Does Vocabulary Increase Comprehension ?

This is the most commonly asked question by the students learning spoken English , preparing for IELTS and TOEFL or those who want to be a public speaker in future . The straight and naive answer of this question is ‘ Yes ‘ . Vocabulary is unequivocally the gateway of infinite conceptual knowledge . A vocabulary, also known as a word-stock, is a set of familiar words within a person’s language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge .

Vocabulary is the distemper of comprehension . Vocabulary is not only a matter of retention of mammoth quantity of words in your memory but also the knowledge of the technical know how of their proper usage . Like vocabulary , a gunpowder will also be inactive due to its dampness and non usage . Vocabulary is the inexhaustible genesis of comprehension . If Comprehension is compared with a lock then vocabulary is its master key .

You can’t increase vocabulary if you never meet new words . Loving your language means a command of its vocabulary beyond the level . Your comprehension , to a large degree , is determined and governed by the amount of vocabulary stored in your coffer . The ambit of your vocabulary is the circumference of your comprehension . The more words you know , the more powerfully you will be able to comprehend .

Words play the pivotal role in our daily dealings . One can’t spawn a new concept without rich and robust vocabulary . Thus words play an enormous part in the stage of comprehension . Words are quintessentially the building blocks of comprehension . The more you know the high utility words , the better you can comprehend any text and anyone’s speech . A man with a scant vocabulary will certainly be a feeble thinker .

The richer and more copious one’s vocabulary , the more fertile and precise to be one’s thinking . Knowledge of words and knowledge of things always go hand in hand and arms in arms . Vocabulary is crossing circles and loops . We are simply defined by the lines we choose to cross or to be confined by . One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will encounter inevitable death . Knowledge without vocabulary is only fire without light .

Words cut more than a sword ; though the wound may be healed , yet a scar remains . As comprehension is the be all and end all of verbal and written communication both , the significance of a rich vocabulary is undeniable . Titanic repository of words ameliorate all branches of communication – listening , speaking , reading and writing . If you want to increase the comprehension , then you have to hone your your vocabulary . An enriched vocabulary increases your comprehension in five ways .

1 . Increase Reading Comprehension :-

Vocabulary is the foundation of comprehension while reading . If you fail to decipher the meaning of any words , then it will be truly an arduous job for you to comprehend the meaning of the context . In that case you are bound to stop your reading due to not having the pleasure of the text or article written . Thus vocabulary is the pedestal of comprehension . Reading is an integral part of our lives. Whether or not we like it. Reading online for our daily dose of knowledge is equally important. A good word power can help appreciate the written word better and read between the lines, understand the literal and metaphorical implications of words. In fact, reading, in turn, also adds to your word power. 

2 . Increase Unlimited Access to New Information :-

A good amount of vocabulary opens the floodgate of innumerable information . If someone’s vocabulary is as poor as church mouse , then s/he can’t comprehend anything and all the new and unknown information will be untouched by her or him . Thus a good amount of stock of words is the sine qua non of the comprehension .

3 . Increase Listening Comprehension :-

The listening comprehension aptitude is also augmented if you have a healthy amount of vocabulary in your repository . While watching television , you can comprehend the speech or commentary if you have a good stock of words . In addition to that if you talk to someone over the phone , in that case also a good amount of vocabulary is needed ; otherwise you can’t develop your communication to the person due to lack of comprehension .

4 . Increase the Level of Fluency :-

Comprehension increases the level of fluency and the level of comprehension is increased due to the presence of good stock of word . Without a rich amount of vocabulary the comprehension level will go down and consequently fluency will also be affected a lot .  Having a rich vocabulary will help you communicate in a more engaging way. Relying on one or two words to describe an idea will be repetitive and not as persuasive, as relying on a vocabulary of 10-15 similarly descriptive terms . Communication skills is one of the core skills to succeed in personal and professional life. And being proficient in it definitely boosts one’s confidence and personality. Coherent articulation helps confidently put forth our ideas and views .

5 . Increase the Thinking Level :-

Thinking level will be automatically enriched if there is a good amount of stock of words in someone’s pocket . A good stock of words increases the comprehensive level which in turn boosts up the thinking grade . Thus vocabulary increases the thinking dimension of a person .

6 . Increases the Written Comprehension :-

Every good archer has a quiver of arrows . Some arrows and weapons are used more than others, but every one has a specific purpose. In much the same way, writers have a “toolbox.” This “toolbox” is constantly growing and is filled with items like grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules; figurative language; rhyme; rhythm; and…vocabulary. Just as really good mechanics can pull out the right tools to make a good engine even more powerful, good writers can pull out the right tools at the right time to make good writing even more powerful. One tool that can “power up” your writing is a strong vocabulary . A stockpile of words at your disposal could help you write better in any context. As a student, you will be better equipped to write your assignments, exam essays and admission SOPs. Emails with the right words can help you communicate more effectively .

Thus comprehension aptitude is increased pari passu with the increment of a quantity of vocabulary . Vocabulary plays a predominant role in increasing the level of comprehension of any person . So it is always suggested to increase the stock of vocabulary for better understanding and success . In absence of which you will face a monumental jeopardy .

Without a sufficient understanding of words one cannot understand others or express their own ideas.

Vocabulary is important across the curriculum from language arts and social studies to mathematics and science. It is intimately connected to both effective reading and writing skills, and these skills in turn are necessary for doing well in school. Research has shown that it is important to encourage a one’s vocabulary development, so they develop the literacy and language skills necessary to succeed in school. As a trainer in a student’s life, I play an integral role in helping a student to learn new words. By narrating my daily activities, in everyday conversation, and engagement with my student I expose them to new and unfamiliar words. This exposure helps expand’s one’s vocabulary . Did you know that having a large vocabulary helps someone think and learn about the world and that the more words a child knows, the more information he/she can access? In this way , vocabulary is one of the most essential factors of comprehension .

About the Author

Indrajit Ganguly

Hi ! I am Indrajit Ganguly. People all across the globe know me by my professional nickname IG. I run spoken English Classes in Kolkata. I am also a blogger who loves to write article which attracts me.

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