Ways to memorize word

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If you can memorize new vocabulary faster, you can learn a language faster too!  So, how do you memorize vocabulary faster and more effectively? Here are 10 proven memory hacks you should use!

How long it takes to learn a language? Well, that largely depends on your memory. What techniques should you use to help you to remember words in a foreign language? Simple. Use memory hacks! 

But first, let me dispel a common myth that you’re probably thinking. You don’t, I repeat, you DON’T have a bad memory. Just because you haven’t learned a language as quickly as you’d like or you forgot where you left your keys, that doesn’t mean you have a bad memory. You just didn’t make it a priority to remember.

Maybe you were multitasking and didn’t pay attention to where you put your keys or you have had something else on your mind. It happens. It’s totally normal and happens to all of us.

Our memory is a muscle. To build a good memory we just need to use simple techniques and methods for it to reach its full potential. Think of it like following a curated fitness programme with daily workout videos that help you build a strong and healthy body. Your memory is the same. It works best when it has been “trained” when it has a framework to work with.

The same can be said when it comes to remembering new words in a foreign language. Just because you see a word once, twice or even a hundred times, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically remember it and so you can use it in a conversation. 

We often talk about people with great memories as though it were some sort of an innate gift, but that is not the case. Great memories are learned. — Joshua Foer, Author of Moonwalking with Einstein

Memory can be trained just like any muscle, and you know what else? Learning a foreign language is actually an excellent way to improve your memory and your overall cognitive abilities. The more you learn, the easier it becomes to memorize new information. 

So, trust me when I say, you’re NOT missing the so-called “language learning gene”. The only thing you ARE missing are these top 10 proven techniques that will 10x your memory so you can remember more and learn languages faster! I’ve used each of these memory techniques and continue to use many of them to learn Italian, Norwegian, French and Afrikaans.

But first, it’s important to understand…

How does our Memory Work? 

Oxford Languages defines memory as ‘the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information’. Seems clear enough. But how does it actually work? Well, there are three main processes involved: encoding, storage, and recall.

The process of memory begins with encoding: acquiring or learning new information. Simply put, to remember something you need to learn it first. We take in information through different channels, but as we take it in we also analyze it and adapt it so it can be stored in our brain. 

This new information is usually encoded in one of the four ways: acoustically (how something sounds); visually (the way something looks); semantically (what something means); or in a tactile or elaborative way (how something feels and connects to other things). 

For example, if you’ve just met someone at a party and you want to remember their name you can repeat their name out loud, associate it with the way the person looks, place the name in a specific context or setting (like the exact place where you’ve met), or rely on the connections you can make with this name or person (maybe you know someone else with the same name). 

After the information has been encoded, it goes to storage so that we can recall, or use it later. This is what most people think about when they talk about memory.

The effect between short-term and long-term memory

There are two types of storage. When you first encounter something new, first, this information goes to your short-term memory. From here, it is either forgotten or, if needed and stored correctly, goes to your long-term memory. 

Short-term memory is very brief (hence the name!), lasting 15-30 seconds and can hold between 5 and 9 (the average number is 7) items of information. Your short-term memory is at work when you do something like read a list of words and then immediately repeat them. It helps you to quickly obtain the information you need at the moment, while you are performing a task, but it’s highly likely you will forget this information afterwards. 

Our long-term memory has a much longer time span (from a few minutes to a lifetime) with practically unlimited capacity. For information to be transferred from your short-term memory into your long term memory, you need to repeat it or interact with it at least a few times. 

The final step of the process is retrieval. This is where you access information stored in your memory. There are two different types of retrieval: recall and recognition. When you recognize something, you have some form of a clue that helps you retrieve information. You can often quite easily recognize new vocabulary when you are reading a text. But recalling it without any cues when you need to produce it in a conversation can be much harder. 

Here’s a fun video to help bring the process of memory to life.

Why do we forget? 

One of the main reasons for forgetting is actually failing to retrieve information. So, the information may still be somewhere there in your brain, but, you just can’t access it. 

