Preface:

Hello, in this post I'll tell about how I improved my vocabulary and how you can replicate that with the help of my Vocabulary Builders or by yourself.


Intro:

Most people stop learning new words when they become fluent in a language. This means that once you are able to easily talk to friends/family/people at work, you usually stop learning more advanced/fancy vocabulary simply because you don't encounter it that often.

English is my 3rd language and I get obsessed with people who speak it eloquently: Christopher Hitchens (author), Russell Brand (comedian), Bo Burnham (comedian), Tim Minchin (comedian).

I realized that these people are captivating simply because they’re eloquent.

And it wasn’t just their oratory or rhetoric, it was the caliber of words that they were using.

So I set myself a goal to write down every word that I don’t know/use while listening to people with vast vocabularies. Learning from the screen turned out to be rather tedious so I decided to make it more fun and make a wall poster (don’t criticize my definition of fun).

A baby was born and I named it Vocabulary Builder (better than North West ☺).

This was the first result: http://imgur.com/O6WfKdG (excuse the dreadful quality)

Later I optimized the design to look like this: http://imgur.com/HjHDdx7 (you can also cut it into 4 flashcards)


What I'm offering:

A shortcut.

I’ve made a number of Vocabulary Builders that each have 40 objectively advanced words.

You can make your own or you can get the ones I’ve made for you.

Every month I’ll send you a carefully crafted Vocabulary Builder with 40 advanced words. All printing is made on snow-white thick watercolor paper. The price is 8$/mth, free shipping worldwide. And if you get a subscription for 3 months - I put the price down from 8$/mth to 6$/mth (also free shipping worldwide).

So if you feel like this is for you and the price is fair for the value, grab a Vocabulary Builder, it’ll make my day if you like it.

www.VocabularyBuilder.co

I am aware that the website doesn't look like Apple.com, but I did my best.


  During the filtering process I take over 200 advanced words,   test them with 20 native English speakers, and pick the words    that are intrinsically advanced, interesting and usable.  

Guide:

Here's the most effective way to use them.

Through a lot of testing I realized the 3 most important things you should aim for:

  1. Hang the poster in front of your desk. The aim is to be able to glance at it at any time and subconsciously assimilate the new words.

  2. It’s all about using the new word for the first time. It’s about breaking the mental barrier, then you’ll notice yourself using it more often.

  3. “3words/minute” exercise: this is your trump card. If you’re not constantly in situations where you could use the new words – fabricate the situations yourself:

    1. Take 3 new words out of the Vocabulary Builder.
    2. Improvise a 1 minute speech while sneaking in those 3 words.
    3. Don’t stop talking until you sneak in all three.
    4. Film yourself.

.

Things to remember while improvising the 1 minute speech:

  1. It’s okay to pause mid-speech. Unless you are also aiming to improve your oratory. If you are – try to avoid pauses unless they make sense in your speech. Remember that the point is NOT to make a good speech but to use the 3 new words in that speech.

  2. If struggling to start the speech – start with “(New word) makes me think of…” and use the first thing that comes to your mind as a catalyst to your speech.

  3. The camera is there to stimulate you. Later it will also serve as a video library for your learning progress.

  4. Goal: One “3words/minute” exercise a day. You can do many more, but do at least one a day to build a habit.


Last words:

If it happens that you already know a word that's in the poster, first of all – great, second – ask yourself if you actually use the word when appropriate, besides just knowing what it means.

It’s not just about knowing the word, it’s about using it. If you don’t use it, include it into your “3words/minute” exercise.

You won’t become Christopher Hitchens overnight, but I can guarantee you that after two or three Vocabulary Builders you will notice a difference in the way you speak, which from a personal experience is a very satisfying feeling.


Once again, if you feel like this is for you and the price is fair for the value, grab a Vocabulary Builder:

www.VocabularyBuilder.co

I genuinely believe that it can provide so much value to so many of you.