<strong>Read Malcolm X's "Saved," which is located on pages 72-74.</strong>
"An Accurate use of words improves our thinking. Words give form to our thoughts so that we can make use of them. Words enable us to communicate with others and ourselves. Know the words for things and experiences helps us see and percieve more" (63).~ Marlys Mayfield <em>Thinking for Yourself</em>
What does Mayfield mean in the quote above? What connections can be drawn from the quote to "Saved?" How did you discover the importance of expanding your vocabulary?
Don't forget to respond to your peers.
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66 comments:
After I read this quote, I think Mayfield wanted to persuade people to learn more words. Because the words can make our conversation and speech more interesting and professional. The person who know more words are seems having more knowledge, and having higher education, it can makes you to go up to a higher level. I Malcolm X's "saved", he shared his experience in prison to learn words.He was copy the dictionary to learn the vocabularis, and read many books to improve his knowledge. English is my second language, I know how difficult to talk with a person with limited words.And sometime I even don't know how to express my emotion.I know how important to expand the words.And I am lack on the vocabularies,but I just too lazy to learn. Because I had homework everyday, so I have excuse to not learn more word. And I really want a easy and fast way to learn English. After reading this easay, I should learn more words, and there are no short cut to learn English.
From the quote above, Mayfield encourage us to learn more words by this way we can have more rich knowledge and words which is helping us to express our emotion or mood when we communicate with others and ourselves. With the stock of knowledge and words, we get easy to any conversation or debate, and it will bring us to the higher level of education. Know more words can help us discover the real of the world and express accurately our thought. From the quote to “Saved”, Malcolm X’s is a prisoner in the Charlestown Prison and the Norfolk Prison Colony. He learned more words when he came to the Norfolk Prison Colony by effecting of his inmate Bimbi in the Charlestown Prison who has stock of knowledge and had always taken charge to any conversation he was in. Malcolm X’s learned word by copying word from the dictionary from page to page and section to section, and he read lot of books to gain more knowledge. Finally, He has stock of knowledge and get easy to understand what the book was saying when he read. He is also gain handwriting speed by copying word. Read more books also help him think people can imagine the new world that opened. This is same as what Mayfield mention in the quote “Know the words for things and experiences helps us see and perceive more.” I discovered the importance of expanding my vocabulary is help me get easy to conversation with people and Writing. English is my second language. With the limited vocabularies, I have difficulty to express my emotion or my thought to people whenever I join in the conversation. I also have difficulty in Writing when I need to describe something or express my thought in word. In order to improve my lack of vocabularies, I need to read more books or news and copy the word that I never know into the handbook to gain more vocabularies like Malcom X’s did.
Hi Kailin Cheng
I agree with you about the person who know more words are seems having more knowledge, and having higher education. Find a easy and fast way to learn English that I am also agree with you and I did it before. You said you had homework everyday, so you have excuse to not learn more word. I just have a question for you why don't you learn new word during the time break between every semester?
In the Mayfield quote she states that words give us the tools we need to improve our communication and thinking so that we may learn more. The brain is like a muscle, the more you feed it, the more it wants and the more it can do. When we increase our knowledge base, we can understand what other people are trying to tell us.
In “Saved” Malcolm X explains how the whole world opened up when he discovered books. Words and thoughts can take you to a different experience than your own. When we can think and feel what others say, we are truly open to the truth because we can weigh what they say against our own experiences. The more words and thoughts that we have, the better understanding and the better communication skills we develop. Malcolm X did just that with his prison education, he went in a common street thug and came out an articulate man who was worshiped, cherished and followed by millions.
I came to realize that I needed to increase my vocabulary when I was in a working environment with professors from Cal. I felt so out of place as I was serving their drinks, it was evident that there was a class difference between myself and them and I didn’t like it; so I came back to college to finish and learn how to expand my mind so that I can earn the respect I deserve.
Jenn R
Hi Ken! I just too lazy to learn during the break, I just want to relax myself. But it is definitely wrong, I know that. I will push myself to learn in the future.
I agree with you as a second language speaker it is difficult to express the emotion in communication. I afraid that they don't understand what I am talking about. Sometimes I really want to join their communication, but I dont't know what can I say, because I only know a few words. Last, I think we really need to learn from Malcolm X.
Few weeks ago when I was filling an application for a University, I faced an interesting question that made me wonder for few days: what is the most important invention of all times? Days past and I was keep thinking about different possibilities. Finally I decided to answer “writing”.
Now when I look at the Mayfield’s quote I think that I was truly right! From years and years ago human being has passed their discoveries through writing. And if we think deeply the most important foundation of an articulate writing is words. If right words were not chosen for communication, no invention, no discovery could have been passed along, from generation to generation, from continent to continent.
As Mayfield says in his quote “Words enable us to communicate with others and ourselves.” Having vast vocabulary knowledge can help us communicate more efficiently. It can open our eyes to a vast world within a single word through which we can explore the whole world around us.
By expansion of his vocabulary knowledge, Malcolm X has also discovered a new world and even he has turned to a new person. In the limited apace of a cell, words have given him the power to see a world that is no limit to its vastness. A world he has lived in for many years before going to prison, without ever acknowledging it.
