Strategy Chosen: Context Clues
Today, I decided to try using context clues as my vocabulary strategy. This involves figuring out the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining the surrounding text for hints like synonyms, antonyms, examples, or explanations.
What I Did:
I read an article on sustainable development and encountered several new words. Instead of immediately looking them up, I used the sentences around them to guess their meanings. For example:
- "Alleviate": The sentence mentioned "alleviating poverty through education and healthcare," which helped me infer that it means to reduce or lessen.
- "Prevalent": It was used in the context of "a prevalent issue in rural areas," which made me think it meant common or widespread.
Afterward, I checked the dictionary to confirm my guesses.
Did It Work?
Yes, it worked well! Most of my guesses were correct, and it made reading more engaging. I also found it satisfying to connect the words to their meanings naturally. However, some words were still tricky, so I had to look them up.
New Words I Learned:
- Alleviate – to reduce or lessen
- Prevalent – common or widespread
- Detrimental – harmful or damaging
- Mitigate – to make less severe
- Proliferation – rapid increase
Conclusion:
Using context clues was an effective strategy for me, and I plan to keep practicing it. It’s not only helpful for learning new words but also for improving comprehension skills.