Communication Skills for Engineers, Second Edition

APPENDIX A

Vocabulary Expansion

THE IMPORTANCE OF VOCABULARY

Though symbols, signs, and gestures are used significantly for human communication, it is basically through words that we think and convey our feelings, ideas, and needs to others. Our understanding of the thoughts of others is largely done through words. This ability to understand and communicate depends to a large extent on the size and accuracy of a person's vocabulary, i.e., the total number of words known and used by the person. In order to speak and write effectively, it is necessary to acquire sufficient and diversified vocabulary. This can be done through extensive listening and reading but this process requires much time before it produces appreciable results. Hence a systematic ...