A Word a Day Keeps Your Mind at Play

As the final, (and one day late) post in the theme on digital learning tools I share a simple yet powerful one.

One of the most powerful tools in our learning toolbox is vocabulary.  Having a broader, deeper and bigger vocabulary correlates with intelligence, communication effectiveness, thinking prowess and success.  When we know more words we are able to think in more nuanced ways.  When we have a broader vocabulary we can share ideas more specifically and effectively.

I'm not suggesting we expand our vocabulary in order to impress people or "throw some words around", but rather that when we expand our vocabulary (and any reader of Rosa's work should understand this quickly) we enable new ways to think and interact with the world around us.

So, I've quickly given you the case for an expanded vocabulary, and there are a variety of ways to make that expansion happen.  Readers Digest has famously given readers a way to Increase Your Word Power for many years.  There are in numerous books on vocabulary building in any bookstore (often including some in the very discounted remainder area).

But this post is about digital tools you are thinking - so let me share the two I use.

A Word a Day.  Each day more than 600,000 people receive an email from Wordsmith.org.  That text email shares a word of the day (big surprise), history, usages and an example in a sentence.  Often the words for a week will follow some kind of theme.    This week's theme is words derived from the names of mythical creatures.   Today's word?I've been a reader for many years (I'm guessing far beyond ten) and I love the service.  I don't remember every word and some of the words are a bit academic and obscure - and while they are all interesting, they don't all lend themselves to frequent usage.  This is why I also read,

sphinx (sfingks) noun - A mysterious, inscrutable person.

Another word from this week?

argus (AHR-guhs) noun - An alert and observant person; a watchful guardian.

Will I believe I can use these words in conversation or written communication in the coming days?  Absolutely!

Daily PowerWord.  Produced by Success.bz these words tend to be a bit more practical at times.   A recent example?

Credible (KRED-uh-buhl) adj. - believable

Which leads to my next point.  Sometimes you will know the word (with either service). This is actually great!  How many times during a day do you read an email that reinforces your intelligence?

Seriously, there will be days when you know the word you receive from one of these services (or another of their like-minded brethren), and that is one reason I subscribe to two different services.

Reading the words each day is valuable, taking these tools, like many we've learned about this month, and applying them to our lives is another thing.  These services do a great job of leading you to the trough of greater vocabulary - it is our opportunity then to drink of those words, use them and make them a part of our vocabulary and our lives.
~ Kevin Eikenberry

Kevin Eikenberry is an author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group - a learning consulting company.  He is also the author of Remarkable Leadership - Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One SKill at a Time. You can read his blogs here and here.

More from Kevin here at JJL.

You can get published on Joyful Jubilant Learning too! ~~~ May Details here

Comments

[Rosa Say]

Thank goodness you are an argus for us Kev!

This is a great observation and very cool thought --- "How many times during a day do you read an email that reinforces your intelligence?"

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on what the number of words known by an average person is? I suppose there would have to be some contextual separation... by age and language perhaps... still, I bet the number would be surprisingly impressive!

Being reminded of what we know is a great service by an app like Daily PowerWord, because it does pull from the recesses of our minds into more current practice and repeated use. Tremendous for writers needing to interject more variety into their publishing while still remaining "in voice."

[Steve Sherlock]

Thoughts become words and if we don't know the word that defines the concept, and can't create one, we can not share our thoughts. Building vocabulary is a good thing. It allows us to expand our thoughts and to enjoy a more fruitful conversation. And we all know the joy of a good conversation!

Thanks Kevin!

[Chris Owen]

Oo Kevin!
Such a simple but useful take on digital learning. I'd never heard of Word A Day so I've signed up!
Thanks for that last minute gift!

[Angela Maiers]

Kevin,
Fantabulous post! (I made that word up!) Have you seen this site? Visuwords.com? A dream for word lovers like us!