I grew up in a country in which there is no freedom of expression (Iran). From very early childhood I was taught to hide my real ideas. At first that was no problem but as I started to write stories and movie scripts, I learned that in order to be able to get permit for my works I have to use another language through which I could communicate my ideas under a mask of obedience: the language of symbolism. So it was then that I realized I had to start expanding my vocabulary so that I would be able to express my ideas more effectively.
Hi kailin Cheng!
I agree with you about we have limited word when we want to communicate with others and join in the conversation. That is the reason I also agree with you we need to learn from Malcolm X's to learn more words to gain more knowledge.
Hi Jenn R!
I agree with u about the more words and thoughts that we have, the better understanding and the better communication skills we develop. I think this is so true for us and this is the reason why we need to learn more words.
In the quote above, Mayfield wants to show the truth that people can easily understand what other people’s thoughts. The more accurate words people have, the more clear ideas can be expressed to others. Once people get different ideas, they will think of them and try to explore whether their own thoughts are right or not. If their thoughts are true, they will think of several reasons to argue. These actions are some part of the habits which were also taught by Ms. Wanzo in the class. For example, “To be willing to concede (get into) to a better argument” and “To seek truth before rightness” are the points that I agree to the first two sentences from Mayfield.
After that, for the last sentence that Mayfield mentions, I also agree because Malcolm’s example strongly connects to Mayfield’s quote effectively. In “Saved,” Malcolm X got hold of readings a lot. After he started staying in the Charlestown prison, he never stopped reading books. He developed a habit to practice words from a dictionary along with some tablets and pencils. Though the long time practice which is a part of experience, he gradually expanding his vocabulary words. Also, he gained more knowledge about “aardvark” when he looked at the dictionary. By reading books, he could see more and know more different things even though he stayed at the prison.
For me, English is not my first language, so I have a great opportunity to discover the importance of expanding my vocabulary. Since I came to the United States from Hong Kong, I always need to read English when I go out. When I first attended to the college three years ago, my English was not so bad since I had a limited vocabulary words understanding. As I learn more and more vocabulary words, I gradually understand what the newspaper articles are talking about. Therefore, I strongly believe that expanding my vocabulary words is really important for me in the United States.
Hi Ken,
I agree with your opinion about the quote above. Learning more vocabulary words really help us to understand what other people said. What I think of Malcolm X is that he never gave up reading the book. I really admire his persistence that he could do the practice regularly.
Besides this, I feel the same too since English is my second language. With limited understanding of vocabulary words, we are difficult to express ideas and understand what other people are trying to say. Therefore, I also agree with Mayfield’s quote.
Furthermore, I think I will not only read more books, news and get word spellings. I will listen to the radio and talk with other people so that I can practice how much I have learned. During conversations with other people, I will ask for clarifications to the meaning of words if I do not quite get the ideas. These are also good ways to learn vocabulary words too.
What do you think? Do you have other good suggestions?
Thanks
To Jenn R:
Jenn I found the connection you made between brain and muscles so interesting. I also find your experience of dealing with Cal professor fascinating and your conclusion about it so smart. I think you are right expanding our knowledge is one of the most definite things in the world that can raise our statues in the society.
Hi Andrew!
I agree with about beside read more books, news and get word spellings. We also need to listen to the radio and talk with other people that is the way we learn more vocabularies. My suggestion is we can also watch the news on TV or TV shows to learn more vocabularies.
"An accurate use of words improves our thinking" - Marlys Mayfield
This quote means to take the advantage of opportunities you have to gain knowledge. Working on our vocabulary helps us become a better critical thinker. This quote is telling us that words bring out the knowledge in us. There are value in words that brings out the best of us. The more we identify with words, the better our education is. Everyone is capable of learning new words. Expanding our vocabulary can help us communicate with people, it can also teach us to become a better spokesperson. Using a variety of words can help some of us in public speaking. It brings out the confidence in speaking.
There is a great connection with this quote along with the reading by Malcolm X. The reading itself and the quote has a great meaning to it. Malcolm X taught himself to read and write in prison. He took the advantage of what he got to become a critical thinker. Malcolm X went from a street hustler to a community activist. With the knowledge of gaining a sense of thousands of words, Malcolm identified himself as a person with knowledge.
I find it very important to expand my vocabulary. Expanding my vocabulary was always a challenge with me. I always want to learn new words and to be able to use them in a sentence. I always have a problem with gaining vocabulary. During my blog, I tried to expand my vocabulary out in many ways so I can sound articulate.
What Marlys Mayfield’s quote means is that we can improve our thinking when using words accurately. Mayfield’s quote also explains when we learn new words it “form to our thoughts” to use them like speaking. When we speak we are using words that we have learned to communicate with one another. The connection from this quote to Malcolm X’s “Saved” come from his life learning and developing as a thinker through reading and recognizing words through a dictionary. Not only did Malcolm X memorize the words and the definition but he also knows how to use those words accurately. The connection from Mayfield quote to Malcolm X is that Malcolm X improves his thinking through his accurate use of words and expanding his vocabulary. As Malcolm X said that the dictionary was like a miniature encyclopedia to him. When I found or heard of a new word, I realize that just knowing the common words will not benefit me in the long run. Whether it’s a job interview, a ten minute presentation, or just having a conversation with a friend, expanding my vocabulary and using them accurately will help me become a critical thinker.
