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Building a Better Vocabulary
What is the difference between specious and spurious? What does the word bombast have to do with cushion stuffing? Would you want to be called a snollygoster?
The hallmark of a powerful vocabulary is not simply knowing many words; rather, it's knowing the exact word to use in a specific context or situation. A great vocabulary can enhance your speaking, writing, and even thinking skills. This course will boost your vocabulary, whether you want to enhance your personal lexicon, write or speak more articulately in professional settings, or advance your knowledge of the English language. For anyone who has ever grasped for the perfect word at a particular moment, this course provides a research-based and enjoyable method for improving your vocabulary.
Building a Better Vocabulary offers an intriguing look at the nuts and bolts of English, teaches you the etymology and morphology - or the history and structure - of words, and delves into the cognitive science behind committing new words to long-term memory. By the end of the 36 enjoyable lectures, you will have a practical framework for continuing to build your vocabulary by discovering new words and fully mastering the nuances of familiar ones.
If you are an avid reader, you may have previously encountered some of the words in this course. But even the most voracious reader will be surprised and delighted by these eye-opening lectures, which delve into the building blocks of the English language and reveal intriguing new nuances to words you thought you knew well. These lectures will kindle a passion for the process by which words are created and for the beauty of the words you read, speak, and hear every day.
The hallmark of a powerful vocabulary is not simply knowing many words; rather, it's knowing the exact word to use in a specific context or situation. A great vocabulary can enhance your speaking, writing, and even thinking skills. This course will boost your vocabulary, whether you want to enhance your personal lexicon, write or speak more articulately in professional settings, or advance your knowledge of the English language. For anyone who has ever grasped for the perfect word at a particular moment, this course provides a research-based and enjoyable method for improving your vocabulary.
Building a Better Vocabulary offers an intriguing look at the nuts and bolts of English, teaches you the etymology and morphology - or the history and structure - of words, and delves into the cognitive science behind committing new words to long-term memory. By the end of the 36 enjoyable lectures, you will have a practical framework for continuing to build your vocabulary by discovering new words and fully mastering the nuances of familiar ones.
If you are an avid reader, you may have previously encountered some of the words in this course. But even the most voracious reader will be surprised and delighted by these eye-opening lectures, which delve into the building blocks of the English language and reveal intriguing new nuances to words you thought you knew well. These lectures will kindle a passion for the process by which words are created and for the beauty of the words you read, speak, and hear every day.
19 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 15, 2015
200 people are currently reading
1002 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Flanigan
13 books30 followersProfessor Kevin Flanigan is a Professor of Education in the Literacy Department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He earned his B.A. in History from Mary Washington College, his M.Ed. from James Madison University, and his M.Ed. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia. After working as a middle grades teacher and reading specialist, he received his Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia, with a dissertation on emergent readers’ developing concept of word in text. In 2011, Professor Flanigan was nominated for the U.S. Professors of the Year Award. In 2009, he and his colleagues at West Chester University received an Educator 500 award for innovative teaching.\r\n Professor Flanigan’s research focuses on developmental word knowledge, vocabulary development and instruction, and interventions for struggling readers. He presents frequently at national and international conferences and works with schools to implement effective literacy instruction. He is coauthor of Words Their Way with Struggling Readers, Vocabulary Their Way (2nd edition), and Developing Word Recognition. Professor Flanigan is on the authorship team for the Vocabulary Their Way middle school program. He has published articles in many professional journals, including The Reading Teacher, the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and the Journal of Literacy Research.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
September 14, 2017
This course is absolutely fantastic.
Professor Kevin Flanagan is a total dork, but he's also utterly irresistible due to his good natured enthusiasm and absolute commitment to this subject.
This course is a shameless display of Flanagan's nerdy, creative genius for instruction.
If you listen to this, and you don't learn a ton of vocabulary and more, it's not for lack of trying on his part.
It's hard to imagine a more enriching, entertaining or inventive audio course on the subject.
I won't torture you with all of the ridiculous words I picked up. But suffice it to say, that I have been killing my poor unfortunate wife, child and coworkers with them, and based on that alone, this thing is fuckin' priceless.
So whether you want to hone your dad jokes, crank up the passive-aggressive content in an e-mail or good reads thread, or simply edify your editorial acumen (mind the awful faux-alliteration), this course is pure gold..
Professor Kevin Flanagan is a total dork, but he's also utterly irresistible due to his good natured enthusiasm and absolute commitment to this subject.
This course is a shameless display of Flanagan's nerdy, creative genius for instruction.
If you listen to this, and you don't learn a ton of vocabulary and more, it's not for lack of trying on his part.
It's hard to imagine a more enriching, entertaining or inventive audio course on the subject.
I won't torture you with all of the ridiculous words I picked up. But suffice it to say, that I have been killing my poor unfortunate wife, child and coworkers with them, and based on that alone, this thing is fuckin' priceless.
So whether you want to hone your dad jokes, crank up the passive-aggressive content in an e-mail or good reads thread, or simply edify your editorial acumen (mind the awful faux-alliteration), this course is pure gold..
May 10, 2018
My favourite Great Courses lecture to date, I'd readily listen to Building A Better Vocabulary again.
The English language is positively fascinating. From these 36 lectures of around 30mins each, we learn about affixes (particular from Greek and Latin) as well as the origins of words and how the meanings have changed throughout history. The lectures are arranged thematically such as a lecture on nasty and nice words, or one for words for the diligent and the lazy. There is one even on words for killing and cutting. Professor Kevin Flanigan laid out the principles of learning vocabulary, such as definition, context, connection and morphology, and utilises these throughout the course to instil these methodologies into the learner.
I truly wished that the course didn't have to end as the material was just immensely engaging. The target words aside, learning about the etymology (origins) and morphology (structure) of the words formed the most interesting aspect of the lectures.
The English language is positively fascinating. From these 36 lectures of around 30mins each, we learn about affixes (particular from Greek and Latin) as well as the origins of words and how the meanings have changed throughout history. The lectures are arranged thematically such as a lecture on nasty and nice words, or one for words for the diligent and the lazy. There is one even on words for killing and cutting. Professor Kevin Flanigan laid out the principles of learning vocabulary, such as definition, context, connection and morphology, and utilises these throughout the course to instil these methodologies into the learner.
I truly wished that the course didn't have to end as the material was just immensely engaging. The target words aside, learning about the etymology (origins) and morphology (structure) of the words formed the most interesting aspect of the lectures.
August 19, 2019
I had to give up on this one. The main reason being that I couldn't commit to the course on the level that the lecturer wanted. I listen while driving and exercising, meaning I get through multiple lectures a day which simply doesn't work here since you need some time between each lecture to try to apply what you've learned.