In 1885, a German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted an experiment in which he tested how well he remembered a list of nonsense syllables over increasingly longer periods of time. Using the results of his experiment, he created what is now known as the ‘Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve’.  

He found out that the forgetting curve is exponential in nature. After you have just learned something, memory retention is 100%. However, it drops rapidly to 40% within just a few days. After that, the declination of memory retention slows down again. 

How to Memorize Vocabulary Tips - The Forgetting Curve by Ebbinghaus

He also found out that if you repeat or practice something a lot, the information is stored more strongly and the forgetting curve becomes much more shallow. Basically, you are faced with a use-it-or-lose-it situation, and the first few days are absolutely essential. 

Here’s a little explainer video to show The Forgetting Curve process.

So, what can you do to improve your memory?

With the following 10 super effective memory hacks, you’ll learn how to memorize vocabulary, store it in your memory longer, and retrieve it easier. 

Let’s dive in!

10 Proven Memory Hacks: How to Memorize New Vocabulary Faster 

1. Use spaced-repetition

As we’ve seen above, repetition is key to storing information in long-term memory. Spaced repetition is a popular method with polyglots and the language learning community in general.

Spaced repetition works by presenting you with information right before you forget it to make sure that it stays fresh in your mind. You don’t mindlessly repeat information over and over again; you repeat it across increasing intervals of time. 

For example, say you’ve learned some Italian greetings and other useful Italian phrases before your trip to Italy. You repeat them a few minutes later, then a few hours, then a day, then a few days, then a week…You get the idea! 

Spaced repetition is designed to ‘fight’ the forgetting curve and trains your brain by ‘lifting heavier and heavier weights’ so you can recall information at longer intervals. 

One of the first spaced-repetition algorithms was the Leitner flashcard system. The system was based on paper flashcards (does anyone still make those?) that in the process of learning were divided into different levels and placed into different boxes. Flashcards of different levels were repeated with a different frequency. For instance, Level 1 cards every day, Level 2 cards every two days, Level 3 cards every four days, Level 4 cards every eight days, and so on. 

The Leitner system can be quite cumbersome and laborious: not only do you need to make vocabulary cards, but to find some boxes to store them in, as well as to remember to move cards from level to level as you learn the words and phrases. Fortunately, nowadays you don’t have to do this. Various websites and language learning apps were created with the use of spaced repetition to help you memorize vocabulary more effectively.

Here are a few examples: Memrise, Anki, Quizlet, TinyCards, Memorion, Traverse. These apps may differ from each other slightly, but the main idea of spaced repetition is there. Most of them are free or have a free version – try them out for yourself and see which one you like better. 


Related: Memrise vs Duolingo: Which Language App is Best For You?


2. Convert new words to pictures

We are visual creatures. About 80-90% of the information we absorb is visual. A large percentage of us (65-80%) are visual learners. We recall information supported by images much more effectively. So, why not use images and visual learning to memorize vocabulary? 


Related: What type of language learner are you?


Here’s one of the ways you can do it. Look at the word you want to remember. Does it remind you of something? Do the characters look like or resemble a similar word in your native language or another language you know?

Some languages have done part of the job for you. If you are learning Chinese or Japanese, there are some characters that are based on real objects and actually look like them. Here is the Japanese character that means tree: . It may not be the way you would draw a tree, but it is pretty easy to convert this character into a memorable mental image. 

Let’s take a look at another example. The Spanish word for ‘bench’ is ‘banco’, which is very similar to the word ‘bank’. The solution is simple: draw a mental picture of a bench near a bank, and you’ll have no problem remembering this word. The Spanish word for ‘cat’ is ‘gato’ and it is quite similar to its English equivalent – you can also imagine the letter ‘g’ being the curled tail of this furry pet. 

To sum it up, the main idea behind this technique is to draw a mental picture based on the word’s shape, meaning, and/or sound. Creating this additional association with the word will help you store it in your memory longer and recall it easier.

