How To Add New Words To Your Vocabulary

Summary

The speaker addresses the challenge of expanding vocabulary and improving word retention. They present a model showing the difference between surface and deep lexicons, where most commonly used words reside in the surface lexicon, while rarely used words are stored deeper. To shift words into more frequent use, they suggest three solutions: vocal repetition, pausing to access deeper vocabulary, and associating words with visual or contextual cues. These strategies aim to help individuals integrate new vocabulary into daily speech and improve articulation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Learning new words and becoming more articulate is a challenging process, especially with poor memory retention.
• 📊 Everyone has a recognition vocabulary (RV), often referred to as their lexicon, which consists of about 35,000 words for an average adult English speaker.
• 🔄 Your recognition vocabulary is divided into two parts: surface lexicon (frequently used words) and deep lexicon (recognized but less frequently used words).
• 📌 The surface lexicon contains roughly 1,500 words and makes up about 90% of the words used daily.
• 📚 The deep lexicon includes words that you recognize but do not default to using in everyday speech, such as 'savory' or 'gourmet.'
• ⚙️ One way to move words from the deep lexicon to the surface lexicon is through frequent usage—research suggests it takes about 38 uses to internalize a new word.
• ⏳ Giving yourself more time to think before speaking helps to access your deep lexicon and choose more descriptive words.
• 💡 Creating a heuristic, such as associating a word with visual images or contexts, helps improve word recall and usage in conversation.
• 🧠 Using mental associations or scenarios tied to specific words can enhance their accessibility in speech.
• 🔍 Visualizing or associating three images with a new word can be particularly effective in embedding it into your memory for regular use.

Q & A

What is a recognition vocabulary (RV)?

Recognition vocabulary (RV), also known as your lexicon, refers to the set of words you recognize and understand. For the average adult native English speaker, it consists of roughly 35,000 words.

How is the recognition vocabulary divided?

The recognition vocabulary is divided into two parts: the surface lexicon, which consists of about 1,500 words used frequently in everyday speech, and the deep lexicon, which includes words you recognize but don’t typically use as first-choice descriptors.

What is the surface lexicon?

The surface lexicon is the set of approximately 1,500 words that you use most frequently, making up around 90% of your daily speech. These include commonly overused words like 'good,' 'great,' and 'amazing.'

What is the deep lexicon?

The deep lexicon consists of words you recognize but don’t use regularly in conversation. While these words are known to you, they aren't your first choice when describing something, as they are used less frequently and are stored deeper in your vocabulary.

Why do people tend to overuse certain words in their surface lexicon?

People tend to overuse words in their surface lexicon due to habit and ease. These words have strong neural connections and are readily accessible, making them default choices in conversation, even if more descriptive or expressive words exist.

What is the problem with learning new words like 'insulated'?

New words like 'insulated' typically go straight into your deep lexicon and are not used frequently enough in speech to become part of your surface lexicon. This makes them harder to recall and employ in daily conversations.

What are the three solutions suggested for moving words from deep lexicon to surface lexicon?

The three solutions are: (1) vocal repetition—using a word roughly 38 times in different contexts, (2) pausing to give yourself more time to access deeper vocabulary, and (3) creating visual heuristics or mental associations to help recall the word more easily.

Why does vocal repetition help in assimilating new words?

Vocal repetition helps because it reinforces the neural pathways associated with the word, making it easier to access and use in future conversations. Repeating a word in unique and appropriate contexts approximately 38 times helps to integrate it into your surface lexicon.

How does pausing before speaking improve word recall?

Pausing before speaking gives your brain more time to search through your deep lexicon, allowing you to retrieve more precise, expressive words rather than defaulting to surface-level vocabulary.

What is a heuristic, and how does it aid in memorizing words?

A heuristic is a visual or contextual association you create with a word to aid in memorization. For instance, linking the word 'savory' to images of food like steak can help you recall the word more easily when describing flavors.