The first couple of lectures that set up the framework for learning new words was interesting and informative. However, while I expected the course to build on that framework and teach ways of incorporating new words into your vocabulary, the rest of the lectures were filled with the lecturer attempting to drill in new words (the vast majority of which I've never heard of) using his framework.
Seeing as language is used for communication between multiple people, it doesn't really help when you're the only one who knows the meanings of words that you're using. If instead, he had chosen words that are uncommon, but still somewhat used, then I could probably have pushed on in an attempt to brush up on my lexicon. Unfortunately, I got pretty bored at the repetitive nature of the lectures and the frustratingly obscure selection of words he picked. So while I learned a few things, especially a few roots of words that make identifying other words more useful, I can't really recommend this course to anyone unless you want to come across as particularly conceited.
The first couple of lectures that set up the framework for learning new words was interesting and informative. However, while I expected the course to build on that framework and teach ways of incorporating new words into your vocabulary, the rest of the lectures were filled with the lecturer attempting to drill in new words (the vast majority of which I've never heard of) using his framework.
Seeing as language is used for communication between multiple people, it doesn't really help when you're the only one who knows the meanings of words that you're using. If instead, he had chosen words that are uncommon, but still somewhat used, then I could probably have pushed on in an attempt to brush up on my lexicon. Unfortunately, I got pretty bored at the repetitive nature of the lectures and the frustratingly obscure selection of words he picked. So while I learned a few things, especially a few roots of words that make identifying other words more useful, I can't really recommend this course to anyone unless you want to come across as particularly conceited.
September 4, 2016
Another great listen from The Great Courses! If you're looking to expand your vocabulary, Professor Kevin Flanagan has the tools to help you do so! A real sockdolager!
December 12, 2015
How to build better vocabulary by Professor Kevin Flanigan is an interesting audio book that discusses how one doesn’t have to force themselves to learn new words. One can use the dimmer switch methodology to master english vocabulary. It is similar to using the dimmer switch at our homes which increases the brightness of the light from nothing to full.
The principles he suggests for effective vocabulary learning is as follows:
Define the word
Place the word in Context
Make personal connections to the word from your life relating to a person/thing/incident or likewise - This would help you keep that word in your memory for long
Trying figuring out the etymology of the word > try finding relative words closer to the new word > link the meaning of the relative word and try figuring out the meaning of the new word
He discusses lot of words that describe various human emotions like love, bitterness, cussing, pride, and a whole other lot words that describe common emotions on a regular basis.
What about words that are difficult to spell and pronounce?
The interesting part is he discusses the reason why we find is easy to spell words like “nibberflutz” in comparison with “tfzlbnrpiue”
People can spell “nibberflutz” correctly even though they might not have heard it, because it's not a real word.
But why is nibberflutz easier to spell compared to tfzlbnrpiue?
Because the human mind relates better to patterns.
This is the reason you spell or come closer to how nibberflutz is spelt on hearing it - even for the first time.
Furthermore, he discusses words that were once in use, but we have eventually forgotten them.
He discusses the last minutes of President Lincoln before being assassinated and describes the killer as a sockdolager - a noun referring to a strong final blow / powerful punch.
An extremely descriptive book.
The principles he suggests for effective vocabulary learning is as follows:
Define the word
Place the word in Context
Make personal connections to the word from your life relating to a person/thing/incident or likewise - This would help you keep that word in your memory for long
Trying figuring out the etymology of the word > try finding relative words closer to the new word > link the meaning of the relative word and try figuring out the meaning of the new word
He discusses lot of words that describe various human emotions like love, bitterness, cussing, pride, and a whole other lot words that describe common emotions on a regular basis.
What about words that are difficult to spell and pronounce?
The interesting part is he discusses the reason why we find is easy to spell words like “nibberflutz” in comparison with “tfzlbnrpiue”
People can spell “nibberflutz” correctly even though they might not have heard it, because it's not a real word.
But why is nibberflutz easier to spell compared to tfzlbnrpiue?
Because the human mind relates better to patterns.
This is the reason you spell or come closer to how nibberflutz is spelt on hearing it - even for the first time.
Furthermore, he discusses words that were once in use, but we have eventually forgotten them.
He discusses the last minutes of President Lincoln before being assassinated and describes the killer as a sockdolager - a noun referring to a strong final blow / powerful punch.
An extremely descriptive book.
August 3, 2015
Love this book. I became fan of Prof. Kevin Flanigan's narration. Learning fancy words and practising them flawlessly is tedious. I remember didactic hours of classroom. But , first time this book paves path of leaning in an enthusiastic , an interesting way. Starting from explanations of "5 principles of learning" , "Dimmer Switch phenomenon" , till Hobson's choice this book deem , it's worthy of reading. I like the chapters "spelling-meaning connection, Cranky Vs Cool words, fascinating stories behind words, words english borrowed never returned" etc... I never felt indolent when I travel into this book. As words picked by Kevin , are interesting , I smile at my own tortuous logic often ;) Skill test on every chapter , really admir'able':) It's not much tendentious reading. I really enjoyed it & feel like learned something.
May 21, 2022
From a relatively long course, there are probably only 20 some words that are likely to stick. That's not a lot for so many hours. However, the tools discussed to better build one's vocabulary are certainly worth the time and effort.
January 28, 2018
I most loved the lectures about high-frequency roots and the alphabet-pattern-meaning layers of spelling. He covers a lot of roots and affixes throughout, but the ones I learned best were from the root-specific lectures. I never realized there were specific differences between dis-, dys-, de-, and ab-, but they actually mean different things. And the "layers" lecture was different and fascinating to me.
However, as engaging as the course is, a lot of the words still didn't stick. Often I couldn't tell what sounds/syllables he was saying, and it's hard to analyze a word and find patterns when I can't figure out the spelling. Yes there's a PDF, and yes he tells you to keep a vocabulary notebook--but I only listen to audiobooks when I can't use a physical book (when I'm working or driving). And let's be honest, after listening for several hours, I'm not going to get home from work and read a PDF of all those same lectures again. I did stop to write down new words I particularly loved, but for the most part I only remember the prefixes and a few roots.
However, as engaging as the course is, a lot of the words still didn't stick. Often I couldn't tell what sounds/syllables he was saying, and it's hard to analyze a word and find patterns when I can't figure out the spelling. Yes there's a PDF, and yes he tells you to keep a vocabulary notebook--but I only listen to audiobooks when I can't use a physical book (when I'm working or driving). And let's be honest, after listening for several hours, I'm not going to get home from work and read a PDF of all those same lectures again. I did stop to write down new words I particularly loved, but for the most part I only remember the prefixes and a few roots.