3. Create your own ‘Memory Palace’

Memory palace – sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it is also a powerful way to memorize vocabulary. 

The technique was developed by ancient Greeks, but it doesn’t make it any less effective. Many people use it today to remember all sorts of information such as cards in a game of poker, names at a party, formulas needed for an exam, grocery lists, and, of course, vocabulary. 

A memory palace is a place you visualise in your mind where you can store mnemonic images and other information. It doesn’t have to be an actual palace – in fact, it works much more effectively if you imagine a place that you know well, like your home or office. 

Creating a memory palace works by creating a strong association of the word with an image and, in this case, a physical location. 

Here’s how you build a memory palace:

  1. Imagine a place you know well in your mind, like your home or office.
  2. Map your way through it: entering the front door, walking along the corridor, entering rooms, etc. Imagine the furniture you see on your way and other objects.
  3. Take a list of what you need to memorize – say, some new vocabulary – and place the items or words along your way. 
  4. To make it even more memorable, make the objects and words you remember interact with the location and create other associations if possible. For instance, ‘el gato’ (the cat) can meet you at the gate scratching at the gate-post. 

Try it out! I’m sure the memory palace you build will be like no other – and that it will help you memorize vocabulary really well.

Watch this video by Joshua Foer to learn how to create your own memory palace.

Also worth checking out is his popular TED talk

4. ‘Stack’ your words with the Stacking Method.

A stack is a neatly arranged pile of objects put one on top of the other. You probably have at least one stack in your home: a stack of plates, books, DVDs, papers. But what does it have to do with memorizing vocabulary? 

You can also ‘stack’ information items to remember them better. Stacking works great with memorizing lists, like a grocery list, but it is also great for memorizing vocabulary, especially vocabulary on the same topic or united by some context. 

This method also relies on vivid visualization, but in this case, you don’t just create a vivid image for each vocabulary unit – you literally stack them one on top of the other.

Let us say you need to learn the names of some kitchen utensils in Italian. Start with a ‘tazza’, or ‘cup’. Imagine it vividly in your mind, the way it looks, the kind of shape it has. Then put a ‘piatto’ (plate) on top of the ‘taza’. What’s next? Maybe, a ‘forchetta’ (fork)? ‘Put’ it on the ‘piatto’ vertically and then try to balance something on it. 

It may sound just a tiny bit absurd, but it works! Creating a vivid image of a stack of ‘piatti’ (dishes) in your mind will help you remember the words better through a strong association. The more absurd the image, the better, as it’ll be more memorable to you.

The only drawback to this technique is that it puts the vocabulary units in a particular order, and retrieving them in any other order will be a bit harder.

5. Create fun mnemonics

Mnemonic devices or mnemonics are various techniques that help you store information in long-term memory and retrieve it more effectively. Mnemonics are based on creating meaningful associations with the information by using things such as images, memorable phrases, short poems, or even kinesthetic forms. 

Mnemonics work by building connections with the word. It becomes not just a word from a foreign language, but a concept connected to an image, a joke, a song, or something else. The stronger this image and this connection are, the better mnemonic devices work.

There are different kinds of mnemonics that you can use to memorize vocabulary:

  • Acronyms or Expression Mnemonics – Take the first letters from the words that you need to remember and build a word or an acronym with them. For example, you can remember the points of the compass – North, East, West, and South – with the acronym ‘NEWS’. You can also take other words that begin with the same first letters and make a whole phrase with them. For instance, you can use the phrase ‘PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY’ to remember the names of mathematical operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract.
  • Music Mnemonics – Remembering lyrics to a song is much easier than just remembering a text. The rhyming and the melody makes it easier to remember and also more fun. I can bet you still remember some nursery rhymes from your childhood. Do you remember the ‘ABC song’? This is an example of a music mnemonic. 
  • Rhyming Mnemonics –  Things that rhyme are easier and more fun to remember as well. Here is an example of a rhyming mnemonic you can use to remember the number of days in each month of the year:30 days hath September, April, June, and November.
    All the rest have 31
    Except February my dear son.
    It has 28 and that is fine
    But in Leap Year it has 29.
  • The Rhyming Peg System – The Peg system uses visual imagery to create a ‘hook’ or ‘peg’ from which to ‘hang’, or associate, your memories. It works like linking words that sound alike to create new associations. When they rhyme they tend to be more effective, but it’s not essential.. (11) See if you can remember this short list of words (say the numbers out loud): 
    1. Bun 
    2. Shoe 
    3. Tree
    4. Door
    5. Hive
    6. Sticks
    7. Heaven
    8. Gate
    9. Vine
    10. Hen

