Most college and university assignments and assessments require the student to present written work. Essays, dissertations, and exams all rely on linguistic skills for the expression of the ideas and provision of relevant answers. Strong vocabulary is essential as it will impact on the way work is presented and understood in terms of accuracy and completeness, ease of reading avoidance of misunderstandings, as well as a demonstration of knowledge, as long as excessive verbosity is avoided.
Increased Accuracy
In all assignments, including spoken assignments such as presentations, as well as written assignments, require accurate use of language to communicate effectivity. Words are used to convey ideas or information; when used correctly, the effectiveness of the communication is increased concurrently reducing the potential for misunderstanding. Accuracy may also be enhanced when specific technical or specialised terms are used correctly within assignments, which will demonstrate knowledge of the topic and the application of learning.
Broad but appropriate use of vocabulary will enhance the understanding of ideas or information presented. Many terms may have similar meanings but indicate subtle differences; good vocabulary skills will allow the most appropriate words to be chosen which will increase accuracy of the communication. For example, a task may be hard to complete, but merely saying it is hard only provides an ambiguous description which lacks detail. The use of different words, such as complex, intricate, or problematic implies the task may be hard but provide greater insights regarding how or why the task for difficult.
When an individual has an extensive vocabulary to use, they have more words which may be selected which can increase the precision. In addition, the use of the correct terms or words can also reduce the number of words or length of a sentence needed to express an idea; a factor which may also be important for students writing assignments with a limited word count as well as aiding with ease of reading.
Ease of reading
The use of a good vocabulary should aid a reader understanding of a paper. Using appropriate words can impact on the way ideas or concepts are expressed and subsequently interpreted, especially in augmentative papers were a writer may use negative terminology to indicate which ideas are not favoured, and positive terminology to engender support.
A good vocabulary will allow the reader to formulate more interesting sentences and avoid repetition of the same words in one sentence or paragraph. The ability to vary the phrasing and use alternate terms can result in a more interesting sentence or paragraph that is easier and more pleasant to read.
Using the correct terms and lounge in an appropriate can enhance an assignment, but it is also necessary to remember that it is possible to become too verbose, using complex words where they are not needed and or creating unnecessarily long sentences. Excessive use of unusual or complex words can be counterproductive, making a sentence harder to read and potentially evidencing a lack of knowledge on the part of the student is used incorrectly.