Post: #1

I don't know if it's a psychological thing and assuming that I'm not an english native speaker , I fail at using a strong vocab .

I genuinely believe that people using strong adjectives or nouns are well respected and people tend to listen actively to what they say .

When it comes to either speaking or writing , I am generally using common words and don't know exactly how to enhance this aspect .

Some fellow members here are just excellent in delivering great essays ; and discussing topics with some words , which I have to look for in the dictionnary and jot them down . On the other hand , when I'm sometimes tipsy I am surprised how these damn words come out and contribute to my argument .

Any thoughts ?

Post: #2

Having a larger vocabulary is certainly beneficial in writing and speaking. Your ability to convey ideas becomes deeper and you come across as more intelligent when speaking/writing.

Not being a native speaker certainly puts you at a disadvantage but using a thesaurus will help you discover other words that have the same or opposite meaning of simple words you currently use. Reading novels from authors who are skilled with the English language would also be a good idea. Reading in general is great for building your vocabulary.

Post: #3

Read, Read, Read.

Reading is the best way to improve your vocabulary. especially non fiction philosophy books. If you want to dive deep into the english language pulling out 48 laws of power or think and grow rich will not only give you insights for success, but also give you the language of true knowledge.

Also it is important that you tailor your vocabulary to who your speaking to. In the deep forum you would use different vocab than the travel and so on.

Overall, just keep it up. Learning in another language is difficult. I commend for that .

Post: #4

Read, read, read, read.

You will pick it up.

Watch movies too, as you will pick up context, tone, and pronunciation at the same time.

G

Post: #5

Read a lot. Read more highbrow publications, like the Economist or academic journals. Read classic literature.

Reading will build your vocabulary faster than anything else. I guess you could waste time "drilling" your vocabulary, but you'd spend your time more wisely reading.

Post: #6

+1 read, read read... especially old philosophy books, books from the 18th century and beyond.

Also, if you want to improve your vocabulary, copy (yes copy) by hand (pen and paper) lengthy passages from books with high-level writing. Writing something out by hand engages your brain much more than merely reading it.

This is a lot of additional work, but your results will be greater.

Post: #7

I used to be one of those guys who used big words all the time, but then I started to listen to great speakers and realized something very important.

Most of the greatest speakers and writers this world has ever seen write simply. They don't use big words unless they're necessary.

Read Bukowski. His writing style is very simple, but he keeps you glued to his books. Now go and read David Foster Wallace or Shakespeare. Beautiful, beautiful language but it's fucking boring.

Save yourself the effort and learn to tell better stories and to speak more logically instead of learning to use big words.

Post: #8

I've had acquaintances speculate that my diverse lexicon confounds the average person, rendering my loquaciousness self-defeating.

Post: #9

Write, Write, Write! Review, Discuss,
and Write some more!

I would learn how to read and write. Read Roosh. Hopefully you have read his books, but his books are very readable. In life, people who use big words do not get far. They sure don't make best seller lists. They are confined to the ivory towers of academia and Mensa.

I would recommend some books to look into: Writing Well by William Zinsser, Elements of Style by E.B White, and Writing that Works by Joel Raphaelson.
Once you've picked those books up. Practice, practice, practice. Just start a blog, and get your friends to review it and expand from there.

Post: #10

(08-05-2016 08:23 AM)Euphoric_Breeze Wrote:  I don't know if it's a psychological thing and assuming that I'm not an english native speaker , I fail at using a strong vocab .

Teacher of English as a Foreign Language here. Good for you for wanting to improve your communication skills in English.

My diagnosis: You don't need more vocabulary. Instead, you need to work on mastering the vocabulary you already have. That will have the greatest impact on your speaking and writing. For example, you have the wrong idea about what assume means. Check a dictionary for guidance on this common word.

Quote:When it comes to either speaking or writing , I am generally using common words and don't know exactly how to enhance this aspect .

Although it's not wrong to say enhance this aspect, this can strike readers as overly formal for a casual forum like this one. Matching the level of formality of your language to the setting is part of effective communication. In modern English, simple and direct language usually packs the biggest punch with readers. (Stylistic norms differ from one language to the next; French and Arabic may value a different style than English does.) There's also a grammar issue here: I am generally using common words. You have used present progressive, but you need simple present: I generally use ....

Finally, a punctuation issue: the end-of-sentence period (British English: full stop) properly goes immediately after the last word. You have an extra space in each case. I'm not sure if you're doing this deliberately, or if it's something that gets added by your editor, but it makes you look sloppy and/or uninformed about punctuation conventions in English.

Fix these types of problems and your communication in English will immediately improve. You want readers (and listeners) to focus on your ideas, not the words you use to express them.

Writing on a forum is a great way to practice. Good luck with your English.

Post: #11

Not necessarily a bad thing.

http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/poli...h/e_polit/

Quote:

• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
• Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Never use the passive where you can use the active.
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
  

I would advise that you learn the more obscure germanic words, though.
They can have a powerful effect.

This piece of dialogue is almost entirely germanic.

