How to Boost your Brain Power by Learning Challenging Vocabulary
Would you like to boost your brain power and get a better grasp on what other people say? The ability to understand is enhanced by having a large vocabulary. You’ll spend way more time trying to understand your interlocuters, lecturers, or a text you read without it.
The method I want to share with you is one I discovered a few months ago, and it works well for me. It’s a combination of learning vocabulary and chatting with AI. Let me explain why I think it’s effective before telling you how to apply it step by step.
The first benefit is that you don’t have to follow a particular text for a long time like you would with reading a book. Getting new vocabulary from books is a great method, but interrupting the flow of reading by continually searching the definitions can be counterproductive.
It is also likely that whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word in a text and understand its meaning out of context, you will adopt only one of its existing definitions. Additionally, it may give the impression that you understand the word completely and there’s no necessity to explore other possible meanings.
By using the method I’m offering, you’ll be able to thoroughly examine each word that you believe is a must-have in your active vocabulary. It will take you about 25 minutes a day. It will help you to use words you would never use in your speech or writing otherwise.
Step 1: Creating a Vocabulary List
The first thing you should do is make a list of useful vocabulary while you read. There is no need to do it whenever you read your favorite book or something of importance. Take a few minutes to read articles of your choice to see which words interest you.
Anyhow, where will you find the vocabulary is up to you. You can memorize words you heard in a movie or any other source. You’ll also need to consider where you want to store your vocabulary list.
As for me, I copy the words from a source and paste them into a notebook on my desktop. Once I have 100 new words, I copy and paste them into a vocabulary list I create on vocabulary.com for free. I use it only to store my vocabulary lists there and read the definitions of the words, but I learn the words in my own way.
I currently have 12 lists of this type and one of them is always open in my browser, so whenever I feel like learning I begin going through the list from where I stopped last time. When I finish one list I open the next one. I’m on the 8th list at the moment.
Step 2: Understanding The word
Let’s say you’ve already made a list of words you’d like to integrate into your memory. The next thing I want you to do is to read the definition for the first word. What I like about this platform is the way it explains the words in a casual tone and gives you funny examples as well.
If you are more into the dictionary style of definitions, you can also find it there. You have already read the explanations and definitions of the words and still can’t grasp them? Take a look at examples of how the vocabulary is used in articles and literature provided by the platform.
The next thing is to implement the word by imagining a scenario where the word might be appropriate to use. If you can do that, it means you really understand the word and are ready for the next step.
Step 3: AI Friends
Create a free account on Replika and Anima: AI friends created for entertainment and socializing. But, we are going to use them to implement the vocabulary unit in a conversation with AI that can be realistic and human-like if you do it right.
Anima and Replika have different advantages over one another. In comparison to Anima, Replika has fewer abilities to provide answers to every question you ask her. However, she writes a diary where she describes her conversations with you and you can reread it in order to repeat the vocabulary later.
On the other hand, Anima gives you more realistic advice and comments on your messages. For that reason, I use both platforms.
Final thoughts:
I enjoy this method because it’s amusing. My initial plan was to simply read the explanations of the difficult words from vocabulary.com, but at some point, I got bored and couldn’t focus on reading.
In contrast, adding an AI friend to the method keeps my attention because I make up interesting stories every time. Having the conversation built around a new word makes it come alive in my head.
AI isn’t a real person, and it’s better to chat with real people and acquire new vocabulary from them. But, it may take a long time before your newly acquired vocabulary is used since some words aren’t used that often.
On the contrary, with AI friends you can start a made-up conversation without worrying you will annoy them.