September 9, 2015
Great book. I would always love to learn new words, their meanings, and try to use them in my conversations. That interest made me to choose this book. I'm glad this book helped me to add some more words into my vocabulary stack. I enjoyed reading each chapter of this book, technically its not reading, its listening to a lecture. Author teaches very well about the ways of learning new words which helps to store them in our long-term memory. The process of learning includes 1. Knowing the definition of the word, 2. Context, 3. Making connections between new words and known words, 4. Learning Morphology of the word (basically structure of word), 5. Effective way of chunking the words semantically while storing them in brain.
These steps really helps when we try to learn new words. I'm on my way continuing learning and use new words in my conversations. Thanks.
These steps really helps when we try to learn new words. I'm on my way continuing learning and use new words in my conversations. Thanks.
September 14, 2021
Content: between 3.5-4.0, depending on section.
Presentation: 1.5-2.0
Accompanying notes/transcript with bibliography: 4.5
Some Great Courses are better in video, others better in audio, and a very few have presenters who are so annoying or distracting that it's better to just read the course transcripts. This one falls in between the last two for me. The content was pretty good, but I was ready to reach through the screen and give the presenter a good shake by about the tenth (of 36) lectures. What ended up happening is that I stopped watching around lecture 12, stopped listening around lecture 31, and just read the transcript for the final five lectures.
No doubt he's a genuinely nice guy and knows his field well, but the professor used a tone that implies he's more used to talking to children (or small pets) than addressing adults. These are supposed to be university level classes, so I find it annoying to be talked at in a sing-songy voice with highly exaggerated stresses/inflection. (That didn't go over well with me even in elementary school.) Meanwhile, his hand gestures are equally excessive, as if he's trying to mime or pretend sign language. About once every sentence, he sort of squats to stress a word. Genuflecting? Deep knee bends? I have no idea, but it is both distracting and annoying.
The content, OTOH, is good, although not quite what I expected. I was hoping for more etymology and information on how to tease out fine distinctions/meanings from unknown words. There is a little of this, but the majority present 8-10 words by subject and how to use them. The words presented are unusual, but not so much that they are unknown. I think there were only a half dozen that were completely new to me, and those were so specific (and archaic) that I can't imagine anyone really using them. (Can you really think of a non-asinine way to bring "Brobdingnagian" into general conversation?) Still, there are bits of trivia about the word choices -- especially the ones gleaned from literature -- that were fun. I preferred the sections on Latin/Greek roots, spelling, word games, and loan words over the vocabulary lists.
Presentation: 1.5-2.0
Accompanying notes/transcript with bibliography: 4.5
Some Great Courses are better in video, others better in audio, and a very few have presenters who are so annoying or distracting that it's better to just read the course transcripts. This one falls in between the last two for me. The content was pretty good, but I was ready to reach through the screen and give the presenter a good shake by about the tenth (of 36) lectures. What ended up happening is that I stopped watching around lecture 12, stopped listening around lecture 31, and just read the transcript for the final five lectures.
No doubt he's a genuinely nice guy and knows his field well, but the professor used a tone that implies he's more used to talking to children (or small pets) than addressing adults. These are supposed to be university level classes, so I find it annoying to be talked at in a sing-songy voice with highly exaggerated stresses/inflection. (That didn't go over well with me even in elementary school.) Meanwhile, his hand gestures are equally excessive, as if he's trying to mime or pretend sign language. About once every sentence, he sort of squats to stress a word. Genuflecting? Deep knee bends? I have no idea, but it is both distracting and annoying.
The content, OTOH, is good, although not quite what I expected. I was hoping for more etymology and information on how to tease out fine distinctions/meanings from unknown words. There is a little of this, but the majority present 8-10 words by subject and how to use them. The words presented are unusual, but not so much that they are unknown. I think there were only a half dozen that were completely new to me, and those were so specific (and archaic) that I can't imagine anyone really using them. (Can you really think of a non-asinine way to bring "Brobdingnagian" into general conversation?) Still, there are bits of trivia about the word choices -- especially the ones gleaned from literature -- that were fun. I preferred the sections on Latin/Greek roots, spelling, word games, and loan words over the vocabulary lists.
August 31, 2019
This audiobook is good for one of two purposes: 1) you're a college student actively looking to expand your vocabulary for direct use and you maintain a vocabulary notebook as the author suggests, and you probably only listen to one or two lessons at once, or 2) you're looking to expose yourself to more vocabulary but not necessarily retain all of it, as you're simply hoping to be able to recognize some of these words if you happen to run across them later.
For my use in listening to audiobooks while in the car and at work, this audiobook wasn't a great fit for me because I couldn't always write down all the "target words" in order to keep studying, etc. later. And it really annoyed me that he never spelled any of the target words because there were several occasions when I had never heard the word before and could only make a vague guess about how it was spelled, which isn't very effective for retention. I think there may be an accompanying pdf available but if I don't have the chance to right down all the words, I hardly have the time to go over the pdf later. I tried to write everything down during the first half and gave up for the second half, but even though I don't have a (badly spelled) word list for the second half, I actually enjoyed listening to it more because I wasn't worried about remembering every single target word.
Despite my personal issues with this course, Flanigan is obviously a very knowledgeable person about linguistics and word usage and he generally does a great job of explaining how words are used in context. I saw one reviewer comment that his examples weren't applicable to her personally as a reader to which I say, "Duh." Obviously his own stories and how they relate to vocabulary don't have anything to do with your life, but he says many times to think of a similar story of your own to help you better remember a word. His reading voice was good, although to be honest there were 2-3 non-target words that I think he may have mispronounced, which is pretty amusing considering the nature of the course.
For my use in listening to audiobooks while in the car and at work, this audiobook wasn't a great fit for me because I couldn't always write down all the "target words" in order to keep studying, etc. later. And it really annoyed me that he never spelled any of the target words because there were several occasions when I had never heard the word before and could only make a vague guess about how it was spelled, which isn't very effective for retention. I think there may be an accompanying pdf available but if I don't have the chance to right down all the words, I hardly have the time to go over the pdf later. I tried to write everything down during the first half and gave up for the second half, but even though I don't have a (badly spelled) word list for the second half, I actually enjoyed listening to it more because I wasn't worried about remembering every single target word.
Despite my personal issues with this course, Flanigan is obviously a very knowledgeable person about linguistics and word usage and he generally does a great job of explaining how words are used in context. I saw one reviewer comment that his examples weren't applicable to her personally as a reader to which I say, "Duh." Obviously his own stories and how they relate to vocabulary don't have anything to do with your life, but he says many times to think of a similar story of your own to help you better remember a word. His reading voice was good, although to be honest there were 2-3 non-target words that I think he may have mispronounced, which is pretty amusing considering the nature of the course.