Mayfield’s quote means that the precision of the words we use to explain something helps advance our thinking and ability to communicate our thoughts and interpretations. It is essential to use the appropriate words to communicate as we perceive because someone else can interpret our perception differently if we don’t use the appropriate words. The connection between this quote and Malcolm X’s “Saved” is that he learned that expanding your vocabulary helps you massively develop an extensive level of knowledge. This gave him the opportunity to think and see beyond his personal experiences. At first, he was just street smart but after constant studying of words and books in the prison, he became educated experienced in different ways. I discovered the importance of expanding my vocabulary when I was in elementary school because we used to always have to read out loud in class. When I would come across a word I didn’t know, I would be embarrassed that someone else in my class knows the word but I don’t. I think this was in second grade, so as a little girl, I felt like it was a competition of who was smarter. It might sound a bit silly but it made me realize that I should expand my vocabulary.
Hi, Michael! I agree with you that "Not only did Malcolm X memorize the words and the definition but he also knows how to use those words accurately." I think if a person know many words, but he don't know how to use them in correct. That would be a problem also. We are not only learn the word, we are using the word. We are using word to communicate with people. So it is important to use word accurately.
To Andrew,
Hi Andrew. I see that you read newspaper articles and this helps you expand your vocabulary. When I realized that I had to expand my vocabulary, I always read books to help me. When I got home from school, instead of watching television or playing like a normal kid, I read books after I finished my homework. I thought I was so cool for being able to read thicker chapter books that other classmates weren't able to read.
Anyway, I think it's amazing that English isn't your first language, yet your English is better than some Americans I know. It's also amazing because English is my first language and it's still difficult and confusing for me because there are so many rules but the rules are always broken.
Hey Kailin
I agree, just because we learn the words and the definitions does not mean we know how to use them. I too like about your way the quote is to persuade people to learn more words. There are so many words in the English language, far more than any other language we can think of today. When we learn new words and their use we be able to improve our way of thinking through communication and writing. I too should try to expand my vocabulary as you said there is no short cut to learn English.
Dany Kheav
Reading Mayfield quote I get the impression that she's telling us that learning how to read is very important. To know the meaning of words is a great knowledge in life because it, "improves our thinking" meaning that it takes us beyond creativity. We learn different words everyday especially in school, doing a class assignment there's always big words you might not understand. For example in your class last week there was this word that I've never heard of nor did most of the class, "concede" which I know the meaning now because you taught us, it means to give in, to acknowledge a better argument then your. Once you learn a new word you keep it in mind and try to use it again in life.
In Malcolm X article he tells us how he gained knowledge from prison. To pass up time, he went to the library and copied the dictionary and learned the words, page by page. He studied every word to make him smarter and it was a success. And in Mayfield quote she talks about the importance use of words. The connections from those two article is basically telling us words are a powerful weapon of knowledge and by expanding it will only make us smarter.
How do I discover the importance of expanding my vocabulary is to be aware in class, ask questions of words I do not understand. Look up words in dictionary if I have to, read more books. I really enjoy reading this Malcolm X article Ms. Wanzo I found it really inspirational because it really showed one man we was driven to do be a better person in life.
To Yasaman
"Few weeks ago when I was filling an application for a University, I faced an interesting question that made me wonder for few days: what is the most important invention of all times? Days past and I was keep thinking about different possibilities. Finally I decided to answer “writing”."
Just Reading the first sentence of your response had me hooked. I totally agree with you that writing is one of the best invention of all times! What other ways can you best communicate with people? is through writing of course. One way I can best express myself is when I have no one to talk to or simply want to be left alone is to write because there's nobody arguing with you while your writing, it help keeps me sane.
Writing is the best invention ever and it is something that will last a life time.
I think the quote by Marlys Mayfield means that words and thinking is connected. The words you say tell other people what you think. This makes me think of the quote "Think before you speak." The words that come out of your mouth represent your thoughts, beliefs, vaules etc. The part of the quote that says " Know the words for things and experiences helps us see and percieve more" means that when you know the right words then it makes you more aware of your thoughts. The connections that can be drawn from the quote to "Saved" is the part of the quote is "An accurate use of words improves our thinking." and Know the words for things and experiences helps us see and percieve more. Malcom X stated that on the streets he was a good talker but he couldn't translate it on paper. While in prison later he decided to read a dictionary to learn words. It helped him be more aware of how much he can learn. After learning all this after reading the dictionary, I think it help motivate him to tell others about his experience. I learned that the more words you know the better your thinking is. Expanding your vocabulary makes your thoughts sound better when you know the correct words to use.
Mayfield’s quote is saying that words are the building blocks to our thoughts. They are each concepts that when understood and used correctly could “improve our thinking” and have better communication with other people. By accommodating words, we can better assimilate experiences that we have to expand and intensify our thinking. The connection Mayfield’s quote had to Malcolm X’s “Saved” is that Malcolm X self-taught himself to know more words because he felt that he is not as sophisticated and well-spoken as other people he talk or listen to. He bettered himself by rewriting, reading, and reviewing pages of the dictionary each day until he finished it. From the knowledge of words, he furthered his understanding with books, experiences, and other people. It also made him a better communicator.
