Expanding Your Child’s Vocabulary Bank

By WR!TERS@WORK

It is no secret that writing good essays requires good vocabulary. However, picking up new words and learning how to use them in complete sentences may be challenging for students as they are often unsure as to how to go about it. It may be awkward to go around collecting words and then writing them down in a book with their respective definitions, never to be seen or used again. In an exam, students will also have no time to think of novel words to use.

As such, W@W has compiled some tips to expand your child’s vocabulary bank which are reasonable and easy to implement in a student’s daily life!

1. Read New Things to Learn New Words

Students should get into the habit of always reading new things – it doesn’t matter whether they are stories, newspapers, magazines, or articles online, students should have the intellectual curiosity to know more about the world around them and continuously explore.

It is important that students are always absorbing new material as this is one of the fastest ways to learn new things and new words. Even though students may not always pick up new words from things that they read, they will be more exposed to different types of contexts and scenarios, which will allow them to imagine things more vividly.

2. Be Diligent to Find Out the Meaning of New Words

Looking at new words without absorbing their meaning is not enough to improve your vocabulary bank. Students need to be diligent in finding out the meaning of new words, either using an old-fashioned dictionary (Gasp! A book!) or on Google.

Students have no excuse not to find out the meaning of new words, as in the past, if you did not own a dictionary, you had to go down to the library, find the dictionary on the shelf, sit down, open the pages until you found the matching word, and then read the definition. Nowadays, students just need to type a flurry of keys on the keyboard and then the word, its pronunciation, its definition, and how to use it in a sentence either as a noun or adjective or adverb comes up in less than one second.

If students have trouble with understanding or remembering the meaning of the word, they could ask an adult to explain it to them and then remember things by association. For example, the word “drastically” means “extremely”. However, the word “drastic” sounds a little bit like “drama”, and students could remember that a “drastic change” means a “dramatic change” and associate the two words together to remember them better.

3. Make Sure You Use Words in Complete Sentences

Many students endeavour to keep a vocabulary book with new words and their definitions without thinking about how to use them in complete sentences. Having a vocabulary book or list is no use without knowing how to use any of these words in your composition.

After all, words do not exist to be collected in isolation, but it is how you use turns of phrases in your everyday communication that matters. As such, students need to practice writing words in complete sentences and changing their writing patterns to become increasingly complex over time to improve their vocabulary skills.

4. Context is Highly Important

At times, students may be tempted to open the dictionary, find a complicated synonym for a simple word they are using in their composition, and then replace the word with it. Although one must admire the student’s dedication and effort, it is important to remember that the use of certain words depends on the context – some words should only be used when appropriate.

For example, a student may write:

“I think my brother was being selfish when he refused to share his ice-cream with me.”

Let’s say this student goes to find synonyms for “selfish”, and he comes across the adjective “megalomaniac” on Google and wants to use it in his composition:

“I think my brother was being megalomaniac when he refused to share his ice-cream with me.”

However, the word “megalomaniac” refers to an obsessive desire for complete control and power, which is a bit of a stretch when used to refer to your brother who simply refused to share his ice-cream with you. It isn’t as though your brother is rampaging through cities as a Machiavellian dictator, aiming to gain total and complete control of Western Europe…

Although students may be tempted to sound “smart” when using fancy words with many syllables (incidentally, a word which can be used to describe words with many syllables is “hyperpolysyllabically”), students should bear in mind that context matters for certain words, and if students are just quoting words or phrases out of context, it could give a vastly different meaning than the student originally intended to, which may result in the opposite effect instead – examiners will know that you don’t know how to use that word.

Learn How to Write in a Coherent and Concise Manner With WR!TERS@WORK!

At WR!TERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your primary or secondary school child sitting for their English exam. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write, your child will be able to craft well-written essays in any genre with good grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

English tuition and writing courses are instrumental for students not only in school, but to prepare them for their future undertakings as good writing is a universal necessity. Enjoy a smoother learning process with WR!TERS@WORK as we reinforce your child’s language skills and provide them with a strong foundation for academic success. For more exam tips, parents and students can explore our website and watch our YouTube videos.

If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WR!TERS@WORK has expanded to 8 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WR!TERS@WORK.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. How Do I Find the Best English Tutor?

Firstly, research and ask around for good recommendations from family or friends. Next, research online and read the reviews of tuition centres to find suitable candidates. A good idea is to drop by the tuition centre and let your child experience a trial lesson to find a good tutor.

2. What is the Purpose of an English Tutor?

An English tutor is supposed to guide your child to their full potential in terms of mastering the English language. Different children have different skills and capabilities in their academics, and the job of the tutor is to identify strengths and weaknesses of the child and help them accordingly.

3. What Skills Should an English Tutor Have?

A tutor should have a discerning eye for strengths and weaknesses of the student, patience to deal with different students, the requisite qualifications and experience, and they should be up to date on the relevant changes in the Singaporean English syllabus.

4. What Are Some Important Skills in English?

The English language requires the understanding of simple rules such as grammatical rules and sentence structure. Moreover, it requires more complex skills such as inference and synthesis which come later on as the student progresses to more difficult exercises.

5. Which English Language Skills is Most Difficult?

Synthesis is one of the most difficult skills in the English language as it involves using present ideas to generate new opinions and viewpoints.

6. What is the Most Difficult Part of English Class?

The most difficult part of English class is to understand how to craft your own ideas from an existing body of work, and how all the individual parts of English – grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, clauses, etc. – fit together in an essay as a whole.