Like any other worthwhile endeavor, vocabulary improvement is an ongoing process that takes time, effort, and determination. You’ll find that you have to motivate yourself sometimes to keep up with a regular study routine. You might also find that you’re having trouble making progress, but unable to figure out why you’re stalled and not moving forward. If you’re stuck, don’t give up; instead, take a look at your study program and see if you can come up with a diagnosis of what’s going wrong.
Knowing the root of a problem is the first step in solving it. The ancient Greek word gignoskein (meaning “to know, to learn”) forms the last half of the word diagnosis, which makes clear the connection between knowledge of a problem and finding its solution. A diagnosis is the process of identifying a problem by studying the symptoms or results of that problem. Most of the time you’ll see the word used in a medical setting; a doctor will look at the symptoms of a patient (rash, fever, chills, etc.) and diagnose what’s wrong with them. You can do the same thing if you’re sick of studying vocabulary – once you pinpoint the specific issues, you’ll be able to come up with a remedy. Here are some possibilities:
You’re not learning any new words from the things you’re reading. There are two possible problems here, and both are easy to fix. First, make sure you’re picking books from a variety of genres and sources. The best way to find new words is to read about new topics. For example, if you always read business journals, pick up a history book or a novel instead. The second thing to check is whether you’re challenging yourself enough with what you read. You might have reached a plateau where you’re reading things that don’t use vocabulary at the next level up. Look for more difficult texts and/or ones on more complex subjects.
You’re having difficulty learning new words. Here’s where you need to ask the types of specific questions you might get from a doctor, because you’ll need to isolate exactly what the problem is before you can fix it. What’s the aspect of vocabulary study that’s slowing you down? Are you having issues with learning how to pronounce words? Is a word’s spelling always the hard part for you, making you spend extra time with each word before you can move on? Do you find that you confuse word definitions, and can’t remember what definition goes with which word? Take each of these issues one by one and work on ways to improve your skills in those areas. One advantage of using a software system like Ultimate Vocabulary is that it has exercises that target each of these aspects of vocabulary study.
You’re just tired of focusing on vocabulary improvement. That’s an easy one to fix: go ahead and take a break! Unless you’re up against a fixed deadline (like the test date for the SAT or GRE, perhaps) there’s no reason you can’t just relax for a bit. Try some of the low-impact study options like a “word of the day” calendar, read for fun, do crossword puzzles and other word-related games, or watch a foreign movie with subtitles. Vocabulary words are all around you, and you don’t have to work hard all the time to concentrate on them.
Feeling better now?
