I usually have difficulty picking out ideal words during conversation. Its not that I’m lacking confidence or have some kind of emotional problems; I just don’t pick the right words, use lots of ‘ummmms’ and I have trouble getting a flow to sentences.
Can anyone give me some tips on how to improve word usage in conversations? More practice? Anything to think about during conversations? Maybe think less :smack: ?
Read a lot.
But this is more of an IMHO thread. IMHO, that is.
It’s no good reading trash, either. You need to read books of good authors.
Learn five new words a day and try to work them into your conversations so they’ll stick.
And look up any words you aren’t totally familiar with - you can always glork the word from context, but you don’t own it until you know exactly what it means.
However, improving your vocab is only a bit of it (but always good). It sounds like you just blank out in conversations… I don’t know what to suggest for that, maybe thinkk before you speak? (seriously)
I took two writing courses this semester and do a lot of writing on the side.
Read a LOT of different kinds of materials. Magazines, newspapers, books, everything you can get your grubby little mitts on. Read with a dictionary by your side. As shade pointed out, you can’t learn a new word if you don’t know exactly what it means.
Watching TV news also helps. The writers generally use a conversational style so they don’t talk down to their audience, and a network that has good writing serves as a good example of how to use simpler language.
Finally, practice writing. Get a live journal. Write letters to people. You can’t improve without practice.
However, a lot of people equate “good vocabulary” with “uses a lot of big, fancy words”. One of the most basic tenets of good journalistic writing (which is what I do) is don’t use a big word where a small one would work. A small word that fits perfectly is better than a big one that almost fits perfectly. Sure, the big one sounds better, but if people don’t know (or don’t understand) what it means, there’s no point to using it.
Robin
Read alot, read all the time, read anything and everything.
You develop a sense of what an unfamiliar word can mean and when in a pinch, you wont be at a loss for words.
I have two suggestions:
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/list/
Go to the above named wordlist and subscribe to a word of the day email list.
http://www.msnbc.com/comics/games/crossword.asp
Crossword Puzzles. For those that don’t know, in most cases crosswords get progressively more difficult as the week goes on. Focus on the Monday crosswords and work your way up.
E3
I know it’s already been said but… Read, read, read.
When you’ve finished reading, read some more. Experiment. Don’t read trash.
Since I became a serial reader I have noticed my everyday vocabulary and articulation improve immensely. I actually often have to think about not sounding too wordy in casual speech.
But, isn’t journalistic vocabulary directed to the lowest common denominator? I took one college journalism class, (not my most shining hour) and remember being told that most print news uses a 6th grade vocabulary.
LuckySevens I stuttered as a child. One teacher would always tell me to stop, and think. I don’t stutter anymore, but there are often pauses and ummms in my conversations. I attribute that to her, except, I only use half of her suggestion. I stop and forget to start again. 
I have a well developed vocabulary, But I get stuck on simple words, most of the time.
Try not to be self-conscious about it. Think of it as your style. Pauses are tiny mysteries, that make you intriguing.
Also, reading is only half of the process of learning a good conversational vocabulary. Be sure you know the correct pronounciation too.
To just learn more words, use a dictionary instead of spell check. Then make it a habit, when time allows, to find one word on the page you din’t before know.
But, isn’t journalistic vocabulary directed to the lowest common denominator? I took one college journalism class, (not my most shining hour) and remember being told that most print news uses a 6th grade vocabulary.
LuckySevens I stuttered as a child. One teacher would always tell me to stop, and think. I don’t stutter anymore, but there are often pauses and ummms in my conversations. I attribute that to her, except, I only use half of her suggestion. I stop and forget to start again. I have a well developed vocabulary, But I get stuck on simple words, most of the time.
Try not to be self-conscious about it. Think of it as your style. Pauses are tiny mysteries, that make you intriguing.
Also, reading is only half of the process of learning a good conversational vocabulary. Be sure you know the correct pronounciation too.
To just learn more words, use a dictionary instead of spell check. Then make it a habit, when time allows, to find one word on the page you didn’t before know.
Yes, but it depends on which newspaper. The New York Times is obviously going to be better than the Carlisle, PA Sentinel. But even the Sentinel is going to have value, even if it’s just an example of What Not to Do.
Robin
I recommend looking into Toastmasters, www.toastmasters.org
This focuses more on the oral communication and eliminating umms and aahs. You will make a better impression with pauses than you will with fillers like umms.
Toastmasters goes beyond public speaking, though. It has aspects that focus on getting comfortable in all kinds of communication. For example, you build listening skills listening to and evaluating other speakers. Also, you will be writing the speeches you give, so will get some experience in written communication as well.
I recommend reading poets who understand the emotional density of poetry. Their efficiency and elegance will rub off on you when you realize how much they say and in how few words. Linda Pastan and W.S. Merwin are both excellent; avoid self-flaggelating whiners like Sylvia Plath, who go on for days about their suffering and angst. Poetry varies wildly, however, so read up on the poet before you buy his or her entire library. Spend a half hour trying to understand not just the poem as a whole, but how the poet designed each line and chose each word to bring across a point.
As for improving your writing, try E-prime: English without any conjugations of “to be”. Robert Anton Wilson has written a carefully-worded treatise on the subject subtitled “semantic hygiene.” I believe the effort of rewriting inter-office memos in E-Prime will force you to write more carefully and eliminate clutter. E-Prime also helps you excise the passive voice from your correspondence. When you resume writing in normal English, your sentences will come more easily and carry more meaning in fewer words.
Read David Foster Wallace with a dictionary on-hand.