How's your vocabulary?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Melling

32,000 and odds. Mmmm. What shocked me about this test was the number of words I'd never even seen before. Hey, I don't want to sound like Big Brother or anything but I reckon we could ditch of few of those from the English language...or would that be ungood?

Words are just words. Their purpose is communication and to help us internalize our understanding of the world. When used correctly, this works. We don't use $10 words when talking with an 6-year old child because there won't be any communication going on. By the same token, a cosmologist can use $20 words when talking with another cosmologist. They will both understand and communication takes place.

Then there are folks who use words to intimidate others, deliberately choosing words they know the other won't understand, then belittling them because they don't! Should we eliminate the words or eliminate the people who use them for the wrong purpose?


Stitchawl

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Melling

32,000 and odds. Mmmm. What shocked me about this test was the number of words I'd never even seen before. Hey, I don't want to sound like Big Brother or anything but I reckon we could ditch of few of those from the English language...or would that be ungood?

English never ditches words. They just get classed as archaic.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Melling

Hey, I don't want to sound like Big Brother or anything but I reckon we could ditch of few of those from the English language...or would that be ungood?

Double bad ungood

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Should we eliminate the words or eliminate the people who use them for the wrong purpose?

The people, the people! (got to stop reading Dexter books...)

[jocampo]

Got a new challenge for myself ... ...

Learning 5 new words or expressions each day, after reading a non fiction book. I found my iPad 2 being better for that, but of course, a piece of paper and pencil will work.

Because English is my second language, finding new words is very common when reading non technical books, which is my main area or working skills.

Started with "Ghost in the Wires", really good book, by the way. Read it already. Going to read again and start writing down new vocabulary.

[TDF]

21500 for me. English is a second language for me (although I do live in an English-speaking country).

[beppe]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Got a new challenge for myself ... ...

Learning 5 new words or expressions each day, after reading a non fiction book. I found my iPad 2 being better for that, but of course, a piece of paper and pencil will work.

Because English is my second language, finding new words is very common when reading non technical books, which is my main area or working skills.

Started with "Ghost in the Wires", really good book, by the way. Read it already. Going to read again and start writing down new vocabulary.

This makes me remember an English teacher we had in high school. Mr. Roberts, a kind, elegant and very determined American. He explained us how easily and effortlessly he had learned Italian: 5 or 10 words every day. All here, he said patting is well groomed head, in my ass. Good reaction from the class.

Than there is the joke, a joke this time, of the Teuton that goes to the emergency in an Italian hospital and ask that they remove his testicles. Your testicules? Yeah, are you deaf? I said it very clearly, testicles, hurry up. He wakes up in his hospital bed, feeling a bit confused and dizzy, almost home sick, heimwehkrank. Nurse comes in and inquires how he feels about not having his testicles any more. He pales. Testicles? Oh nooo! He bang his head, hemorrhoids was the word.

[Kevin8or]

32,500 words, about right for my age. I'm impressed by the vocabularies of the mobilereads non-native English speakers. If you're above 10k, you're well above average.

Originally Posted by The Terminator

I really like the Dictionary for my Kobo Touch, now when I see and odd word I just look it up.

Before my e-reader, I'd reach for the dictionary for perhaps 25% of the words I didn't know? Now, I click for the definition of nearly every unfamiliar word. I love the instant dictionary.

Originally Posted by beppe

He explained us how easily and effortlessly he had learned Italian: 5 or 10 words every day. All here, he said patting is well groomed head, in my ass. Good reaction from the class.

I just re-told this story. Got a good laugh. Thanks.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Kevin8or

I'm impressed by the vocabularies of the mobilereads non-native English speakers. If you're above 10k, you're well above average.

I only wish I could use 1/10 of mine when I speak