Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sometimes you have problem improving your vocabulary. I would suggest that you read any writings in English or watch English movies. You can also listen to English songs, follow the lyrics and find the meaning. Those are quite effective, especially when you have no native speaker to practice speaking to. However, I have my own way to build up my lexicons (vocabulary). I like using rhymes. A rhyme is a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words and is most often used in poetry and songs. I think rhyme is an easy way to find and use new words, mainly because it enables you to find similar sounding words. I usually use rhymes when writing poetry.
You can start by collecting words that have similarity in the final syllable. For example, you have the word "darkness". You can find other words that end in "-ness". If you have no idea, use the opposite of darkness, such as "brightness". Surely you will have other rhyming words, just write them down. If you have difficulty, you can go to this site I just found (click this). Now you have a list of rhyming words. Arrange them so as to create a meaningful line or sentence. When you write a poem, sometimes you don't have to write full sentences.
Here is an example, one of my poems (crummy I know, heheh):
Owl
You are a witness...
A witness of the darkness
When the night whispers you a call
Through the wind you crawl
Spread your wings, never think to fall
Just hope and pray...
Hope and pray to get a prey
You're a witness...
A witness of the darkness
When the sun spreads his brightness
You just start your loneliness...
You can see which words rhyme. That is how my poems usually go (more of my poems can be found in my personal blog), full of rhymes and repetition. They might sound crappy, but that way I can improve my vocabulary (and it is kind of my poetry style, heh). It works pretty well for me, though. Just try it anyway, and you will find it an interesting way (rhyming, eh? :P).
You can start by collecting words that have similarity in the final syllable. For example, you have the word "darkness". You can find other words that end in "-ness". If you have no idea, use the opposite of darkness, such as "brightness". Surely you will have other rhyming words, just write them down. If you have difficulty, you can go to this site I just found (click this). Now you have a list of rhyming words. Arrange them so as to create a meaningful line or sentence. When you write a poem, sometimes you don't have to write full sentences.
Here is an example, one of my poems (crummy I know, heheh):
Owl
You are a witness...
A witness of the darkness
When the night whispers you a call
Through the wind you crawl
Spread your wings, never think to fall
Just hope and pray...
Hope and pray to get a prey
You're a witness...
A witness of the darkness
When the sun spreads his brightness
You just start your loneliness...
You can see which words rhyme. That is how my poems usually go (more of my poems can be found in my personal blog), full of rhymes and repetition. They might sound crappy, but that way I can improve my vocabulary (and it is kind of my poetry style, heh). It works pretty well for me, though. Just try it anyway, and you will find it an interesting way (rhyming, eh? :P).
