Learning to read is not a job designed for teachers and tutors alone. It’s innate, just like every other developmental stage such as speech, culture, walking etc.
I remember how my mom would make my uncle read the caption on the news before it goes off. It taught him speed and comprehension.Also, back in the days when we used to have a stall at Aswani market, after a very hectic day of buying and selling, we would be inside the public transport and my mom would make me read all the signposts and billboards.She would always tell me that whenever I am lost, all I need to do is read the sign post for directions. This was way before Google maps became a thing.
To improve your vocabulary, you need to read anything and everything you come across in the language you are trying to improve on. What I mean to say is, if you are trying to be fluent in Igbo Language, pick up an Igbo book or newspaper or anything that is written in igbo. The best way to learn a language is by immersion, so spend most of your time surrounded by that language. I recall one of the things I learnt from my now deceased principal, Pa Gazal, he told us that if we want to make our english better, we need to think in english. The trick is, when you think in english, you will speak better english.
Another way to improve your vocabulary is to ‘Read to Review’. I will buttress my point with a little story. A friend of mine who is a well-known journalist once told me that he reads twice whenever it comes to a book. The first time is for the pleasure of reading while the second time is for the pleasure of review. I can’t help but to agree with the sense behind his reasoning. When you read to review, you take out words that are alien to your vocabulary, write them out, check them up in a dictionary and if you want to go the extra mile, have a journal where you create a sentence out of the new words you just learnt. This was one of the practices we were taught back in primary school. We would be given an exercise to write out a new word, and use that new word in a sentence. This really helped me fall in love with not justreading but also writing while helping to expand my vocabulary.
It’s one thing to have a book full of vocabulary, it’s another thing to check them out regularly, bringing me to my next point – reviewing your vocabulary notes regularly. The human brain has the capacity of remembering only 20-25% of what we learn which is why you have to be intentional about being consistent in your reviews. Use them as often as you can so that they can effortlessly mingle with your other overused words. Another way to review your vocabulary is to teach them to others, no wonder Phil Collins said and i quote “In learning, you will teach and in teaching, you will learn”
Lastly, play word games. We have them in cards and in apps. Whichever one is your preference, make it your go-to game and see how your word base will increase. Next time, we are going to be discussing types of word games, their advantages and disadvantages. If you have any question, contribution or concern, kindly reach out to me at 08132836284 (WhatsApp chat only). See you next time! Aisha Adebola Ademigbuji
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