect when recycling certain words is for students to make
sure that they really understand the meaning and the use of those words. Students might also try to apply
the new words to their real life events or activities.

Techniques for Memorizing Vocabulary

In order to be able to have a rich vocabulary, not only do students need to learn as many words as possible,
but they also need to remember them because, in fact, learning is remembering. Unlike grammar learning
which is based on a system of rules, vocabulary knowledge implies accumulating individual items. It is a
learning process that relies primarily on memory.

Learners are different in terms of how easily they memorize vocabulary. According to Jeremy Harmer,
researchers into the domain of memory distinguish three types of memory: short-term store, working
memory, and long-term memory. The short-term store is "the brain's capacity to hold a limited number
of information items for periods of time up to a few seconds" (Harmer 23). Thus, it is the kind of memory
that does not help students too much in their attempt to learn vocabulary items, because successful
vocabulary learning involves something more than just holding words in your memory for some seconds.
The working memory focuses on holding words long enough in your memory so that to be able to operate
with them. It is the kind of memory that relies on reasoning and logic. Thus, if a student comes across a
new word such as "to acknowledge" which means "a recunoaste meritul cuiva", he will be able to easily
memorize it by comparing it with another word from his long-term memory, for example, "knowledge"
meaning "cunoastere." Using such an association will certainly help students keeping words in their
memory for longer periods of time. Finally, the long-term store is the most trustworthy kind of memory.
Unlike the working memory which has a limited capacity of holding words in the brain, the long-term
memory has a tremendous capacity and its contents are durable over time. However, the fact that
students forget vocabulary from one lesson to another, demonstrates the fact that it is not enough to
have a long-term memory. It implies students' efforts and teachers' witty techniques when learning and
teaching vocabulary. The great challenge for language learners and teachers is to transform the material
from quickly forgotten to the never forgotten.

It has been designed a number of techniques meant to help learners efficiently memorize words and to
help teachers make the process of learning easier for their students. Repetition is an important technique
in learning vocabulary. In order for the words to be kept as long as possible in the memory, it is necessary
that they be repeated at frequent periods of time. However, repetition alone will not be effective. It must
be accompanied by the understanding of the meaning of those particular words and by correlation with
other similar already learnt words.

Another important technique is using the newly learn words. In this case, the teachers' role is also
valuable. In the classroom, teachers should insist on pracising the news vocabulary by encouraging
students to speak as much as possible and by designing vocabulary-centered activities and games. At
home, students need to be motivated to individually keep on using the new words until they are stored
in the long-term memory.

Practising vocabulary is strongly connected to applying vocabulary to students' real life events. Learners
will acquire vocabulary easily if they practise it by associating words with events from their daily life.
Considering that students are presented a new word list related to the topic entitled "travelling." Learners
will successfully memorize the word list by creating a real life event, for instance "going to Italy" and then
performing a situation in which all the words can be included. This can be done in classroom as well as at
home and will certainly entertain students and have positive results.

Another witty technique to be taken into consideration when both learning and teaching vocabulary is
imaging. Students will easily learn new words if they are taught to associate them with their picture. If,
for example, students associate "travel agency" with the image of the particular building where we go to
ask information about travelling, they are likely to keep that word in their mind for longer time. Thus, it is
extremely important for the students to visualize the words they must learn. This will help the learning
process and will keep the words in the long-term memory.

In conclusion, vocabulary is the most required skill when learning a foreign language. It is on vocabulary
that all the other skills, reading, writing, speaking, and listening are based and developed. This chapter
has shown why it is important to learn new words and why English vocabulary is difficult to memorize.
Moreover, it dealt with two main reasons for which most of the students permanently forget the words
acquired. And finally, it has suggested methods and techniques that help to understand the new
vocabulary by using the working memory and to transfer it in the long-term memory.