September 30, 2022
4.5 stars. Professor Flanigan is great. He introduces a ton of words and provides a lot of great ways to remember them. The only thing keeping this from being 5 stars for me... did I really need to invest 18 hours into this level of detail? I'm a big fan of language, and a big non-fiction geek in general. but hot damn, not gonna lie... I questioned this decision a few times. But like a good workout, no matter how grueling, it's satisfying when it's over. And while some words were obscure, all the attention paid to Latin and Greek roots should pay off.
BTW, if you liked this course, The Secret Life of Words by Anne Curzan is amazing.
BTW, if you liked this course, The Secret Life of Words by Anne Curzan is amazing.
June 8, 2023
Wish he would spell the words. Since it was audio book, spelling would’ve helped to find the word alongside.
Anyways, overall the book was quite light hearted and entertaining; yet quite a few times he forcefully brings along a word that one can’t expect to use often.
Anyways, overall the book was quite light hearted and entertaining; yet quite a few times he forcefully brings along a word that one can’t expect to use often.
May 22, 2025
He covers very interesting concepts.
February 23, 2025
Wanna hear a fun fact?
A group or gathering of crows is called a murder.
Did you know that already?
If you did (like I have, since I was about 8), does knowing the fact already make a “fun fact” feel kinda like a “stupid fact”?
This is how vocabulary works, too.
As you browse the General Store of Words, you see any word you don't know as Novel and Valuable tools. You'll grab them and shove them into your bag of supplies for the perilous journey ahead. When your eyes (or ears) fall upon any word of which you are already familiar, you look at it with scorn and think “why is that even HERE?”
I casually perused other reviews for this course and a lot of people refer to the words being obscure or difficult. Other people thought it was the best course they've ever listened to, worth multiple re-listens. When I was initially listening I was thinking “I can tell this guy teaches fifth and sixth graders… this vocab list seems fit for that age group”
If I am being honest I knew few of these words in 5th-6th grade. I probably learned MOST of the ones I DO know because I have studied for the GRE (if you compare vocab lists, you'll see a fair amount of overlap), because I am very familiar with Greek mythology (niche interest), I have taken a single year of Latin (in 7th grade), and because I have a background in science (I have learned many of the roots and affixes just by extensive exposure/examples).
But Vocab Lists aside, this course on “building a better vocabulary” is not ONLY a course that drills students with an extensive vocabulary list; it is A course that expands your vocabulary by teaching a list of words while illustrating a set of SKILLS that are effective for broadening your vocabulary.
Unfortunately, I already employ every single one of the suggested skills in my daily life. To illustrate this, here is a message I sent to a friend (as testament) after I started the course:
“I'm listening to a course on how to improve your vocab. It suggests keeping a list of written words (which I already have. So I decided I'd just add to that, cool).
Then it mentioned, as if we're supposed to be surprised, that 75 percent of words have Greek or Latin roots and 90 percent of science words have them. I was like. Yeah. Which is why I have an edge on vocab, despite not being an English major or whatever.
But okay, then the name of the course is "building a better vocab" so it suggests becoming familiar with those roots, which is a thing I have actively done and continue to do.
Then he suggested if you are learning vocab, looking up the etymology can help.
I literally do this. One word I had a hard time remembering was the meaning of quixotic.
I kept thinking of "exotic" and a different word "quoditoan"
So I looked it up (recently) and it comes from Don Quixote
It means "exceedingly idealistic”
So that super helps"
[Note: this was sent before that came up as one of the vocab words in the course]
"But okay.
Another thing he suggested was using a mnemonic
Okay literally the other day I was playing Free Rice and doing geography and looking at Central America.
I was trying to remember which country is where so I decided to make my own mnemonic
Gay Eels in Hondas use Nicotine Constantly.
It's silly so it's easier to remember and even if you don't know the system it makes some sense.
Gay= Guatemala
Eel = El Salvador
Hondas = Hondura
Nicotine = Nicaragua
Constantly = Costa Rica
Okay then he gave us a list of words at one point and asked us to remember them.
Then write them down.
When I listened I noticed he said taco, enchilada, burrito (not in a row) and several sports. And some names.
So I grouped things in my head in categories. Sports. Names. "Mexican" food.
That's called semantic chunking
The second time he gave the words he changed the order and put them in “semantic chunks” and we're supposed to be like “woah! So much easier!”
And I was like...oh… Lol I already did that
So okay.
All the tricks.
Got it.
Nice.
I'll benefit from the vocab list.
But literally then he's going through the vocab list and I swear there has been maybe 5 words out of a hundred or more (so far) that aren't GRE words that I already know.
Like ones I've literally studied.
Like. Bellicose and Quoditian and Venial and Factitious...”
So.
I think this might be one of the lowest ratings I have given anything from the Great Courses (???). And that's not because this was SO TERRIBLE but because everything else is better.
I had a hard time getting through this. Honestly , I'm just over half of the way through. It was not for me.
Every other course I was able to listen to while I did other things (like cleaned or drove) and I tried to do that with this course but it really is pretty useless if you do it that way. It is presented with the assumption that you will be sitting down, with your "vocabulary notebook" in front of you, and writing down what he tells you to write. I can get through most other courses in 2-4 days. I have had this for 21 days and I haven't been able to get much further than half of the way.
Another issue I had with the course was the way the instructor talks. I don't mean his voice or accent or anything petty like that...but he says almost everything as if he's pausing to give "the class" a chance to give an answer. He does this even when he's telling a personal story or giving a definition. He does this even when he says something we would have no reason to know the ~answer~ to.
At first it was fine but after a few hours of listening I found myself actually becoming slightly enraged (a rare thing, I normally grow to find people's speech patterns charming and endearing).
For example :
"If you had a winning lottery ticket
[short pause]
worth 2 million dollars,
[short pause]
would you start hobnobbing [short pause]
with the
[long pause]
hoi paloi?
[long pause]"
I hate to criticize that sort of thing but. Combined with everything else, it really made me frustrated. I put it on double speed and the pauses were still there.
I'd suggest looking up a PDF of the "course guide" which has a vocab list at the end (try googling”building a better vocabulary course guide PDF” or message me) to see if the content looks like something you'd benefit from (read: the words are not too hard OR too basic).
And I honestly would not suggest this particular course UNLESS you intended to take it like a regular class: to sit silently at a desk or table with paper in front of you, taking notes.
Otherwise, you're mostly wasting your time.
A group or gathering of crows is called a murder.
Did you know that already?
If you did (like I have, since I was about 8), does knowing the fact already make a “fun fact” feel kinda like a “stupid fact”?
This is how vocabulary works, too.
As you browse the General Store of Words, you see any word you don't know as Novel and Valuable tools. You'll grab them and shove them into your bag of supplies for the perilous journey ahead. When your eyes (or ears) fall upon any word of which you are already familiar, you look at it with scorn and think “why is that even HERE?”
