What is Vocabulary Usage

Reading as a process and the ability of readers to comprehend what they read are both fundamentally reliant on vocabulary. It is a term referring to the words that are necessary for good communication. It requires both receptive and expressive vocabulary to function properly. The words we hear and read are considered to be part of our receptive vocabulary, but the words we say and write are considered to be part of our expressive vocabulary. It has been said, and it is true, that communication of any kind is impossible in the absence of vocabulary. A more comprehensive view of vocabulary is presented in the following discussion. 

Vocabulary Definition

According to one definition, a person’s vocabulary consists of “the group and collection of words that are known and utilised by that person.” It is also referred to as “a list or collection of words or phrases that are generally sorted alphabetically and described or explained.” This is another definition of the term. Wordstock, lexis, and lexicon are other names that are frequently used interchangeably with vocabulary. 

Importance of Vocabulary

The following are some of the reasons why vocabulary is important in one’s life, in addition to the fact that having a good vocabulary is crucial. 

• The ability to communicate effectively and freely relies heavily on one’s vocabulary. 
• Reading comprehension is built on the foundation of one’s vocabulary. 
• The lexicon of language and the vocabulary of thought operate in parallel. 
• In many instances, the ground for judgement is also composed of vocabulary. 
• Vocabulary is essential for conveying anything you want to say. 

Vocabulary in English

The answer to the question “what is vocabulary in English?” is all of the words that come together to produce a language that can be comprehended by a particular person or perhaps a group of people. There are two distinct classes that can be applied to the English language’s vocabulary: active and passive. It is claimed that our active vocabulary consists of the words that we understand and put into use on a regular basis, whereas our passive vocabulary consists of the words that we are familiar with but put into use only infrequently. 

Three tiers of Vocabulary

The following are the three levels that are used to describe vocabulary: 

Basic vocabulary

The first level of vocabulary consists of the most fundamental words. These terms often have a single meaning, therefore there is no need to provide definitions or explanations for them. This tier depicts early reading words, sight words, adjectives, verbs, and nouns, among other grammatical elements. This tier consists of English word families that are 8000 words long. 

High-frequency Vocabulary

This tier is composed of words that are utilised in a variety of domains, such as adult communication, literature, and so on. It is also known as the multiple meaning vocabulary tier. Reading and speaking are both affected by it. This level comprises 7,000-word family units. 

Low-frequency Vocabulary

This tier is composed of the words that are utilised just in exceptional circumstances or in the context of specialised domains, such as climate, technology, geographical region, occupation, hobbies, education, etc. This level of the English vocabulary has close to four hundred thousand different words. 

Types of Vocabulary 

It is possible to divide the various kinds of vocabulary into two categories: spoken vocabulary and written vocabulary. Even before they learn to write or read, children begin expanding their vocabularies through the processes of listening and speaking. Each category of vocabulary serves a distinct function and objective in the world. Nevertheless, the expansion of one sort of vocabulary makes it easier to develop another. 

The many categories of vocabulary are broken down into their component parts below. 

Listening Vocabulary 

Words that can be understood through listening make up what is known as listening vocabulary. While still in the mother’s womb, a foetus may begin to understand some phrases. The process of learning new words is ongoing, and by the time a person reaches adulthood, they have a vocabulary of approximately fifty thousand words that they can understand and recognise. Learning can be accomplished through the use of visual and auditory vocabulary by deaf persons. 

Speaking Vocabulary 

Words that are commonly used in conversation make up our spoken vocabulary. The potential range of words is somewhere between 5000 and 10000. These are utilised for talks as well as the transmission of instructions. The listening vocabulary contains a greater amount of words overall, although this category has a significantly smaller number of words. 

Reading Vocabulary

Reading is the most important component in developing one’s vocabulary. Your vocabulary will expand and improve as you read more. Reading vocabulary is the collection of words that one acquires through the process of reading a text. It is possible for us to comprehend words through our reading vocabulary even if we do not make use of such words in our speaking vocabulary. 

Writing Vocabulary

The term “writing vocabulary” refers to the collection of words that we amass as a result of using writing as a means of self-expression. When we write, our vocabulary tends to take on characteristics of the words we are able to spell. Verbally, through facial expression, or through intonation, expression comes naturally to us; yet, our written vocabulary is dependent on the depth of our vocabulary knowledge. 

Final Vocabulary 

This concept of a “Final Vocabulary” was first brought to light by Richard Rorty. It is a collection, set, or group of words that everyone uses to defend their acts, views, and life in their own unique way. The final vocabulary consists of words that a person uses to express profound feelings, hopes, doubts, and so on. These words can be positive or negative. 

Conclusion

People have trouble with vocabulary for a variety of reasons, including a lack of training, poor memory skills, cognitive difficulties, or learning methodologies. The Response to Intervention programme, often known as RTl, helps students increase their vocabulary. Your ability to communicate more effectively can be improved by first discovering and examining new words, and then using those words in a variety of settings. To further your vocabulary development, you should always maintain studying antonyms, synonyms, connotations, idioms, and phrases, as well as reading a variety of literature.