I discovered the importance of expanding my vocabulary in high school when I spoke in a class discussion. Some of my classmates express themselves so well with words that sounded smart. When it was my turn, I couldn’t express myself as well. Ever since I was in elementary, my mom would tell me to read and rewrite the dictionary to make myself smarter. I didn’t take her suggestion seriously until after that class discussion.
I liked how you say that “words are a powerful weapon of knowledge and by expanding it will only make us smarter.” I definitely agree with this because in everyday life we use tools everyday to make things easier for us. For example, when we want to dig in dirt we use a shovel because it is easier and gets us less dirty than digging with our hands. In this same way, words are our tools that we need to equip ourselves with to make things much easier and quick to the punch in expressing ourselves and understanding others.
In this quote, Marlys Mayfield describes the important role of using correct words. It means that an accurate use of words has a great relationship with critical thinking. We know that every word has different meaning and it can be use in many ways. When we use words in conversation or writing, we need to analyze them and use them in different kinds of way. This process will enhance our thinking abilities. Words are keys for us to express our opinion and get information. Without abundance words, we would feel hard to express our ideas correctly when we communicate with others.
Marlys Mayfield’s quote has close connection with “Saved” because this article also emphasizes the significant role of using words. Though Malcolm X is the most articulate hustler in the street, he feels hard to write a simple latter because of the limited words. Malcolm X used his own experience to show us how he expanded his vocabulary. He copied the dictionary in prison and remembered many meaning of words.
Vocabulary is one of essential elements for me to study English. Expanding vocabulary can help me to enhance my writing, reading and commutation skills. Sometimes I have difficult to read articles because of new words. If I expand vocabulary, I will understand the articles well.
Hi Chun Wing Wan (Andrew),
I agree with your idea about the more accurate words people have, the more clear ideas can be expressed to others. Sometime we will have an idea in our mind, but we felt hard to express it. We can expand vocabulary through dictionary and news paper. Meanwhile, we can communicate with others to get some new words.
"An Accurate use of words improves our thinking. Words give form to our thoughts so that we can make use of them." - Marlys Mayfield
I believe words were created as a tool for us to communicate to one another but also to describe an object, place and feeling to get a better vision of what we're trying to express. It is essential to understand the meaning behind each definition and meaning of a word to expand our thoughts. Words are not only tool but I like to think of it as a "code". Every word you solve (understand), it's something new you discover through whether reading, writing or watching.
Marlys Mayfield’s quote has close connection with “Saved” because it show the importance that knowing more vocabulary enable you to be part of the society. Malcom's was a hustler who doesn't have much education. No one would listen to him but once he start reading the dictionary in prison and understand the used of the word, he manipulate it. Words gave him the opportunity to express his feeling and to communicate with the society.
I discovered the importance of word through reading. Like I mentioned above, words to me are like puzzle/code which opens the doorway to new discovery. Each vocabulary I don't understand is one step away from achieving my understanding of an object, place, culture, etc etc.
"Sometimes I have difficult to read articles because of new words. If I expand vocabulary, I will understand the articles well."
Hi Crystal, I totally agreed with you about not understanding the meaning and definition behind a word. It does hold us back and that's when we feel discomfort leaving us to research it. It is like a puzzle, we keep exploring more words to understand the communication the author is trying to express.
I think Mayfield wants to tell us how importance the words are in our daily life. We use word everyday in thinking, reading, writing and talking. Words are so copious and multiform. We can’t know every word but we should try to learn more words as we can. Learn more words is help us improve our education and our society life because we need words to read and get more knowledge. In Malcolm X's "saved", he shared his experience in prison how he learned words and how words brought a new world to him. For me, English is my second language, learning a new language is not easy so I have to study hard and try to learn a lot of new words. Some time it’s so hard for me to say what I want to say and explain to people how I feel because I don’t know what word I need to use. Day by day, my English is getting better but I still have to improve it because like I said “words are so copious and multiform” and some word have a lot of meaning.
I agree with you "It is essential to understand the meaning behind each definition and meaning of a word to expand our thoughts. Words are not only tool but I like to think of it as a "code"." We have to understand the meaning of words so we can use it correctly because some word have a lot of meaning.
I believe Mayfield quote means that words are very powerful. We can give ourselves more knowledge if we expand our learning abilities. When we know more words, we will have a better understanding of things and our experiences we go through. As Mayfield puts it, “words enable us to communicate with others and ourselves.” In other words, words are tools that we need to exercise in our everyday lives so we can improve our communication and thinking skills.
The connections that are from Mayfield to “Saved” explain when Malcolm X increases his ability to read and write from the dictionary. When he learn the words from the dictionary, his life had change because Malcolm X found new words he never seen or use before. He learned how to use the words everyday so his vocabulary can be strong and such a way he never knew it would be. Even though Malcolm X was in prison, he felt like his freedom cannot be completely taken away because Malcolm X had knowledge and knowledge is power. Malcolm X had opened a new door for himself. “…I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying” (73). This quote is the same that Mayfield is saying because when Malcolm learned more words he had a better understanding. It gave him more clarity to making connections.
Reading the quote on Mayfield and Malcolm X made me realize even more that it is important to expand my vocabulary because I will open a new door for myself.
Hi Jenn I agree with you about the brain is a muscle because I took anatomy class. We need to exercise our mind by using it everyday.
