When children are young, there are so many ways in which they are introduced to new words. Shows like “Sesame Street,” “Word Girl,” and “Super Why!” all target learning and development, and once kids begin school there is an entirely new realm of untapped knowledge about to be revealed. However, as people get older, life, deadlines, and goals get in the way of expanding one’s knowledge just for the sake of it.
So many of us use the same basic words in all situations. Is it our fear of using a word wrong, fear of being judged, or a plain unfamiliarity with more precise language that prevents us from expanding our everyday vocabulary? To a certain extent, all of these may be true together. I have found myself bored of the words I use day by day.
The monotony of my vocabulary inspired me to return to the childlike wonder connected to learning. The first step of this process was to get a dictionary. Over time, it is my goal to choose my five favorite words for each letter of the alphabet. Granted, selecting 130 words from a compilation of thousands would be no easy task.
Setting a goal this narrow needed some guidelines. How were words going to be evaluated? Would they be purely based on definition, or based on spelling and parts of speech? I decided to go through each letter, one at a time, and just read. Learn new words and jot down the ones that are captivating. No limits at the start, find any words that are interesting, and narrow them down later. Working my way through the “A’s,” I learned the scientific term for an egg white is the albumen, afflatus is a divine creative impulse (like this project), and avocados are also called alligator pears. Not even making it entirely through the “A” section of the alphabet, I have already learned not only words to enhance my vocabulary, but also new topics to research and learn about.
In the modern world in which we have everything at our fingertips, it seems like we can learn anything we want to, whenever we want to. However, ever-prevalent algorithms create a cycle in which it is hard to escape certain media. The process of learning completely new things is extremely difficult if one is stuck in an echo chamber.
If you always watch puppy videos on YouTube, how would YouTube know to suggest that you might be interested in fossils? How would you know that you might be interested in fossils if you had never heard of them before? Going through the dictionary creates an opportunity for learning; it creates an opportunity to face head on what there is that you do not know and to learn, grow, and develop yourself in unexpected ways. I challenge you to engage in this endeavor with me, even just a word a day, and through the process learn about the world and yourself. Adieu!