These are just a few examples. There are many more varieties of mnemonics and you can even mix and match them to create your own personal associations. 

Mnemonics can be used to learn the alphabet, vocabulary, grammar, and other aspects of the language. 

For example, many French students mix up these two common French prepositions – ‘au dessus’ (above), and ‘au dessous’ (below). Since they are similar in spelling, how can you remember them? By using a mnemonic, of course! 

A phrase you can use to help you remember the difference is: ‘If in the air you see a bus, it must be ‘au dessus’. If on the ground you see a mouse, it must be ‘au dessous’.’ 

Sound bizarre? That’s exactly why you’ll never mix up these two prepositions again!

This video perfectly explains how mnemonics work.

6. Share and Teach Others with The Protégé Effect

There’s an old Latin proverb that the best way to learn something, is to teach it to someone else. “By teaching, we learn,” – Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – 65 AD). This is also known as The Protégé Effect.

Memory Hacks - How to Memorize Vocabulary Tips - By Teaching We Learn - Seneca the Younger

Does this really work and, if so, how? If we refer back to how our memory works, recalling information is one of the key processes involved in memorizing something. The more you use and interact with the information, the more effectively you’ll remember it. So, by teaching others and sharing your knowledge in a meaningful way, you’re actually helping to solidify your knowledge into your long-term memory.

Share with someone you know what you’ve learned. Let them ask you questions about it. This will help you identify not only practice what you’ve learned but also to make sure you’ve understood it yourself. No one home? Explain it to your “gato” (cat)! 

This works even if you’re a beginner. When you share your knowledge with other beginners, you’re not only consolidating for yourself what you’ve learned, but are building friendships and also more opportunities to recall this new information. Not only that, but learning together is fun too!

7. Always write it down

Memory Hacks - How to Memorize Vocabulary Tips - Write it downVery few people write things down nowadays. Let’s be honest, most of our lives are documented in an electronic format, either on our phones or laptops. There’s nothing wrong with this, but when it comes to actually remembering things, it’s much more effective to write things down. That’s right, using a pen and paper will actually help you remember more.  Why is this?

The Association for Psychological Science states that, “there is something about typing that leads to mindless processing. And there is something about ink and paper that prompts students to go beyond merely hearing and recording new information…”. 

One of the reasons why writing things down is so effective is because it requires more in-depth processing. We often summarize things into our own words too, which only adds to our interaction with the information. But it doesn’t stop there. The way we choose to organize information on the page, such as which parts to highlight to make them more visible also requires additional processing. 

Making good notes quite often means you don’t even need to refer to them later because you’ve already processed the material when you wrote them! 

Try it out! The next time you sit down to study, close Google docs, and physically write down what you’re learning. I guarantee you’ll retain more.

8. Memorise with little effort using The Goldlist Method

The Goldlist Method is another technique that is based on writing things down and popular with polyglots. The Goldlist Method works by writing down lists of expressions you want to learn in a notebook. Then, at least two weeks later, you copy them again, sorting out the expressions that you remember from those you don’t. As if by magic, you’ll see that you’ve remembered 30% of the expressions from each list without ever having studied them! No bad, right?! 