I believe Mayfield quote mens that its important for us to expand our vocabulary. When we know more words the knowledge door is open there is more opporunties for you. People who are intelligent know many word. The more words you know the more people you can communicate with. Words help us communicate and get our point across efficiently.
This quote can relate to Malcolm X's "saved", because while he was in prison he enhanced his vocabulary. He learned words which made it easier to understand and read a book. Him learning new words opened a new world to him which was more clearer then the one he lived it before. Knowing words means knowing knowledge which means having a clear understanding on what somebody is trying to say.
What I have taken from Mayfield quote is that it, the accurate use of words in writing, and speaking is without a doubt the most important asset a person could have. Mayfield encourages us to read more, in order to obtain a broad variety words to not only enhance our thought process; but to have meaning on what is being outsourced. For example, recently I was assigned by my instructor to do some reading for a home work assignment. While reading, I came across a word that I’ve never heard before. I read it over a couple of times to make sure that I was pronouncing it correctly. i also, obtained the definition, and n i can honestly say that i will use this word more frequently in my speech, as well as my writing; and the word is (DISEQUILIBRIUM which means discomfort pg. 33 in the text) thank you MS. Wanzo!
The connection between the quote, and saved are basically right on que. Words enable us to communicate more effectively, such as the case with Malcolm X. He read, and studied the dictionary to for days and hours on end. By doing so, it enabled him to improve his word base, as well as enhance his writings. Therefore, with reading comes writing, and without one or another it will be difficult to succeed in that area. My discovery of how important is to expand your vocabulary? Well, when I decided to enroll back into the educational system. By doing so, it has broadened my vocabulary to an all time high along with my writing and speech, and i realize much work is still ahead. Finally, I will never forget my first English instructor Mrs. Robledo who teaches here at Laney. She always said; READ it will broaden your thoughts!!!
I think Mayfield’ quote mainly telling us that using more accurate words when thinking is a way to keep ideas more clear, organized and powerful. In communication, it helps us be able to express ourselves accurately so that we are understood, and it’s also a way to open a wide visual field in which we will see more inspiration.
Words are building blocks of knowledge, and they are sources that we can use to develop more. More words we learn, we save, more capacity we possess. Based on this, the quote and “Saved” both emphasizes the importance of words and encourage us to expand vocabulary and study how to use them accurately. On the other hand, this expanding vocabulary can be considered as saving information for critical thinking. In my opinion, a sophisticated thinking always covers detailed information and uses accurate words.
The importance of expanding vocabulary is doubtless. Every moment when we talk, we write and we think, we use words to describe the world and present ideas. Therefore, expanding vocabulary will not only broaden our sight field, but also improve the quality of our expression in writing, thinking and speaking.
Knowing the words accurately can make your thinking better, and can be use for communicate with a lot of people. Malcolm X's didn’t know a lot of words until he was in prison. He learned to read and write while in prison, and learned a lot of different words. And when he got out of prison, he had become a great leader. Words can be very powerful; it can hurt people and heal people.
Malcolm X started off not know much words until he was in prison. The time he spends in prison copying the dictionary. By copying the dictionary, he learned how to read and write better and also learn a lot of words. Malcolm X has used those words while talking to people when he got out of prison, and was able to connect with them.
I think Mayfield’s quote means knowing your words and knowing how to use them can be very effective. You can let people know what your thoughts in words, and if they don't understand you can use different words that have the same meeting.
The quote by Mayfield states that expanding our vocabulary will help us easy to communicate with other and increase the level of comprehension in which will improve our critical thinking and critical writing. The more vocabularies we know, the greater our capacity for understanding and expanding our worldview. The connection that can be draw from the quote to Malcolm X’s “Saver” is that Malcolm X found out how important for him to expanding his vocabulary. Also, he realized that know more vocabularies not only increase his ability to communicate with other people but also, increase his writing skills. In the beginning, Malcolm received a letter and he really want to respond it. But he wasn’t able to express his thoughts and feelings through his letter due to limitation of vocabulary. He realized that his limited vocabularies block his ability to communication with other people. Then, he started to teach himself by reading and copying the dictionary. Through this process, Malcolm was able to expanding his vocabularies and gain more knowledge. The message behind of this article is that knowing more words can help us express ourselves in writing and expanding our worldview. I discover the importance of expanding vocabulary when I am writing an essay. I still remember that I spend almost three days on my rough draft due to lack of vocabulary. The problem is I have trouble to find a right words to express my ideas and my feeling. In that time, I realized that expanding my vocabularies can help me to enhance my writing. Therefore, I started to reading books and newspapers to increase my vocabulary; however, I gave it up after two days, because it is very hard to read books that contain lot of unknown words.
I think Mayield’s quote means to learn more words can improve our knowledge. People could develop their thinking skill as they write more, read more and study more, because they can use the information from what they learn in their life. The word “Save” is liked to absorb something. Mayield says that the dictionary is liked a miniature encyclopedia in his story. While he is coped the information from the dictionary, he has learned of people and places and events from history. He discovered the new things that he has never knew before. The example proves that knowledge is never enough for us, there is more and more we don’t know. We could spend time on discovering new things and absorb it in our brain. The more we learn, the more we gain. After I read the story, I learned that expanding vocabularies is important. In our life, we use words to express our thoughts and emotions. We write and speak in words every day. It is liked a connection to us. People cannot communicate without words.
