Keeping a vocabulary journal over the semester has been a new learning experience for me. I had never kept an official, written list of words I liked; however, I did have a few favorite words. For example, I really like the word “simultaneously” because it is very clear that two things are happening at the same time. I think because that large thought is narrowed to one word makes “simultaneously” a very unique word. I made sure to include my favorite words in my blog. The concept of the vocabulary journal was new to me, especially including it on a blog but I did learn in many ways from creating it.
The VSS strategy helped to broaden my enjoyment of words in the English language. My word choices stemmed from personal motivation to know a particular word and its usability. Many of the words I chose were words I had always been drawn to but never really studied, such as spontaneously, medium, elicit, and veracity. I did include some content specific words like interpsychologically, but my personal motivation centered around words I knew I could use in intelligent conversations. I realized that I tend to choose adjectives as favorite words and words for the blog, I think in part because I am used to describing and telling stories in great detail. It was really fun picking the words for my blog. I have always had a sincere enjoyment with the English language and the journal allowed me to express that.
I learned more about how I approach words throughout my life. I started noticing words everywhere: my shampoo bottle, calendars from banks, etc. Not only did I start noticing more words, I was also attempting to understand the context and purpose in which the words were written. For example, certain phrases are clearly used for marketing purposes. I started to become acutely aware of word usage, not just meaning. I also realized how I tend to know and understand a word. My own word knowledge is rooted in analogous strategies and dissecting word parts. Using these strategies has helped me throughout all of my schooling. I seem to have a strong knowledge of root words and how word parts generate specific meanings, like the phoneme “er” to designate an individual in “runner.”
Keeping the vocabulary journal this semester has helped me realize the complexities of word learning. As I have studied more about vocabulary acquisition, I realize it is a process which requires multiple factors working together, such as background knowledge, context clues, and a strong understanding of the tendencies of the English language. Acting as the student for the vocabulary blog has reminded me of the difficulties word learning can pose. It has also helped me gain more insight into how students think when they are learning new words.
Taking the vocabulary tests helped me retain a working meaning of my words. I remember my peers’ choice in words but not necessarily their meaning. I liked being able to choose which word was on the test because it gave me another chance to share what words were on my blog. Instead of a vocabulary test, perhaps posting a minimum amount of messages on others’ blogs would have helped me retain other word meanings better.
In the future, I will likely follow similar steps to knowing a word. I will initially try to gain meaning from context, then break the word into parts. Before doing the VSS strategy I would have stopped there, but I would be more likely to actually look up words to see if my understanding was accurate or not. Using this strategy with students would also be another beneficial use of time in the future. I know my students would be more inclined to use a blog and hopefully more comfortable with it so they could focus on actually learning the words they choose. Overall, the vocabulary journal helped me appreciate words and their complexities.
