Flanigan Kevin. Building a Better Vocabulary

The Great Courses, 2015. — 291 p.Building a Better Vocabulary, taught by Professor Kevin Flanigan of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, offers an intriguing look at the nuts and bolts of English, teaches you the etymology (history) and morphology (structure) of words, and delves into the cognitive science behind committing new words to long-term memory.Any lifelong learner can build a better vocabulary with these engaging lectures, but they will be particularly useful for:— readers who want a greater appreciation of literature;
— writers or speakers seeking the just right word;
— those who are intellectually curious about language and linguistics;
— students studying for college entrance exams; and
— anyone looking to boost their working vocabulary.By the end of the course, you will have a practical framework for continuing to build your vocabulary by discovering new words and fully mastering the nuances of familiar ones.Lecture Guides
Five Principles for Learning Vocabulary
The Spelling-Meaning Connection
Words for Lying, Swindling, and Conniving
Words That Express Annoyance and Disgust
Fighting Words and Peaceful Words
Going beyond Dictionary Meanings
Wicked Words
Words for Beginnings and Endings
Words Expressing Fear, Love, and Hatred
Words for the Everyday and the Elite
Words from Gods and Heroes
Humble Words and Prideful Words
High-Frequency Greek and Latin Roots
Words Relating to Belief and Trust
Words for the Way We Talk
Words for Praise, Criticism, and Nonsense
Eponyms from Literature and History
Thinking, Teaching, and Learning Words
Words for the Diligent and the Lazy
Words That Break and Words That Join
Some High-Utility Greek and Latin Affixes
Cranky Words and Cool Words
Words for Courage and Cowardice
Reviewing Vocabulary through Literature
Words for Killing and Cutting
A Vocabulary Grab Bag
Words for Words
Specialty Words for Language
Nasty Words and Nice Words
Words for the Really Big and the Very Small
Spelling as a Vocabulary Tool
A Medley of New Words
Building Vocabulary through Games
Words English Borrowed and Never Returned
More Foreign Loan Words
Forgotten Words and Neologisms
Supplemental Material