Hi Kailin, I agree with you that people who know more words are seems having more knowledge and higher education. English is my second language too. I know lack of vocabulary is very hard to communicate with other people and express our feeling in writing. I really want to expand my vocabulary, but I am too lazy. Before, I tried to read books and newspapers to increase my vocabulary, but I gave it up.I think we should come up with a plan to force us to learn more vocabulary.
Hi Jingrong Ma, I agree with what you said, “Every moment when we talk, we write and we think, we use words to describe the world and present ideas.” In our life, we use words to communicate with each other. We express our emotion and thoughts by using words. When we do homework, we write and type in words. We use words every day, every hour, every minute and even every second. Words are the communicated tool for everyone.
I believe Mayfield is saying that a way to express our thoughts is by using the correct and accurate words. When we have the knowledge of words we can express ourselves much better. Our opinions and reasonings are clearly understood. A expanded vocabulary let our mind wander in territories we did not know exist and confront differetn subjects. We challenge ourselves and our minds my knowing more words.
In the short excerpt "Saved", Malcom X tell how the knowledge of words open his mind. He self taught himself to read and write using a dictionary and from then on he could not stop reading. To Malcom X reading was like being alive even if he was still in prison. The words he learned and later used on in his life helped him to become who he became. He was able to change and do something more with his life and perceive himself and the world in a different life and it all started with learning different words.
I realize that with a limited amount of vocabulary equals a limited amount of self expression and telling fun, exciting stories. For instance, vocabulary is needed to help with details to explain a story more interestingly or describe a personal experience more vividly. It is always good to expand your vocabulary, such as using big words which could results in your looking and sounding smarter.
David Chu:
I agree on how you stated, that words can accurately enhance your thinking. As i mentioned in my summary. It is critical that we reach out and gain as much vocabulary as possible. It will only help us become more confident, open doors that we thought were not there,and more importantly give you that much needed edge in not only in your education but your career as well.
Thanks you,
Francisco
After I read Marlys’ quote, I think she wants to present that correctly using word is quite important and it can help us to improve our thinking. Moreover, she believes correctly using word is important for communicating with other and ourselves. It can help you to present your ideas to others clearly. Also, she encourages us to learn more new words. She thinks it can help us to learn more and see more.
Malcolm X is a real example. In the article “SAVED”, the main character Malcolm X, he constantly read a lot of book in prison and books bring him a new world. As he said it “ Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened.” Maxcolm X’s experience is really matched with Marly’s quote. Since He learns a lot of new words, it helped him to communication with others, and it helps him to perceive more new things. Finally, He finds out a lot of useful and correct knowledge from books.
It is very important and hard to expand my vocabulary. Sometime, when read the article, I will write down the new vocabulary for reviewing, but I usually forget it easily. Also, some words’ spelling is really similar. I will get confused when I using these word. I know that learning new words is really important for me. It can help me to write an good essay.
Hi Jingrong, I agree with you that wider our vocabulary not only help us to expanding our worldview, but also increase our critical thinking and critical writing. I want to add something; I think our vocabulary is like our “communication toolbox”, every word is a tool that really for us to use at the right time. The more words we know, the more knowledge we will have. “Words are building blocks of knowledge”.
Mayfield's quote means that using words accurately plays an important role in thinking critically because accurate use of words really helps us to form our thoughts better and express our ideas to others. Besides, understand the words makes us learn more knowledge. Like Mayfield, Malcom X says that words are important for our thinking like when you are reading a book, words can help you to understand the little ideas of the book or thinking of the viewpoints of the author. Mayfield says "know the words for things and experiences helps us see and perceive more." To Malcolm, the learning experience in his life in Charlestown Prison helps him learn new knowledge like people, places, and events from history.
English is my second language so t is difficult for me to use the words correctly. For instance, a word has more than one meaning and I need to tell which one is correct. When I am writing an essay, I need to use a dictionary often to find the words I want and their synonyms so that I do not repeat the word. Sometimes I miss some little ideas of a book and cannot understand the right meaning of a sentence when I skip the words I don't know. In this way, I found that words are powerful and important. In addition, being unsure about the meaning of words will lead you to misunderstand the ideas of the whole sentence. Therefore, expanding our vocabulary is important for us to think and read a book. Seeing what Malcom did for learning new words, I think that copying every word in a dictionary may be a good way to learn words but not an easy way.
Hi ken, Since my vocabulary is pretty poor, I have difficulty to express my emotion or my thought to people whenever I join in the conversation too. For improving it, we should read more book, news. Also, I think we need to write down some vocabularies for reviewing everyday.
Because English is my second language, I experience the same difficulty as you do. Whichever it is speaking, writing or reading, the lack of words always get me frustrated each time I don’t know how to express myself, or I don’t know what others talk to me in English. In this situation, I am trying to expand my vocabulary as possible as I can. Today, even though I haven’t settled the problem essentially, I feel more comfortable in speaking and reading than I did years ago. However, expanding vocabulary is necessary and important for everyone. As we are learning, the growing number of words offers us a more complete way to express ourselves.