Quote: He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
Then goes he to the length of all his arm;
And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;
At last, a little shaking of mine arm
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
And end his being: that done, he lets me go:
And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Main exceptions are perusal, piteous, and profound, which have a more ornate sound but a less clear meaning.

Post: #12

I agree with Fortis. Its a gift when you can express things easy that everyone can understand them. Some people want to sound smart and bad ass because it make them feel superior.
I once read a quote: Those who can't explain what they do to a 40 year old housewife have mostly not understand what they do by themselves. Look how the big cooperations, banks and politicians speak. They talk a lot but have nothing to say.

English isn't also my native language but reading and writing helps a lot to improve the skills.

Post: #13

Thanks everyone for the valuable tips and recommendations.

@ El Flaco , I appreciate your analysis and some issues that you have raised, which are accurate such as the punctuation. The full stop issue wasn't deliberate , it's a mistake I've been making for quite a long time.

The main reason I want to expand my vocabulary is that, I will be soon giving presentations in the company I work for, and discuss our current results to the top management and associates from overseas.

Post: #14

I enjoy using big words in day to day speech.

However in my writing i do my best to keep it simple. You'll go farther with proper grammar than using big words.

Without giving away what i do, trade publishers discourage using big words often. I saw a manuscript once that looked like someone went through it in word, right clicked on random words, and went to synonyms.

It comes off as try hard to be honest. Use them sparingly.

Post: #15

(08-08-2016 04:38 AM)Euphoric_Breeze Wrote:  The main reason I want to expand my vocabulary is that, I will be soon giving presentations in the company I work for, and discuss our current results to the top management and associates from overseas.

In that case, study some presentations online and make notes of useful language that you could use in yours. Even though the industry may be totally different than yours, a lot of the key language will be common.

By the way, the pattern you want for DISCUSS here is: discuss + topic + WITH + person. For example: discuss our current results WITH top management (not TO).

Post: #16

As others have said, the only way to develop a big vocabulary that you can use appropriately is by reading as much as possible.

I mention appropriate use because unnecessarily convoluted sentence structures and the need to use big words where they aren't needed are both hallmarks of bad writers and lesser intellects. Good writing is always concise.

Post: #17

I understand why you might want a more powerful vocabulary. I can't help with always choosing the best word, because I'm not particularly articulate myself.

But I do know a few tricks for making more persuasive sentences out of whatever words you do feel comfortable using:

Speak accurately. Don't exaggerate. Avoid sarcasm, generalities, and words like "very" and "extremely". Think twice before using "absolute" words like "always", "never", "everybody", and "nobody". There are several reasons, one being that exaggerations cloud your own thinking, and another is so that you don't hand rivals the means to contradict what you say. For example, if you say NEVER, then you open the door to someone to challenge you if they can think of a single exception.

Similarly, don't tell people what you think someone else IS; tell them what he or she did: "My boss was SUCH a JERK in the meeting today!" -> "My boss criticized my report in front of my colleagues at the meeting".

Be mindful of substituting nouns for verbs. "A need exists for new leadership". --> "We need new leadership".

Think twice before attributing action to abstractions, or making fallacies of composition. "Great Britain dreamed of ruling the world".

Avoid using "must", "should", "have to", and other words or expressions for compulsion or obligation, when in fact you have a choice. "I need to lose weight'' -> "I want to lose weight". This type of word choice makes someone seem wishy-washy.

Consider if you can replace a verb + adverb with a more precise verb. "She ran quickly across the lawn" -> "She sprinted across the lawn".

Similarly with adjective + noun -> more precise noun.

Don't complain. Complaints don't really accomplish anything; they're just bids for pity, and they turn your problems into other people's problems. Either take action, or accept the situation.

That includes when you complain to the person who did you wrong. Instead of complaining, politely tell them what you want.

If a discussion starts turning into a debate, avoid the temptation to throw lots and lots of facts and reasons at someone else and hope that something sticks; it just gives them more and more possibilities to find fault. I've never heard someone tell me "I can't find any logical flaws in your argument, and your facts are objectively correct. Therefor, you must be right, whereas clearly I was wrong. Thank you for setting me straight". They don't really care if you're right or wrong, nor are they interested in listening to you except to find fault. They care about their own offended vanity. You can often avoid that situation by finding out other people's opinions first, before expressing your own.

Good luck.

Post: #18

Well a strong vocabulary is only truly important in some respects. It's more about tone and changing up conventional speaking patterns. If you're going to change up your speaking patterns or vocabulary to leave more of an impression in this way. It's about using words that the average person will recognize, but using them differently.

I'm a bit of a dandy so I like to adopt slang and co-opt words where I create my own denotations. As many know who know me in real life I use the word cheers as a catch all term for goodbyes, hellos, toasts, etc. I also express thanks in an unconventional way that would be the same as outing myself if I posted it here. The words cunt, banter, and mate are also important parts of my vocabulary as well even though I don't sound English worth shit.

That's really about it, and other than what I do the only way I can see it as others are saying in this thread is that it's better to work on other things rather than vocabulary.

Post: #19

A good advice I found: Think complicated thoughts, but express them in simple words wherever possible.