I casually perused other reviews for this course and a lot of people refer to the words being obscure or difficult. Other people thought it was the best course they've ever listened to, worth multiple re-listens. When I was initially listening I was thinking “I can tell this guy teaches fifth and sixth graders… this vocab list seems fit for that age group”
If I am being honest I knew few of these words in 5th-6th grade. I probably learned MOST of the ones I DO know because I have studied for the GRE (if you compare vocab lists, you'll see a fair amount of overlap), because I am very familiar with Greek mythology (niche interest), I have taken a single year of Latin (in 7th grade), and because I have a background in science (I have learned many of the roots and affixes just by extensive exposure/examples).
But Vocab Lists aside, this course on “building a better vocabulary” is not ONLY a course that drills students with an extensive vocabulary list; it is A course that expands your vocabulary by teaching a list of words while illustrating a set of SKILLS that are effective for broadening your vocabulary.
Unfortunately, I already employ every single one of the suggested skills in my daily life. To illustrate this, here is a message I sent to a friend (as testament) after I started the course:
“I'm listening to a course on how to improve your vocab. It suggests keeping a list of written words (which I already have. So I decided I'd just add to that, cool).
Then it mentioned, as if we're supposed to be surprised, that 75 percent of words have Greek or Latin roots and 90 percent of science words have them. I was like. Yeah. Which is why I have an edge on vocab, despite not being an English major or whatever.
But okay, then the name of the course is "building a better vocab" so it suggests becoming familiar with those roots, which is a thing I have actively done and continue to do.
Then he suggested if you are learning vocab, looking up the etymology can help.
I literally do this. One word I had a hard time remembering was the meaning of quixotic.
I kept thinking of "exotic" and a different word "quoditoan"
So I looked it up (recently) and it comes from Don Quixote
It means "exceedingly idealistic”
So that super helps"
[Note: this was sent before that came up as one of the vocab words in the course]
"But okay.
Another thing he suggested was using a mnemonic
Okay literally the other day I was playing Free Rice and doing geography and looking at Central America.
I was trying to remember which country is where so I decided to make my own mnemonic
Gay Eels in Hondas use Nicotine Constantly.
It's silly so it's easier to remember and even if you don't know the system it makes some sense.
Gay= Guatemala
Eel = El Salvador
Hondas = Hondura
Nicotine = Nicaragua
Constantly = Costa Rica
Okay then he gave us a list of words at one point and asked us to remember them.
Then write them down.
When I listened I noticed he said taco, enchilada, burrito (not in a row) and several sports. And some names.
So I grouped things in my head in categories. Sports. Names. "Mexican" food.
That's called semantic chunking
The second time he gave the words he changed the order and put them in “semantic chunks” and we're supposed to be like “woah! So much easier!”
And I was like...oh… Lol I already did that
So okay.
All the tricks.
Got it.
Nice.
I'll benefit from the vocab list.
But literally then he's going through the vocab list and I swear there has been maybe 5 words out of a hundred or more (so far) that aren't GRE words that I already know.
Like ones I've literally studied.
Like. Bellicose and Quoditian and Venial and Factitious...”
So.
I think this might be one of the lowest ratings I have given anything from the Great Courses (???). And that's not because this was SO TERRIBLE but because everything else is better.
I had a hard time getting through this. Honestly , I'm just over half of the way through. It was not for me.
Every other course I was able to listen to while I did other things (like cleaned or drove) and I tried to do that with this course but it really is pretty useless if you do it that way. It is presented with the assumption that you will be sitting down, with your "vocabulary notebook" in front of you, and writing down what he tells you to write. I can get through most other courses in 2-4 days. I have had this for 21 days and I haven't been able to get much further than half of the way.
Another issue I had with the course was the way the instructor talks. I don't mean his voice or accent or anything petty like that...but he says almost everything as if he's pausing to give "the class" a chance to give an answer. He does this even when he's telling a personal story or giving a definition. He does this even when he says something we would have no reason to know the ~answer~ to.
At first it was fine but after a few hours of listening I found myself actually becoming slightly enraged (a rare thing, I normally grow to find people's speech patterns charming and endearing).
For example :
"If you had a winning lottery ticket
[short pause]
worth 2 million dollars,
[short pause]
would you start hobnobbing [short pause]
with the
[long pause]
hoi paloi?
[long pause]"
I hate to criticize that sort of thing but. Combined with everything else, it really made me frustrated. I put it on double speed and the pauses were still there.
I'd suggest looking up a PDF of the "course guide" which has a vocab list at the end (try googling”building a better vocabulary course guide PDF” or message me) to see if the content looks like something you'd benefit from (read: the words are not too hard OR too basic).
And I honestly would not suggest this particular course UNLESS you intended to take it like a regular class: to sit silently at a desk or table with paper in front of you, taking notes.
Otherwise, you're mostly wasting your time.
June 23, 2016
Rather than simply presenting a lifeless list of new or unfamiliar words, Flanigan instead arms you with tools to analyze word parts, commit new words to memory, and to ensure you keep your ears and eyes open for useful new words going forward. A relentlessly cheerful seeming man, Flanigan clearly loves spending his working life in the world of words, and that enthusiasm is likely to catch on in the person who engages with this.
July 2, 2016
These CD's are constantly checked out at Mary Stiles Library in Falls Church. Now he is my brother and I enjoy some of family stories in here but the recording is well liked by many. There is some homework but sadly I did not do it since I was never as good a student as Kevin.
Check it out!
Check it out!
January 7, 2020
Useful, but some of the words discussed are very unlikely to be used in my daily conversation.
July 10, 2021
Word nerds are my new favorite people. I’ll have to read this one a few times.
March 27, 2019
The author is able to capture the process that goes behind building and retaining a vocabulary.
He gives five different ways of creating a vocabulary toolkit
1. Through Context - building meaning from experiences
2. Etymology - Building meaning through roots - Connections
3. Morphology - Connecting spellings with meaning
4. Semantic Chunking - Organizing word trees, such that they are all have pointers and recollectable
5. Definition - A precise meaning and usage.
This is great, and you can get this from the very first lecture or two. The rest of the thirty lectures are utter waste of time. Because you realize that there are a few pitfalls with this theory.
1. Context is unique to a person, his context will never become mine. You cannot force context into a person. Unless both of you share the same experience together, a book, a movie or a play or an audio concert, or music is the exception to this rule. Thus this context must be built in, custom built by the user who wants to remember the word.
2. Etymology - Trying to remember a word, through its roots seems a nice strategy, and there is a book exclusively based out of this concept. The Word Power made easy by Lewis Norman.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
After a while you realize that not all words have roots, and it becomes extremely difficult to identify the root, or remembering the roots itself becomes a hassle, and you expect the word to have one root, unfortunately it belongs to another root. There are too many similar roots etc.. Moreover this will only cause more confusion than clarity about words. This method of learning words never helps your vocabulary!