Hi ruiqi chen, since I’m a ESL student, I Totally agree with you that English word is so difficult for us to use correctly. Every English word has more than one meaning. It always makes us confused. Yes, being unsure about the meaning of the words will lead us to misunderstand the ideas of the whole sentence. We should improve our vocabulary like Malcom X. He is really great.
Hi Diane Truong,
I agree with you when you wrote that with a limited amount of vocabulary equals a limited amount of self expression and telling fun, exciting stories. We need to expend vocabulary and enlarge our knowledge. I believe practice can help us in expending vocabulary. When we learn new words from the book, we can try to use them in our daily lives. Sometimes, we may understand the meaning the words, but we don’t know how to express them. We can practice words through communication with others. The more we practice, the more we know.
Hello, Jessica.
I like your statement that " when we know more words, the knowledge door is open and there is more opportunities for you." It is true that when we learn more new words, we know more knowledge because words can connect our thinking to the ideas of the book we have read. In addition, words are tools for us to communicate with others and seek new views. Knowledge comes from books which contains many different words. When we understand more words, it is easier for us to think deeply, express our feeling and ideas accurately, and gain new things from materials that we can read.
Thank you.
Ruiqi Chen
Mayfield’s quote means if you don’t have a varied vocabulary you are at a great disadvantage in life. If you don’t have a large vocabulary and an accurate understanding of the words you do know, it can be very difficult to communicate with others. People with a varied vocabulary are looked at as more knowledgeable and usually perceived to be better educated than a person with a limited vocabulary. The connection in the quote “Saved” is when Malcolm X realizes he wasn’t in the English language. Malcolm X wanted to write letter’s to Elijah Muhammad but realized he couldn’t because the only words he knew where slang. This is in direct connection with the quote from Marlys Mayfield says, “Words enable us to communicate with others and ourselves.” In the quote “Saved” Malcolm X did not have a varied vocabulary so he was unable to communicate with others in an articulate manner. I discovered the importance of expanding my vocabulary because I enjoy reading. There are times when I’m reading a book and I don’t understand a word or know what it means’s in a certain context and I turn to a dictionary to get further clarification. This has helped me to expand my vocabulary.
I think Mayfied in the quote means a broad and varied word will enable us to think and express the concepts or ideas more precision. It helps us to improve our communication skill because as we state our thought, we can express our complicated ideas easily and convey our meaning exactly by knowing how and when to use these words. Vocabulary comprehension also helps us understand better about the information, message that other people are saying. This gives us opportunity to establish ourselves as an educated people. The connections can be drawn from the quote to "Saved” is words can help us to increases chances of success like Malcolm X. He wrote a million words in his tablet, writing letters; and reading by understanding a million of the book that located in the library until three or four every morning, although the light was off during the rest of his time in Norfolk Prison Colony. His hardworking is as big as his success has been. The more words I know the more I know the world. By building my vocabulary, I will have more confidence to communication and create a good rapport, credible with other people.
Hi Jessica,
I agree with your post “. Knowing words means knowing knowledge which means having a clear understanding on what somebody is trying to say.” I agree with this because if you don’t know words you don’t have knowledge and are unable to communicate or get your point across.
Our choices of words would affect the meaning we want to express. Sometimes, people didn’t express their thought accurately because they used inappropriate words. Mistake takes place when the ideas can’t be delivered correctly. Therefore, if we know more and more vocabularies, we could communicate with people and understand the world better and better. To achieve this, all we need to do is to learn, just as Malcolm X. In Malcom X’s “Saved”, he kept studying words from dictionary. As an outcome, he gained knowledge. He also learnt history and events from the dictionary, a “miniature encyclopedia (73)”. He learnt lots of words, so he can read more and more. All before that, he was a prison and had limited education. All through his learning, he said “I never had been so truly free in my life (73).”
Expanding my vocabulary is very importance to my education, career, and life. I can’t write a good essay with limited choices of words. I can’t communicate with people well in my career and life without a great capacity of vocabulary. This is because I can’t express my thought correctly and freely. It will block my way to success.
To Xiao Mei Li,
I agree with what you said that "expanding our vocabulary with help us easy to communicate with others and increase the level of comprehension in which will improve our critical thinking and critical writing." The more vocabulary words we know the stronger our thinking, writing, and communication skills get.
Hi, Kimhung
Thanks for your comment.
English is very different from my language so I have a hard time to learn and memorize vocabularies. When I just came here, I have tried to learn more words by copying new words from newspapers and books. And using this method, I really learned a lot of vocabularies. What about you? Have you used this method before? Can you share your learning experience with me?
I totally agree with you that “a limited amount of vocabulary equals a limited amount of self expression” because my vocabulary is very poor, and I always have a difficulty on telling what I want to say. I sometimes feel lack of confidences as my insufficient English. We have to push ourselves harder to improve and learn more vocabulary in order to build up a strong English skill.
Hi Ruiqi Chen,
I agree with you that "copying every word in a dictionary may be a good way to learn words but not an easy way." I tried that before when I was in High school. The ESL class teacher assigned student to copy and memorize vocabularies from a dictionary everyday. It does require a lot of patience, just as you said that it is good but not easy.
I agree with Marlys Mayfield's quote. Words can improve ourselves and make ourselves wealth. The meaning of “wealth” is our knowledge, experiences and the way we communicate with others. As Mayfield said,"Words enable us to communicate with others and ourselves."
