etc., and set yourself goals similar to those you set above for your profession. By doing this you will be following the example of a body-builder who trains a wide range of muscles, rather than simply one. You will therefore develop a well-balanced body of vocabulary skills.
Listen for New Words
Listen out for new and unusual words as you go about your daily life – on the TV or radio, at the local shops or a meeting at work. Adding this new focus of attention will not only make you a better vocabularian; it will make you a better listener, and therefore more popular and successful with others. Keep a notepad or some form of recorder always with you so that you can jot down new words of special interest, meaning or beauty. At regular intervals, either at the end of the day or week, transfer your new words to a master list. When you come across such words, try to use them in sentences at least five times in a day – this will help you remember them.
Look for New Words
Do exactly the same with your eyes as you did with your ears, checking newspapers, magazines, books and screens for new and exciting words. Transfer them to your lists. When you are doing both these listening and looking exercises, be on the look-out for words that reflect or relate to your senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and movement. This will both improve your vocabulary and widen its range, making you a better, more confident communicator.
Make a Mind Map
Build a mini Mind Map on all the advantages an improved vocabulary and increased Verbal Intelligence will give you. Here is a little image which summarizes Verbal Intelligence. Branching from it are 10 main branches, and from each of these, three sub-branches. Copy the Mind Map onto a large sheet of paper. On the main branches print, clearly, the first 10 key ideas that come to your mind when you think of the ways in which an increased Verbal Intelligence would improve your life and your chances of success. When you have completed the first 10 ideas, think of three more ideas that branch from each of those main 10 and, in the same way, print them neatly on the lines provided. When you have completed the exercise, place your Mind Map somewhere where you will constantly be reminded of just how valuable an increased Verbal Intelligence is to your entire life.
Invest in a Good Dictionary!
Make sure you get a good dictionary. A good dictionary is the ultimate guide and support for anyone wishing to improve their Verbal Intelligence.
Word Power Booster Number 1
As this is your first Word Power Booster, it is introductory! Below each word are four different definitions. Choose the one you think is closest to the correct meaning.
1 INTRODUCE (in-tro-jóos)
2 (a) To stick a needle into
3 (b) To become a Duke
4 (c) To bring in or present
5 (d) To do first
6 INTROFLEX (ín-tro-flex)
7 (a) To bend outward
8 (b) To bend inward
9 (c) To build muscle
10 (d) To look strong
11 INTROCEPTIVE (in-tro-sép-tif)
12 (a) Capable of receiving into itself
13 (b) The beginning of a reception
14 (c) A method of preparing food
15 (d) Able to perceive the inside of things
16 INTROGRESSION (in-tro-gré-shon)
17 (a) The act of going in; entering
18 (b) Falling behind
19 (c) Thinking about things
20 (d) Becoming aggressive
21 INTROJECT (in-tro-jékt)
22 (a) To inject
23 (b) To ask
24 (c) To discard
25 (d) To throw into
26 INTROMIT (in-tro-mít)
27 (a) To lay on hands
28 (b) To stop
29 (c) To allow to enter; insert
30 (d) To jump across
31 INTROSPECT (in-tro-spékt)
32 (a) To look for glasses
33 (b) To inspect
34 (c) To look outward
35 (d) To look within
36 INTROMISSION (in-tro-mí-shon)
37 (a) To start a break
38 (b) To insert
39 (c) The beginning of a project
40 (d) To start religious conversion
41 INTROVERT (in-tro-vért) (noun)
42 (a) One who turns inward
43 (b) Something upside down
44 (c) Dressed in green
45 (d) One who stands vertically; good poise
46 INTROPRESSION (in-tro-pré-shon)
47 (a) To introduce the media
48 (b) Pressure within
49 (c) To make heavy
50 (d) To press upon
2.2 Child’s Wordplay – Proof That You Are A Natural Verbal Genius
‘Language is the immediate gift of God.’
Noah Webster
In this chapter I will introduce you to the best language learner the world has ever known – that master of Verbal Intelligence, the human baby!
I will show you the ‘secret’ formulas that babies use to achieve their astounding results. As a consequence, you will discover new approaches to: ‘cheating’/copying; play as a learning tool; the making of mistakes and ‘failure’; creating success from ‘disaster’; general attitudes to learning; and the incredible ‘genius power’ of Persistence.
You will come to realize that, as a baby, you used all the right tools to develop your Verbal Intelligence. As your life progressed, you discarded them, and as a result the development of your Verbal Intelligence came to a grinding halt.
However,