How to use the The Goldlist Method:

  1. Divide a page into 4 sections, A, B, C, and D. In section A, write down a list of 20 vocabulary units you want to memorize. Read every phrase and its translation out loud. Put this list aside and “forget” about it, for now.
  2. Over the next 13 days, create new lists with 4 new sections. 
  3. On day 15, go back to the 1st list (Step 1) and test yourself by covering up the translation of the items into your native language. You will see that you remember about 30% – about 6 words/phrases from it. Copy the remaining 14 words into section B. 

You probably see where this is going. You repeat the process with all the other lists, then go back to the first one and do it all again. According to David James, the creator of the method, as long as you are relaxed and enjoying the process, you will naturally pick up a few items into your long-term memory each time. For the items you don’t remember, you simply learn on the next round. 

Watch this fantastci video by Lýdia Machová who explains how to use The Goldlist Method.

9. Focus makes progress!

Memory Hacks - How to Memorize Vocabulary Tips - Focus by turning off Push NotificationsSo many things distract us throughout the day and that can keep us from really focusing learning languages. Do your best to cut out as many distractions as possible whenever you want to dedicate some time to learning your target language. If you’re at home, explain to members of your household that you need this time to study. If you are somewhere in public, try noise-canceling headphones or listening to relaxing ambient music to help you drown out the noises. Put your phone away or, if you are using a mobile app to learn, turn off all notifications quickly by switching to night mode. 

When you are focused and engaged, when you pay attention to what you are learning, you will retain much more from the learning session compared to when you are constantly distracted.

10. Combine words with images with Dual Coding 

Dual coding is where you combine both visual and verbal information. Developed by Allan Paivio of the University of Western Ontario in 1971, Paivio based his method on the idea that the formation of mental images aids learning. For example, you store the concept of a ‘cat’ in your mind as both the word and an image of a cat, and you can retrieve them together, or separately. 

Here are some examples of using dual coding in language learning: 

  • Drawing out a historical timeline of events
  • Using comics or storyboards to remember stories and texts 
  • Visual note-taking with part of the information presented as images
  • Flashcards that include images
  • Visual cues used during quizzes 

As you’ve seen in the previously mentioned memory tips in,  creating visual associations are a really powerful tool which is why dual coding is so effective.

Have you ever used a visual dictionary with high-quality images illustrating each word? That’s dual coding!

Need help improving your memory?

If you’re lost in the weeds when it comes to effectively learning new words, check out the Your Solid Vocab Memory. This online was developed by my friend Kerstin Cable, an experienced language learner and teacher who really knows her stuff.  I always follow Kerstin’s tips, and this course is excellent. If you feel the need to stop chasing your tail and remember any word easily, take a look at Your Solid Vocab Memory.

This course has been one of my favourite resources of the year because it teaches you how to learn and remember vocab in 3 simple steps:

  • GROW your word list with strategic goal setting and a solid system for taking notes in seconds
  • MEMORIZE any word, even the ones you forget all the time, in less than a minute
  • REVIEW with fun and easy methods, not overwhelming lists and card decks

Check out Your Solid Vocab Memory here – I know you’ll love it!


Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!

  • 22 Top Language Learning Resources You Should Use
  • How to Learn Languages Like Crazy, Even If You Have a Crazy Life [3-Step Method]
  • How long does it REALLY take to learn a language? [A Practical Guide]
  • How to Get Fluent: 9 Reasons You’re Not Fluent…YET! [& What To Do Instead]
  • 18 Unexpected Advantages & Health Benefits of Learning A Foreign Language
  • 23 Cool Gift for Language Learners They Will Actually Use and Love
  • Memrise vs Duolingo: Which Language App is Best For You?
  • Mondly Review: 10 Ways Mondly Drastically Improved My Language Learning
  • 203 Most Beautiful Untranslatable Words [The Ultimate List: A-Z]
  • 6 Language Learning Tips: How to Learn a Language from Home
  • What Type of Language Learner Are You? Your 4-Step Personalised Learning Plan
  • 44 Best Movies on Disney Plus for Learning Languages
  • 13 Ways to Seamlessly Integrate Language Learning into Your Daily Life
  • 10 Pro Tips: How to Learn a Language with a Full-Time Job
  • 7 Reasons Why You Should Go on a Language Holiday
  • Essential Travel Phrases: How to be Travel Fluent in 10 Simple Steps
  • How to Learn Your First Foreign Language in 8 Simple Steps: A Beginner’s Guide
  • 11 Life-Changing Reasons Why You Should Learn a Language
  • 42 beautiful Inspirational Quotes for Language Learners
  • Language learning tips: 11 Polyglots Reveal The Secrets of Their Success
  • Top 10 Best Ways to Learn a Language Better and Faster
  • How Many Languages are there in the World?
  • 78 FREE Dictionaries to Learn a Language Fast [Free eBook Download]
  • 22 KEY Travel Phrases That Will Transform Your Travels [Free Guide]