There is a great example that shows us “An Accurate use of words improves our thinking."In our life, there is a big different between the high educated people and uneducated people. The high educated person reads more books and understands more reality of the society. The way he/ she communicates with others is totally different with the uneducated people. He/She is more knowledgeable and polite. For example, when you first talks to someone, you will definitely know a little bit which kind of person he is, educated or uneducated.
There is also a courage example from the article “Saved" by Malcolm X. This article is talked about Malcolm X, who got into the prison and finally saved himself. What is meaning of the "Saved" in this article? That means "improve, start again." After Malcolm X discovered how useful is the dictionary is, he started to learn the new vocabularies from the dictionary. Even though he was in the prison, but he didn’t give up himself. Oppositely, he started to enhance himself to prepare a new life. The important thing wasn’t he learned a lot new words from the dictionary; it was the words brought him to a new life. Words is magic, it can bring you the new messages and principles. Word is treasure, it never makes people depressed, but it raises people up.
I think Mayfield is trying to persuade us to learn more words. She thinks that enriching our vocabulary helps us to communicate with each other. We can also express ourselves clearly and correctly. By knowing more words, we can understand others better like we can read faster.
I think the best way to learn more words is by reading, just like what Malcolm X did before. And, reading is not just skimming the paragraph and look up dictionary when you see an unfamiliar word. In my opinion, learning the meaning of the word is not enough. You should also understand the context of the book. That way, you would know how and when to use the word.
Malcolm X read a lot of books in prison. He used the dictionary as a tool to help him understanding the word. He also copied the word that he looked up to. It is like creating his own vocabulary journal. Later on, he did not have to rely on the dictionary and the tablet. He remembered the meaning of the word and he can understand the book better. Linking to what Mayfield said, knowing more vocabulary helps us to understand everything better. Reading and understanding more, he started to establish his own way of thinking.
As English is my second language, I sometimes find difficulties in writing. Words are repeatedly used. Often time it is hard for me to use synonyms to replace the word. On top of that, some of the words used are not accurate in meaning. Few teachers think that my essay is vague and some of the word choice is not very good. Building my vocabulary is very essential to me as well as other ESL students. We can write better essay if we know more words. It is also a good way to express ourselves as knowing more words can help with our speaking and listening skill too.
I totally agree with you, Kailin. Lack of vocabularies diminishes our communication skills. I think most of the second language speakers have the same problem. It is that they would do translation in their mind before they say something. At least, this is what I did before I speak. Sometimes, we are stuck when we don’t know how to say the word or express ourselves. If we learn more words, the situation would be better. The best way is probably by reading more.
I agree with you that using words accurately is important in critical thinking and writing because it is the advantageous for our thoughts, ideas and the way we communicate with others. Also, I totally agree that English is difficult for the immigrants since we have too limited vocabulary in our heads. We have to find out the meaning of the words that we don’t know so that we can understand the whole paragraph or a book. There is lots of different meaning for each word so we need to memorize and use it correctly in order to improve our writing skill.
In the quote above, Mayfield is saying that learning more words and using accurate words are improving our knowledge and helping us to express our feeling. From his story, we can know that how learning more vocabularies is important. To express ourselves clearly and accurately, we have to learn more words, and after that our communication skill will improve. In that way, we will understand what other’s saying, and we can also response correctly.
As English is my second language, I do have similar experience as Mayfield did. When I first came to America, I had big problems when I talked to people. When I read the newspaper, I can’t understand to the whole idea, and I don’t ever saw most of the words in the newspaper. After that, I started to discovery how learning words important is. I try to learn words by reading books, newsletter and magazines. However, the way to learn English is hard, so I was being lazy. I think copying the whole dictionary is an effective way to learn words, but it is also a tough and painstaking way. I don’t think I will make it, but I admire his effort of learning.
Hi David Nguyen,
I agree with you that learning more words can have a better communication with other people. After I came to America and started to talk to other people, I discovered that I should learn more words. I can’t express my idea to others, and I can’t understand others. Therefore, I start reading more books. I am curious that did you follow what your mom told you to do that rewrite the dictionary. Thanks.
Language is wonderful. In the last class Ms. Wanzo was explaining how people cast judgment based on verbal ability. In defining “sensing” and “perceiving”, she described us sitting down experiencing sensory reactions to her mannerisms and silence and then perceptions based on how she spoke and what she said. Your linguistic structure, allows people to place you on the “social registrar”. In general, a large vocabulary reflects education. Socially there is a huge focus on education and higher education tends to place you higher on the social hierarchy. I think that the language people associate with education is white academic English which is very limiting. People can be very articulate, but certain dialects like colloquialisms and street slang aren’t generally accepted as academic or seen in academic works. Your linguistic ability will effect the social perceptions of those around you because it aids comprehension. Verbal comprehension is the ability to articulate something and have your listener understand it. In this way, a mastery of language allows you to connect with others.
In prison, Malcom X found mental freedom through words and literature. His desire to self educate was to communicate with life outside prison. His fluency in street tongue confined him to a certain social construct and outside that he was lost. When I was living in Honduras my English isolated me completely, and this was my impetus to self educated. Just like Malcom X, I needed mental freedom and I needed to connect and communicate with others. .
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