Words Matter. How Can We Develop Our Vocabulary?
And why we should do it
Writers know that choosing the right words is essential for their writing and for the impact their work can have. We can use many words, phrases and constructions to express the same idea, but not all the choices will generate the same impact on our readers. As writers, we are often faced with the struggle of finding the words that can help us convey an idea accurately and that can also captivate the reader and keep the fluency of the text. It is true that we can get creative and invent words in fictional writing — for dadaist poets it was a common practice to do so — but we cannot rely on this technique, especially in non-fiction writing. We can, though, rely on vocabulary and on improving it if we want to create better stories, better writing and better communication.
As a non-native English speaker, I realized how important words are whenever I consciously tried to develop my vocabulary. This also made me realize how the acquisition of new vocabulary is more effective when it is done naturally, by being exposed to the language. But when I started writing in English, I understood this was not enough and that in order to improve my writing skills, I needed to dig deeper in the world of words.
Read more non-fiction
There is a strong link between reading and language acquisition. The more you read, the more you are exposed to new words and phrases and this is definitely beneficial for writers. The issue is that if we read the same things, we will be exposed to the same — or similar — vocabulary, language constructions, phrases and expressions. One thing that I found to be particularly helpful was reading non-fiction. The point is not to simply learn new words that you might not even use because they are not related to the subjects you are interested in, but to discover new approaches and ways of expressing ideas. Reading the instructions for your washing machine might not be very helpful for developing your writing skills but reading history, philosophy or the newest research on language acquisition can expose you to new techniques, words and phrases that will improve your writing skills. For example, you can learn new words and see them in a context, which helps you remember them better and for longer periods. The concise and accurate character of non-fictional texts will help you compose a structure for your own work. You can find new connecting words that you can use to link phrases, to draw conclusions or to simply expose your ideas. The important part is that you can learn all these things by simply reading subjects that you enjoy so it will not feel like an exercise, but it will definitely help you write better.
Don’t be afraid to check for synonyms
My first articles were in my native language, Romanian, and whenever I finished writing a text I had the habit of reading it aloud. Whenever I did that I noticed that I was repeating certain words throughout the text and this made it tiresome for readers. Another problem with the repetition was that the power of certain words — essential for the meaning of the text — was diminished. One of my first articles was about trauma and my excessive use of the word made it lose its impact. I decided that I could check for synonyms to replace trauma in certain sentences and only use this word when it was necessary for the message I wanted to express. Fortunately, languages have rich vocabularies and there are multiple options for expressing or describing the same thing. My advice is to check for synonyms whenever you feel you are using the same word too much. It will help you learn new words and create powerful content.
Engage in conversations
Writing is a process which our brain can easily detect. When we write we can lose spontaneity in expression because we are too focused on finding the right words. This might keep us closed in a loop in which our brains go to the same known places, based on previous experiences. Conversations offer little time to compose the best answer and force us to make connections faster. Through this method we can discover words stocked in our memory and bring them back to life. It is a spontaneous thinking exercise, a way to boost our brain’s power and communication capacities and in the end, beneficial for writing.
Write and then… write some more
There are many methods that help us develop our vocabulary. But for writers the most essential exercise is to write. This is the best way to observe the aspects where our writing is weak and to find out where it loses its flow. Whether the issue is with repetitions or words that are too simple, too posh or merely unsuitable for what we want to say. The best way to discover, repair and finally prevent these aspects is by writing more. With every new article, book or poem, we have the chance to evolve, to refine our style and to help our minds progress. By using new words in your work, you truly learn their meaning and your vocabulary is not only larger, but also stronger.
From the moment we are born we are exposed to communication. As we grow, our mind has the ability to understand words, stock them and use them when needed. While for our basic needs we do not need a rich vocabulary, our humanity has evolved in such a way that we do not use communication only for survival purposes, but in so many other contexts. This means that our vocabulary has also evolved to help us define, debate and explain the world around us and the world inside us. However, while vocabularies keep extending, our human capacity to acquire vocabulary is limited, and with age, it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new words. But this does not mean that we are stuck with the same vocabulary. It might be difficult, but we have methods to develop our vocabulary, consciously or unconsciously, and as long as we keep on being curious, results will come.
We need to be honest and understand our limitations, but also be courageous and use all available resources in order to create content that people enjoy reading. But most importantly, we need to enjoy this process and find a balance in our written language so that the ideas that we want to spread are not lost between words inappropriately used.