3. Morphology - remembering words which are related in some form or another will not guarantee that you would be able to use those related words. Slowly but surely you will forget all these associations because these associations lack context or any strong link to hold them together except that they are similar or have a common root or that they mean the same or look the same. This will not help you provide long term association.
4. Word Tree - or arranging words in meaningful order. This seems to have some merit but yet again, how long can you derive meaning out of utterly meaning less words. Meaning or Semantic can never be infused artificially i.e. the meaning or the rules guiding this tree must happen organically. I will give an example - "How do you know these two words, belong in this order together? " - Because you have attended a play where the hero and the heroine exchange these two sentences in the exact same order and that becomes your semantic order! This you cannot build artificially, it has to happen organically!
5. Definition - works but we rarely remember a word and its definition. We only remember the word by usage and Context or the experiences unique to a person as stated above, remembering the meaning of the word will not guarantee usage.
What is interesting is that the author has used two terms perceptive vocabulary - the vocabulary which you can recognize vs receptive vocabulary - or the vocabulary that you can actually use. This is an important distinction between vocabulary which is much needed.
I appreciate the author for the intense amount of research that he has expended to understand these underlying principles, never the less his efforts related to words, are his own i.e. they can't be transferred to others. His experiences related to that word are his own, they can't be taught to his wards.
Thus the thirty lectures that follow, are extremely useless, unfortunately language is extremely complex and complicated, and can't be explicitly captured. Language is a path that each individual has to reinvent for himself, the way one individual learns knowledge never matches the way the other does, the same happens for semantics that are associated with respect to the language.
He gives five different ways of creating a vocabulary toolkit
1. Through Context - building meaning from experiences
2. Etymology - Building meaning through roots - Connections
3. Morphology - Connecting spellings with meaning
4. Semantic Chunking - Organizing word trees, such that they are all have pointers and recollectable
5. Definition - A precise meaning and usage.
This is great, and you can get this from the very first lecture or two. The rest of the thirty lectures are utter waste of time. Because you realize that there are a few pitfalls with this theory.
1. Context is unique to a person, his context will never become mine. You cannot force context into a person. Unless both of you share the same experience together, a book, a movie or a play or an audio concert, or music is the exception to this rule. Thus this context must be built in, custom built by the user who wants to remember the word.
2. Etymology - Trying to remember a word, through its roots seems a nice strategy, and there is a book exclusively based out of this concept. The Word Power made easy by Lewis Norman.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
After a while you realize that not all words have roots, and it becomes extremely difficult to identify the root, or remembering the roots itself becomes a hassle, and you expect the word to have one root, unfortunately it belongs to another root. There are too many similar roots etc.. Moreover this will only cause more confusion than clarity about words. This method of learning words never helps your vocabulary!
3. Morphology - remembering words which are related in some form or another will not guarantee that you would be able to use those related words. Slowly but surely you will forget all these associations because these associations lack context or any strong link to hold them together except that they are similar or have a common root or that they mean the same or look the same. This will not help you provide long term association.
4. Word Tree - or arranging words in meaningful order. This seems to have some merit but yet again, how long can you derive meaning out of utterly meaning less words. Meaning or Semantic can never be infused artificially i.e. the meaning or the rules guiding this tree must happen organically. I will give an example - "How do you know these two words, belong in this order together? " - Because you have attended a play where the hero and the heroine exchange these two sentences in the exact same order and that becomes your semantic order! This you cannot build artificially, it has to happen organically!
5. Definition - works but we rarely remember a word and its definition. We only remember the word by usage and Context or the experiences unique to a person as stated above, remembering the meaning of the word will not guarantee usage.
What is interesting is that the author has used two terms perceptive vocabulary - the vocabulary which you can recognize vs receptive vocabulary - or the vocabulary that you can actually use. This is an important distinction between vocabulary which is much needed.
I appreciate the author for the intense amount of research that he has expended to understand these underlying principles, never the less his efforts related to words, are his own i.e. they can't be transferred to others. His experiences related to that word are his own, they can't be taught to his wards.
Thus the thirty lectures that follow, are extremely useless, unfortunately language is extremely complex and complicated, and can't be explicitly captured. Language is a path that each individual has to reinvent for himself, the way one individual learns knowledge never matches the way the other does, the same happens for semantics that are associated with respect to the language.
March 30, 2018
Kevin shares a great strategy for expanding vocabulary. It involves getting a word’s definition, hearing or seeing it in context (scenarios or sentences are provided), making connections (applying the word to someone or something in your own life), examining the word’s etymology and/or morphology (how did the word join the English language and what path has it taken since it did, and semantic chunking (classifying the word in a subject category [we librarians love this stuff]). He also tells us to start a vocabulary notebook, writing all these things down for each word.
Kevin says there’s a debate as to how many words are in the English language and it depends on whether you count the words with their affixes separately, but that the Oxford English Dictionary has about 600,000. He says the average high school graduate knows 25-50 thousand words and the average college graduate knows 75 thousand. Learning words isn’t done in a flash, but rather, iteratively—a person generally needs to encounter a word about 15 times before being comfortable enough to adopt it---so I figured I’d probably have to listen to this book more than once. Even the third time I heard words that hadn’t sunk in the first two times—even to the point where, had I not known better, I probably would have sworn I’d never heard them. The stories he tells to get the words in context are entertaining . . .the first two times. By the third time I confess to fast forwarding through a couple of them. . .and not a big fan of games, I fast forwarded through the chapter on teaming up with others and making them guess what word your thinking of by giving single word definition hints and the number of syllables. I think crossword puzzles would be easier—at least with those, you have a chance of having some letter hints.
So, while I was on my third listen, I was also listening to a book with my hubby (no, silly, not simultaneously) called “Enlightenment Now” by Stephen Pinker, and was astonished at how many words I’d learned from Kevin were used by Stephen. I’d have wondered if Kevin read Stephen’s book and plucked out words that sounded uncommon, except that Kevin’s audiobook came out years before Stephen’s. How fun, I’m edging up to those 15 encounters already!
So, my only criticism would be . . .and it’s completely unfair of me because I know I don’t speak clearly when I’m in a public speaking situation . . .and there it is---there were often times when I didn’t understand either the target word being explained, or the words used to explain them. One stands out because it was frequently uttered, Kevin would say, “Ok, now let’s play the siduation game.” His “t” was almost always a “d” in that word, and often in others, or so absorbed that I didn’t hear it at all. I almost wished he’d spell each target word, but I know that would have added to the already long length of the audiobook. It’s not glaringly obvious, and it really doesn’t detract—I Googled some of the words based on what I thought I heard, and eventually found them, and that sort of added to the process of hopefully keeping them in my brain, so it’s all good.
