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ESL001: Elementary English as a Second Language
Unit 3: Reading to Improve
3.1: Vocabulary Building
3.1.3: Vocabulary Building: Let's Apply
Vocabulary Building Discussion
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Building Discussion
Vocabulary
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Vocabulary
by Abimbola Odetola - Friday, 4 April 2025, 2:45 AM
Number of replies: 0
Today, I decided to try the context clues strategy to build my vocabulary. While reading an article on global health, I came across unfamiliar words like "endemic," "prevalence," and "intervention." Instead of reaching for a dictionary right away, I used the sentences around these words to guess their meanings. For example, in the sentence "Malaria remains endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa," I figured "endemic" meant something common or always present in that area.
After reading, I double-checked the definitions to see if I was right—and I was! This strategy helped me stay engaged with the text and understand new words better through real use. I’ll definitely keep using this method, especially while reading textbooks and articles.
New Words I Learned:
Endemic – regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
Prevalence – the commonness or widespread nature of something
Intervention – action taken to improve a situation
Reflection:
Using context clues worked well for me because it made me more confident in figuring out meanings without getting distracted by constantly stopping to look things up. I think the more I use this strategy, the better my vocabulary