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Memory Hacks - How to Memorize Vocabulary Tips


Over to you!

Which one of these memory tips and hacks will you try first? What is your current method for learning languages. Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation. Remember, if you haven’t already done so, find out what type of language learner you are here.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Memorizing words quickly is often a very daunting task. Sometimes we have word lists — like a list of vocabulary words — that are so overwhelming that we are overcome by the magnitude of the task rather than spending our time getting started. Fortunately, there are a number of methods of memorizing words quickly that take a potentially overwhelming task and make it fun. Ultimately, you need to remember that knowing words and vocabulary is not a bad thing – it will help you meet your goal and enrich your intellect in the process.

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    Have the words you need to memorize printed out in front of you. It doesn’t matter what the source of the words is — a textbook, a vocabulary list your teacher gave you, a list of words from the internet — as long as you have them in front of you so you can work on memorizing them. You may even want to write down the words yourself to help even more with your memorization.

    • For example, if you’re trying to memorize a list of vocabulary words in a textbook, you could write out the words by hand on a sheet of paper.
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    Break the words up into smaller groups. Divide the words into smaller, more manageable groups. Breaking your words up will make it so you can more easily create word association and mnemonic devices to memorize your words. If you want to memorize them in order, that’s okay — you don’t need to break the words up into smaller groups.[1]

    • Use your best judgement when and if you’ll be breaking your list up and moving words around.

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    Underline the first letter of every word in the groups. You’re going to use the first letter of every word to create memory devices that will make it easier to memorize the words. You’ll do this two ways: either creating a sentence or an acronym.[2]

    • The first letter of every word will create an acronym.
    • For the order of operations in math (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction), you’ll have p, e, m, d, a, and s. This will spell P.E.M.D.A.S.
    • This works best with word lists of 10 or less.
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    Memorize the acronym. Now spend a little time memorizing your acronym (P.E.M.D.A.S.) This shouldn’t take too long, and before long you’ll have it memorized. This might be as far as you need to go with this approach.[3]

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    Create a sentence to remember based on the first letter of every word. If you want to take an extra step to memorize your word groups, take the first letter of every word (your acronym), and create a sentence based on those letters. You’ll do this by using any word that begins with the first letter of the words in your word groups. For instance:

    • You won’t be using the original word, simply another word that begins with the same first letter.
    • To remember the order of operations in math (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction), take P.E.M.D.A.S. and assign words to it.
    • P.E.M.D.A.S. can be transformed into “Please excuse my dear aunt Sally” or any other number of short sentences.[4]
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    Review your word groups, acronyms and mnemonic devices. After you’ve memorized a few of your word groups, stop and review them. Don’t spend hours doing this, as your brain will probably be overloading. This method works best when you provide enough time in between memorization.[5]

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    Have the list of words you need to memorize printed out in front of you. These words can come from a textbook, the internet, or a handout you got from a teacher. Either way, it’s best to have the words right in front of you so you can memorize them more easily.