Kevin says there’s a debate as to how many words are in the English language and it depends on whether you count the words with their affixes separately, but that the Oxford English Dictionary has about 600,000. He says the average high school graduate knows 25-50 thousand words and the average college graduate knows 75 thousand. Learning words isn’t done in a flash, but rather, iteratively—a person generally needs to encounter a word about 15 times before being comfortable enough to adopt it---so I figured I’d probably have to listen to this book more than once. Even the third time I heard words that hadn’t sunk in the first two times—even to the point where, had I not known better, I probably would have sworn I’d never heard them. The stories he tells to get the words in context are entertaining . . .the first two times. By the third time I confess to fast forwarding through a couple of them. . .and not a big fan of games, I fast forwarded through the chapter on teaming up with others and making them guess what word your thinking of by giving single word definition hints and the number of syllables. I think crossword puzzles would be easier—at least with those, you have a chance of having some letter hints.
So, while I was on my third listen, I was also listening to a book with my hubby (no, silly, not simultaneously) called “Enlightenment Now” by Stephen Pinker, and was astonished at how many words I’d learned from Kevin were used by Stephen. I’d have wondered if Kevin read Stephen’s book and plucked out words that sounded uncommon, except that Kevin’s audiobook came out years before Stephen’s. How fun, I’m edging up to those 15 encounters already!
So, my only criticism would be . . .and it’s completely unfair of me because I know I don’t speak clearly when I’m in a public speaking situation . . .and there it is---there were often times when I didn’t understand either the target word being explained, or the words used to explain them. One stands out because it was frequently uttered, Kevin would say, “Ok, now let’s play the siduation game.” His “t” was almost always a “d” in that word, and often in others, or so absorbed that I didn’t hear it at all. I almost wished he’d spell each target word, but I know that would have added to the already long length of the audiobook. It’s not glaringly obvious, and it really doesn’t detract—I Googled some of the words based on what I thought I heard, and eventually found them, and that sort of added to the process of hopefully keeping them in my brain, so it’s all good.
July 8, 2023
Reviewing this "book" is kind of weird, but I really enjoyed my time spent on this book. Basically this is one of those courses that can be best summarized as "you're not going to enjoy this unless you were one of those liberal arts major folks". As an english major in college, I really enjoyed diving through this book where they teach you new words, give you history of the words, show you how the words are supposed to be used, and give you little quizzes on it.
It basically tickles my fancy in all the right ways and reminded me of the best english professors i've had on linguistics.
fundamentally, this book is going to be self-selecting. if you're into the english language, you're going to really enjoy this series of lectures, if you're not, you're going to take one look at the title and run the heck away. =)
I'll say that as an avid reader, I already knew about 30% of the words he introduced, but that still leaves out 70% and I learned to untangle some words that I've gotten mixed up over the years, like Hobson's choice (no choice at all) vs Procrustes (the guy who cut your leg off if you didn't fit the bed, or stretched you if you were too short to fit the bed).
The lectures also gives you insights as to how to improve your vocabulary (have a log book where you keep the words) and unfortunately since i mostly listen to books while I run, there's no way i'm going to stop running to log words....
the only criticism i have is that his international words section are all too european, and ignore the vast number of words that come from other cultures.
otherwise, this is a book that if you like reading, you'll enjoy, otherwise, you won't even go looking for it! =)
It basically tickles my fancy in all the right ways and reminded me of the best english professors i've had on linguistics.
fundamentally, this book is going to be self-selecting. if you're into the english language, you're going to really enjoy this series of lectures, if you're not, you're going to take one look at the title and run the heck away. =)
I'll say that as an avid reader, I already knew about 30% of the words he introduced, but that still leaves out 70% and I learned to untangle some words that I've gotten mixed up over the years, like Hobson's choice (no choice at all) vs Procrustes (the guy who cut your leg off if you didn't fit the bed, or stretched you if you were too short to fit the bed).
The lectures also gives you insights as to how to improve your vocabulary (have a log book where you keep the words) and unfortunately since i mostly listen to books while I run, there's no way i'm going to stop running to log words....
the only criticism i have is that his international words section are all too european, and ignore the vast number of words that come from other cultures.
otherwise, this is a book that if you like reading, you'll enjoy, otherwise, you won't even go looking for it! =)
July 25, 2020
I am always impressed how the Great Courses series are taught by professors that are as passionate as they are knowledgeable about their respective subjects. Prof. Flanigan is a natural storyteller, so his lectures are fun as they are informative.
His lectures are grouped around a theme, and focus on five to ten vocabulary words related to that theme. He defines the word, relates its etymology, puts it in context, gives synonyms, offers mnemonic aids. He also introduces and reiterates throughout the course a system of vocabulary learning and retention. I learned many new words, but what was most revelatory to me was Flanigan’s teachings on the spelling-meaning connection in English. He demonstrates that English spelling is quite logical and consistent when you know it works; I didn’t used to think so, but Flanigan has convinced me otherwise.
My criticisms are minor: sometimes his anecdotes run too long, and his pronunciation of certain vocabulary words is different from what I’ve heard (particularly pronunciation of loan words from French and German). Regarding the latter, it’s probably due to dialectical variance, and to be fair, I’ve never heard anyone pronounce schadenfreude the same way, so still not sure how you say it. But as I say, these are minor complaints, and in no way detract from the course. I recommend it for all lexigraphical connoisseurs and language aficionados.
His lectures are grouped around a theme, and focus on five to ten vocabulary words related to that theme. He defines the word, relates its etymology, puts it in context, gives synonyms, offers mnemonic aids. He also introduces and reiterates throughout the course a system of vocabulary learning and retention. I learned many new words, but what was most revelatory to me was Flanigan’s teachings on the spelling-meaning connection in English. He demonstrates that English spelling is quite logical and consistent when you know it works; I didn’t used to think so, but Flanigan has convinced me otherwise.
My criticisms are minor: sometimes his anecdotes run too long, and his pronunciation of certain vocabulary words is different from what I’ve heard (particularly pronunciation of loan words from French and German). Regarding the latter, it’s probably due to dialectical variance, and to be fair, I’ve never heard anyone pronounce schadenfreude the same way, so still not sure how you say it. But as I say, these are minor complaints, and in no way detract from the course. I recommend it for all lexigraphical connoisseurs and language aficionados.
September 1, 2020
This is a Great Courses audiobook of 36 lectures helping the student learn vocabulary words by category rather than alphabetically.
Professor Flanigan is a charming fellow, easy to listen to. I don't believe all of his personal stories completely though. He uses stories to make memory connections so that new words will stick in the mind. Therefore, modifying a personal story slightly in order to remember a word seems perfectly reasonable to me.
