By LUCINDA SPRINGFIELD
WILLIAM Shakespeare is said to have had a vocabulary of 29,000 words.
While a good vocabulary today is considered to be around 50,000 words, most of us get by on 10,000 words.
There are many words in usage today that Shakespeare would not recognise and many that Dorothy Peters, chairman of Warwick Toastmasters, did not use as a child.
However Ms Peters has attended Toastmasters meetings since 2008, improving both her vocabulary and communication skills.
She understands the importance of keeping up to date with current word usage, particularly when interacting with her grandchildren.
New words are considered each year by leading dictionaries for inclusion in their publications, and she is quite familiar with the terms “bingewatching” (watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession) and “bitcoin” (a digital currency).
Ms Peters can also tell you the 2013 word of the year named by Oxford Dictionaries is “selfie” (a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone).
She says regular attendance at Toastmasters meetings has been invaluable to her ability to express herself, whether attending public meetings or interacting with family and friends.
Increasing your vocabulary is one of the many skills promoted by Toastmasters. Improving public speaking, promoting leadership abilities and building an individual’s confidence are also skills encouraged by the club.
Whether you are a college student, stay at home parent, executive or retiree, you can build on skills to express yourself in a supportive environment.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the Warwick Public Library. Everyone is welcome to attend. Contact Chris on 4661 3956 for further details.
