Building a Better Vocabulary

Overview

Improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills with this engaging course that will teach you new words and strengthen your confidence in your vocabulary.

What is the difference between specious and spurious? What does the word bombast have to do with cushion stuffing? Would you want to be called a snollygoster? The hallmark of a powerful vocabulary is not simply knowing many words; rather, it’s knowing the exact word to use in a specific context or situation. A great vocabulary can enhance your speaking, writing, and even thinking skills.

This course will boost your vocabulary, whether you want to enhance your personal lexicon, write or speak more articulately in professional settings, or advance your knowledge of the English language. For anyone who has ever grasped for the perfect word at a particular moment, this course provides a research-based and enjoyable method for improving your vocabulary.

Building a Better Vocabulary offers an intriguing look at the nuts and bolts of English, teaches you the etymology and morphology—or the history and structure—of words, and delves into the cognitive science behind committing new words to long-term memory. By the end of the 36 enjoyable lectures, you will have a practical framework for continuing to build your vocabulary by discovering new words and fully mastering the nuances of familiar ones.

Course Structure

1. Five Principles for Learning Vocabulary
   Duration: 33 min
   Explore the cognitive science behind effective vocabulary learning through five core principles.
2. The Spelling-Meaning Connection
   Duration: 31 min
   Unlock the English language’s morphological system and learn to create a vocabulary notebook.
3. Words for Lying, Swindling, and Conniving
   Duration: 30 min
   Build your vocabulary with words that describe deceitful behavior and their nuances.
4. Words That Express Annoyance and Disgust
   Duration: 32 min
   Discover words that describe irritating behaviors and the differences between similar terms.
5. Fighting Words and Peaceful Words
   Duration: 31 min
   Explore vocabulary related to conflict and harmony, including key Latin roots.
6. Going Beyond Dictionary Meanings
   Duration: 32 min
   Learn strategies to reinforce your vocabulary knowledge and improve recall.
7. Wicked Words
   Duration: 32 min
   Generate vocabulary related to negativity using the Latin prefix mal.
8. Words for Beginnings and Endings
   Duration: 32 min
   Distinguish between various terms for inexperience and endings.
9. Words Expressing Fear, Love, and Hatred
   Duration: 32 min
   Study vocabulary related to emotions, including fear and love.
10. Words for the Everyday and the Elite
    Duration: 30 min
    Explore vocabulary that describes both common and high-class situations.
11. Words from Gods and Heroes
    Duration: 32 min
    Learn vocabulary inspired by Greek and Roman mythology.
12. Humble Words and Prideful Words
    Duration: 34 min
    Explore words that describe humility and arrogance.
13. High-Frequency Greek and Latin Roots
    Duration: 32 min
    Enhance your ability to identify Latin and Greek roots in unfamiliar words.
14. Words Relating to Belief and Trust
    Duration: 33 min
    Discover vocabulary that pertains to trust and belief systems.
15. Words for the Way We Talk
    Duration: 34 min
    Study words that describe different speaking styles and their origins.
16. Words for Praise, Criticism, and Nonsense
    Duration: 32 min
    Explore vocabulary that describes various forms of communication.
17. Eponyms from Literature and History
    Duration: 32 min
    Learn about words inspired by historical figures and literary characters.
18. Thinking, Teaching, and Learning Words
    Duration: 31 min
    Examine how children acquire language and how this knowledge can aid vocabulary learning.
19. Words for the Diligent and the Lazy
    Duration: 32 min
    Discover vocabulary that describes work ethic and effort.
20. Words That Break and Words That Join
    Duration: 30 min
    Explore vocabulary related to division and unity.
21. Some High-Utility Greek and Latin Affixes
    Duration: 29 min
    Learn about useful affixes that can enhance your vocabulary.
22. Cranky Words and Cool Words
    Duration: 30 min
    Study words that describe various temperaments and personalities.
23. Words for Courage and Cowardice
    Duration: 32 min
    Examine vocabulary related to bravery and fear.
24. Reviewing Vocabulary through Literature
    Duration: 33 min
    Test your knowledge by relating learned words to literary characters.
25. Words for Killing and Cutting
    Duration: 31 min
    Explore vocabulary related to violence and division.
26. A Vocabulary Grab Bag
    Duration: 31 min
    Engage with a variety of words that don’t fit into other categories.
27. Words for Words
    Duration: 30 min
    Study terms that describe language and communication.
28. Specialty Words for Language
    Duration: 30 min
    Discover specialized vocabulary related to linguistics.
29. Nasty Words and Nice Words
    Duration: 30 min
    Explore vocabulary that describes positive and negative traits.
30. Words for the Really Big and the Very Small
    Duration: 32 min
    Learn vocabulary that describes size and scale.
31. Spelling as a Vocabulary Tool
    Duration: 32 min
    Understand how spelling can aid in vocabulary acquisition.
32. A Medley of New Words
    Duration: 30 min
    Review and learn new vocabulary through engaging examples.
33. Building Vocabulary through Games
    Duration: 30 min
    Reinforce your vocabulary knowledge with fun games and activities.
34. Words English Borrowed and Never Returned
    Duration: 30 min
    Explore the origins of borrowed words in the English language.
35. More Foreign Loan Words
    Duration: 29 min
    Continue studying foreign words that have become part of English.
36. Forgotten Words and Neologisms
    Duration: 35 min
    Discover words that have fallen out of use and new words entering the language.