Here's some advice:
1. Break the task down. Don't try to learn all the words at once. Try to learn a few a day.
2. Look for opportunities to use the words you are learning. Use them in sentences. Look for them in the reading you are doing. Nothing helps you learn new vocabulary faster than using it.
3. Make connections. The worst way to learn vocabulary is to memorize. After all, I'm betting you don't remember many of the words you learned in such vocabulary exercises in earlier schooling. Instead of memorization, make connections between the new vocabulary and that which you already know. Look up synonymys using a thesaurus. Use the new vocabulary in sentences.
Here's the textbook's advice from pages 42-6:
Building Your Vocabulary Through
Your vocabulary is an important asset, both in college and in the workplace. Words are the vehicles or building blocks with which you express ideas both in speech and in writing. A strong vocabulary identifies you as a learned, educated person as well as an effective communicator.
Figuring Out Unfamiliar Words
One of the best ways to improve your vocabulary is to read! Reading essays, by both professional and student authors, is an excellent way to build your vocabulary. As you read them, you will encounter words that you can use to expand your vocabulary. Use the “Strengthening Your Vocabulary” exercise that follows each reading to learn new words in the reading. You may also encounter other words in the reading that are unfamiliar to you or you may come upon uncommon uses for words you already know. As you find words that you want to make part of your writing vocabulary, circle or highlight them as you read, mark them with a sticky tab labeled “Vocabulary,” and use the tips on page 43 to learn their meanings. Notice that the first step is not what you expect, which would be to look words up in a dictionary.
In addition to adding words to your vocabulary, you can also learn creative and interesting ways to use language. As you read, look for the following:
1. Euphemisms These are words that hide or disguise the importance, reality, or seriousness of something. (Ladies’ room is a euphemism for toilet; “victim of friendly fire” is a euphemism for a soldier shot by his or her own troops.)
2. Connotative meanings Words have shades of meaning called connotations. These are the emotional associations that accompany words for some readers. The word “mother” has many connotative meanings. For some it means a warm, loving, caregiver. For others it may suggest a strict disciplinarian.
3. Jargon Jargon is specialized terminology used in a particular field of study. Football has its own jargon: linebackers, kick off, touchdown, etc. Academic disciplines also have their own language (psychology: drive, motivation, stressor).
4. Foreign words and phrases Many Latin, French, and Spanish words have entered our language and are used as if they are part of our language. Here are a few examples:
Aficionado (Spanish) someone enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something
Et cetera (Latin)—and so forth
Faux pas (French)—embarrassing social blunder
Guerilla (Spanish)—freedom fighter
Status quo (Latin)—the way things are, an existing state of affairs
Tête-à-tête (French)—a private conversation between two people
• Figurative language Figurative language consists of words and phrases that make sense creatively or imaginatively but not literally. The expression “The exam was a piece of cake” means, creatively, that the exam was easy, as eating cake is easy. But the exam did not literally resemble a cake. You will learn more about figurative language in Chapter 4, p. 102.
• Neologisms Neologisms are new words that have recently entered our language. As technology and society change, new words are created. Here are a few examples: blogs (Web logs or diaries), spamming (sending unwanted e-mail to someone), and egosurfing (searching online for information about yourself.)
Exercise 2-11
Directions: For the professional reading you chose in Exercise 2-4, list any words for which you did not know the meaning. For each word listed, write the meaning and indicate what method you used to figure it out (context, words parts, or dictionary).
Word Meaning Method
1. _______________ _______________ _______________
2. _______________ _______________ _______________
3. _______________ _______________ _______________
Using Word Mapping
Word mapping is a visual method of expanding your vocabulary. It involves examining a word in detail by considering its meanings, synonyms (words similar in meaning), antonyms (words opposite in meaning), part(s) of speech, word parts, and usages. A word map is a form of word study. By the time you have completed the map, you will find that you have learned the word and are ready to use it in your speech and writing.
On the following page is a sample map for the word “intercepted.”
Use the following steps in completing a word map:
1. When you find a word you don’t know, locate the entry for the word in a dictionary. Write the sentence in which the word appeared at the top of the map. Figure out which meaning fits the context and write it in the box labeled “Meaning (as used in reading).” Fill in the word’s part of speech as used in this context.
2. Study the dictionary entry to discover other meanings of the word. Fill those in on the map in the box labeled “Other Meanings.”
3. Find or think of two synonyms (words similar in meaning). You might need to use a thesaurus for this.
4. Write two sentences using the word.
5. Analyze the word’s parts. Identify any prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Write the word part and its meaning in the box labeled “Word Parts.”
6. In the box labeled “Other,” include any other interesting information about the word. You might include antonyms, restrictive meanings, or the word’s history or derivation).
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