them. Mr. Willis takes up reading to boost his vocabulary -- checking out books on everything from home decorating to his printing business. The broader and more challenging your reading selections, the beefier your working vocabulary will become. Strive to read both nonfiction and fiction. Instead of only browsing content-aggregator sites, read entire articles in high-caliber newspaper like The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal , and magazines like The Atlantic . Also dip into periodicals on different kinds of subjects like The Smithsonian or Scientific American. 2. Listen. You can also pick up new words from the people you talk with and listen to. This is, after all, exactly how you learned words back when you were a toddler. Our son Gus is always picking up new words from things we say, trying to figure out the context, and then trying them out himself (it's excellent motivation to curb your cursing!). Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes he gets it wrong -- often to comedic effect. Of course, the effectiveness of this listen-to-learn method depends on who you surround yourself with. Challenge yourself by associating with well-educated people, watching interesting lectures, and taking the harder classes in school, even if doing so makes you uncomfortable. Iron sharpens iron, and the vocabulary of those with keens minds will rub off on you. Mr. Willis begins to jot down words he hears and reads that he doesn't know the meaning of. 3. Write down words you read and hear