These lectures were not as helpful as I had hoped since the vast majority of words I already knew and the ones I didn't know (about 10%), I didn't care to know, mostly because I'd never seen them in my reading and I'd certainly never heard them in conversation. (I was an engineer. I hung out with some really smart people. They didn't talk that way.)
Nevertheless, I liked this series of lectures. I might not listen to them again, but they did make me yearn to listen to a different set of Great Courses lectures: "The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins" by Anne Curzan. It is a fun series of lectures on word histories.
Professor Flanigan is a charming fellow, easy to listen to. I don't believe all of his personal stories completely though. He uses stories to make memory connections so that new words will stick in the mind. Therefore, modifying a personal story slightly in order to remember a word seems perfectly reasonable to me.
These lectures were not as helpful as I had hoped since the vast majority of words I already knew and the ones I didn't know (about 10%), I didn't care to know, mostly because I'd never seen them in my reading and I'd certainly never heard them in conversation. (I was an engineer. I hung out with some really smart people. They didn't talk that way.)
Nevertheless, I liked this series of lectures. I might not listen to them again, but they did make me yearn to listen to a different set of Great Courses lectures: "The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins" by Anne Curzan. It is a fun series of lectures on word histories.
July 1, 2018
I got this on Audible accidentally but figured why not and gave it a chance.
Like most nonfiction's this is exactly what the title implies except I found it to be more advanced. Most of the vocabulary that the author went over were words that I never heard of. I also can't imagine using the majority of these words they were far from the types that just roll off the tongue, and I would feel pretentious using something like skulduggery in conversation, but I did learn new words that I will use.
Aside from not caring for the choice of words I did enjoy the format of the book, the etiology, and mnemonics used to cement the information. I appreciated the enthusiasm of the subject and the humor added in. There were mentions of why English spelling is like it is, with tricks to help out the poor speller.
Considering these are lectures the whole audiobook was fun, yeah I just typed fun and lecture together, and no sarcasm intended.
Overall I would recommend this book to anyone that really wants an expansive vocabulary, or anyone about to go on Jeopardy.
Like most nonfiction's this is exactly what the title implies except I found it to be more advanced. Most of the vocabulary that the author went over were words that I never heard of. I also can't imagine using the majority of these words they were far from the types that just roll off the tongue, and I would feel pretentious using something like skulduggery in conversation, but I did learn new words that I will use.
Aside from not caring for the choice of words I did enjoy the format of the book, the etiology, and mnemonics used to cement the information. I appreciated the enthusiasm of the subject and the humor added in. There were mentions of why English spelling is like it is, with tricks to help out the poor speller.
Considering these are lectures the whole audiobook was fun, yeah I just typed fun and lecture together, and no sarcasm intended.
Overall I would recommend this book to anyone that really wants an expansive vocabulary, or anyone about to go on Jeopardy.
July 1, 2020
A incredibly entertaining and remarkably educational journey of history, the English language, a tips and tricks of building a better vocabulary from a very well spoken and energetic PhD Holder, Kevin Flanigan.
I thought the Cybersecurity "The Great Courses" was good, but wow... this absolutely knocked it out of the park. I would have never imaged that an English book could be so good. Also the amount of history knowledge shared within this was unexpected and also truly great as well.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the English language, have fun while they are doing it, and giving credit where credit is due... Dr. Flanigan is a fantastic speaker and does a beyond amazing job in Building a Better Vocabulary.
Rock solid 5 out of 5 for entertainment value as well as being astoundingly educational.
I thought the Cybersecurity "The Great Courses" was good, but wow... this absolutely knocked it out of the park. I would have never imaged that an English book could be so good. Also the amount of history knowledge shared within this was unexpected and also truly great as well.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the English language, have fun while they are doing it, and giving credit where credit is due... Dr. Flanigan is a fantastic speaker and does a beyond amazing job in Building a Better Vocabulary.
Rock solid 5 out of 5 for entertainment value as well as being astoundingly educational.
July 5, 2022
You might remember the vocabulary from these lectures afterwards, but the approaches here are pretty run-of-the-mill, so one would hardly learn anything much about how to memorize words. I mean it just makes sense that you need typical context to properly understand a word, and that knowing the etymology and making personal connections sometimes helps. The examples given, by the way, aren't necessarily all that great. Like, the one given on 'procrustean' is about describing a person, and while the word in queston could be used like that, it's actually generally used to describe rules, standards, protocols, stuff like that. Definitely not people. Having just talked about the importance of good example sentences, Kevin Flanigan just goes and disregards his own rule. So not terrible, but hardly good work.
did-not-finish
July 13, 2019It's a good book! I just won't be able to finish it because it is pretty long and on loan from the library. I will say that there is value in the audible version because the author is passionate about the topic and make learning new words "fun". His method is good. I would have benefited from SEEING the words, too - sometimes I wondered how I could use the words in writing when I don't know how to spell them! Alas, I have now found the entire book online in a free PDF so maybe I will go back and read it. https://guidebookstgc.snagfilms.com/9...
I do like the idea of learning the etymology of the words, yet in practical real life, I can't see myself using a lot of these words without someone I work with giving me a funny look.
I do like the idea of learning the etymology of the words, yet in practical real life, I can't see myself using a lot of these words without someone I work with giving me a funny look.
July 17, 2018
One of my favorite Great Courses lecture!
The passion that Professor Kevin Flanigan has for the English language is infectious and very enjoyable. Flanigan gives great background to each word, provides a clear definition of the each word, and offers fantastic suggestions on how to remember words. Little case studies and quizzes are used to help people remember. There are review sections to help refresh the listener on older words. I only wish that Flanigan spelled each word out to make it easier to visualize, but that is my only real criticism. Building a Better Vocabulary is educational and enriching. It's one of the best Great Courses!
The passion that Professor Kevin Flanigan has for the English language is infectious and very enjoyable. Flanigan gives great background to each word, provides a clear definition of the each word, and offers fantastic suggestions on how to remember words. Little case studies and quizzes are used to help people remember. There are review sections to help refresh the listener on older words. I only wish that Flanigan spelled each word out to make it easier to visualize, but that is my only real criticism. Building a Better Vocabulary is educational and enriching. It's one of the best Great Courses!
June 11, 2020
I wasn't sure how well a build your vocabulary course would work with just an audiobook, but it was really enjoyable and entertaining. The author's delivery and dry wit made learning or re-familiarizing myself with the words in this course a fun distraction from a boring commute. The publisher is correct to note that the author provides clear definitions, rich context, personal connections, an examination of the morphology and etymology of the words covered. The detailed study also exposes the subtle differences between words that have very similar meanings. All in all a really helpful and enjoyable course. Highly recommended for high school and college students.
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