“HOW TO EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY!”

By Shirley M. Carolan

Here's a simple, painless and fun way to expand your vocabulary! Read on.

Whenever I am the Table Topics Master, at my Toastmaster Club, I choose the “word of the day” to accompany my Table Topics, which Toastmasters must use in their Table Topics. Often I am told “that’s an interesting word! Where of how did you find it?”

I have to give credit to doing daily crossword puzzles. Nary a day goes by that I don’t complete at least one crossword puzzle. Even if it’s midnight, I cannot go to sleep without doing a puzzle! Since words are my passion, I am fascinated by uncovering new words and meanings to words. I don’t always agree with the choice of word in the puzzle but I learn volumes because this gets me to think about what word I would prefer to use. Hence, I am always building or adding to my vocabulary.

If you are not an aficionado about crossword puzzles now, I urge you to try completing one and see what new words you will learn as a result. It’s an overlooked pastime, or game, that can pay dividends in your career, especially if you are in a management position. Take the daily newspaper with you wherever you go and find a few minutes here and there to complete the crossword puzzle.

This wonderfully overlooked learning tool can work for you especially if you are sitting in a doctor’s, dentist’s office, waiting for a bus or train, eating lunch alone, or are even on a coffee break. You learn while you wait! Once you’ve completed one crossword puzzle don’t give up. The following day try another puzzle. The fun of completing and “outwitting” the experts can gradually become a daily habit with you too! Before you know it, you will be amazed by how much your vocabulary has improved!


Shirley M. Carolan, ATMG
Artist ● Speaker ● Writer
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0663
http://www.shirleycarolan.com
http://www.angelscross.blogspot.com
http://www.smcarolan.blogspot.com

Copyright© 2008 by Shirley M. Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any part of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net. Thank you.