M a education paper-v methods of teaching english

6. Words and vocabulary 
As an adult studying a particular language at the college level the learner is expected 
4.Summarise 
The learner must pause after he has read a section of the text.
Then: 
1. put what he has read into his own words; 
2. skim through the text and check how accurate his summary is and 
3. fill in any gaps. 

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to use a vocabulary which is wider than at the school-level.
To expand one’s vocabulary: 
One must choose a large dictionary rather than one which is ‘compact' or ‘concise'. 
(around 1,500 pages is a good size). 
One must avoid dictionaries which give only synonyms. For e.g. A pocket dictionary 
might suggest: ‘impetuous = rash'. 
A more comprehensive dictionary tells one that impetuous means ‘rushing with force 
and violence', while another may give ‘liable to act without consideration', and add 
to one’s understanding by giving the derivation ‘14th century, Latin, impetuous = 
violent'. 
It will tell that rash means ‘acting without due consideration or thought', and is 
derived from Old High German rasc = hurried. 
So underlying these two similar words is the difference between violence and 
hurrying. 
One must avoid dictionaries which use very complicated language to define the term 
one is looking up, leaving one struggling to understand half a dozen new words. 
One must keep one’s dictionary at hand when one is studying. Look up unfamiliar 
words and work to understand what they mean. If one doesn't have a dictionary then 
he must note down words which he doesn't understand and look them up later. 
One must improve one’s vocabulary by reading widely. 
Intensive reading thus has for its objective the full understanding of the text with its 
argument, it’s symbolic, emotional and social overtones, the attitudes and purposes of 
the author and the linguistic and literary means the author employs to achieve his 
purpose. Intensive reading in a sense is study.