![]() It sets out some important goals and seems to have taken into account suggestions that many of us have been making. I generally welcomed the NEP, though I do question why it was not brought before Parliament first, considering that Parliament is the basis of our great democracy. What do you think about the National Education Policy and the three language strategy? Is it necessary, practical? But I tend to understand them from context rather than trotting over to a dictionary. That is, by definition, the only way to expand one’s vocabulary and one’s mind. In fact, your first question contained a word that I and much of the world became familiar with only recently: meme! The most amazing thing about any language is the rate at which it evolves – so it’s always a treat to come across unfamiliar words. Oh, plenty of times – every word was at some point encountered for the first time, of course. Has there ever been an instance when someone used a word the meaning of which you didn't know? If yes, what was it? Schoolchildren of the world, if you wish to learn more words, use this book as one possible source, but in general read as much as you can – not dictionaries and thesauruses, but real books! Memorising words is not much use – appreciating their meaning and use is far more useful to reading, which to me is one of the best ways to spend one’s time. When you see words that are common to various books you are reading, you start to get an idea of what they might mean, and how to use them. I am not a fan of rote learning – as I said, my own vocabulary was expanded purely by reading far and wide, anything I could get my hands on. Are you worried that Indian parents/schools will make their children memorise the book now? Or would that be a good idea? But that gave me the incentive to churn out a word a week. It helped that I had a weekly “Word of the Week” column in a daily newspaper during that time, though most of the entries are revised and expanded from what I wrote there. How long did it take for you to write it?Ībout a year. ![]() That being said, each writer should find their own style – use words that work best for you! The book has a number of words with their etymology and usage. Writing is best when it is direct, clear, and concise. ![]() However, I would advise writers to, in general, follow George Orwell’s rule: never use a long word where a short one will do. It is sometimes fun to use complex, obscure words to add flavour to writing. This is something that still holds true today.ĭoesn't using uncommon words obfuscate meaning? What would your advice be to aspiring writers? ![]() Learning new words has always been an organic process rather than something I actively set out to do, and came about primarily as a result of being a voracious reader. To be clear, I was never one to burn the midnight oil studying dictionaries! Words do not fascinate me on their own – it is rather what they can express that makes them so powerful and important. Certainly, for anyone suffering from the infamous condition hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – I would hope this book acts as a sort of cure! How did you, as a young person, manage to remember all these words and their meanings? Who is the target audience for the book? Did you have one in mind?Īnyone who is interested in words – readers, writers, anyone curious about the power of language. If it encourages at least a few people to start reading, I’ll consider the whole thing a great success. I am glad though that the reaction seems to indicate that people are interested in language and words.
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