What is the quickest way to build academic vocabulary"

Question

Standardized exams are vocabulary tests!

Answer 1

Reading and flashcards. You dont even have to read novels per se, you can read news articles, blog posts, journals, etc. When you inevitably come across a word that you are unfamiliar with do the following: 1) look for context clues 2) see if you can recognize roots in any part of the word i.e latin 3) based upon steps 1 and 2, make an educated guess. After that you can look it up. If you were spot on, kudos, you already have a good understanding of language and semantics! See what some synonyms are that you already use so you can build familiarity with this new word you just learned. Keep doing this for as long as can read. If you were close, assess what brought you to the conclusion you made, is it generalizable? What can you apply from this assesment going forward. Again, what are some familiar synonyms for you to help keep this word in rotation. Step 4 is most important: Practice it in conversation or formal writing. If someone looks at you weird or says they dont know that word, now is your opportunity to share what you learned and really solidy your own knowledge.