Building Vocabulary
Vocabulary is important in academic writing as it sets the tone for the rest of the document. Using academic language is sometimes difficult as it is not often the language that is used every day to communicate with people in normal situations.
Vocabulary is something that is learnt and developed over time. Each discipline area often has its own ‘jargon’ and learning this vocabulary is essential. When learning new content take special note of any new words that could be used in your future assignments. Academic vocabulary is the set of words that are commonly used in a specific discipline that represents different discipline specific ideas and processes.A good way to develop academic vocabulary for a specific discipline is by using a spider map/diagram or a similar visual reminder. Using the main topic in the middle and working outwards from there. It is always a good idea to include a brief definition for particularly difficult words.