    • You can also write the words out by hand on a piece of paper, which will help you memorize them even more.
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    Draw a picture for each word. Drawing a picture that describes each word will help you remember it better. Make sure to maintain the original meaning of each word as best as you can.[6]

    • Nouns might be easiest, as you’ll just have to draw the person, place, or thing.
    • Adjectives will be somewhat easy. Words like “big” and “beautiful” will be relatively easy to draw.
    • Verbs might be more difficult. For a word like “associate” try to draw its meaning (the connection between things).
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    Create a word association web. Word association webs will help you remember words by associating them with other words. This is a great visual way of memorizing words quickly and will complement other visual approaches to memorization.

    • Write the word you want to remember on the center of a sheet of paper.
    • Draw lines outward from the center connecting the center word to other words that you associate with it. For example, if the word is “winter” draw a line outward connecting it to “snow” and another line on the other side connecting it to “freezing” and another line on the side connecting it to “ice.” Repeat this process outward until you’re confident you will remember it.
    • This should not take more than 3-5 minutes per word.
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    Create a picture story. Creating a picture story is similar to creating a word or sentence story, but instead of writing it out, you’ll be drawing your story. This method works great for very visual and artistic learners who might be overwhelmed with writing out vocabulary words.

    • Take your list of words and quickly draw a picture for each word.
    • Try to maintain the original meaning of the word, if you can.
    • Organize the pictures so they make a story you can remember.
    • This will work great when paired with word association and mnemonic devices.
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    Spend time reviewing your picture, your web, and your story. The more time you spend looking at and thinking about your visual aids, the better prepared you’ll be and the better you’ll remember your word list. Spread this out over a couple days if possible. Review your visual aids when you have time. Consider:

    • Reviewing them while eating.
    • Looking at them when you have downtime in between other tasks and projects.
    • Spending a couple minutes looking at them and thinking about them when you wake up and before you go to sleep.
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    Place the list of words you need to learn right in front of you. Having your list of vocabulary words — whether they came from a textbook, the internet, or somewhere else — directly in front of you will make them easier to memorize.

    • Handwriting your list of words on a sheet of paper is a great way to kick off the memorization process.
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    Arrange the words in story or sentence form. After you’ve got your list, arrange the words in a way so that you can create a couple sentences or a story with the words. You don’t want to just build clunky sentences, though. Consider:

    • Rhyming words.
    • Pairing words cleverly.
    • This works best if you don’t have to know the words in a certain order.
    • You will be keeping the meaning of each word.
  3. Image titled Memorize Words Quickly Step 14

    3

    Find a memorable tune to accompany your words. Finding a memorable tune to accompany your arranged words will help you remember them more easily. Think about popular songs or songs that you can easily remember the tune to. Consider the tunes from:[7]

    • Your current favorite pop songs.
    • Traditional folk tunes like “Molly Malone” or “John Brown’s Body.”
    • Pledges, anthems, or hymns, like the American Pledge of Allegiance, the American Marine hymn, or Hail Britannia.
  4. Image titled Memorize Words Quickly Step 15

    4

    Say or sing the words and their meaning to a tune. After you’ve arranged your words, say the words to yourself out loud. Afterwards, sing or rap the words. This way, you’ve taken your word list, associated with a tune, and now have your own song to memorize! You can sing it to yourself when you’re taking a test or trying to remember your word list.

  5. Image titled Memorize Words Quickly Step 16

    5

    Sing, repeat or play the song or tune. As you go about your daily chores or travel, sing or repeat the song or tune over and over again. If you’ve recorded the song or tune (you singing/saying the words over and over), play it back while you’re resting, or even sleeping. If you do record it, put the tune, rap or song on loop.

  6. Image titled Memorize Words Quickly Step 17

    6

    Continue this until you are comfortable. Keep doing this until it feels as if the words and their meanings have stuck in your memory. Music is a great aid to memory, which is why it’s so easy to remember pop songs. As a result, this should be a very pleasant and potentially enjoyable way of getting your work done.

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    Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.

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    English Professor

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  • Question

    How can I remember vocabulary words?

    Christopher Taylor, PhD

    Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.

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    English Professor

    Expert Answer

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    To remember vocabulary words, try to create associations with the words, whether through mnemonic devices, sound patterns, or by visualizing the words. Since flashcards encourage «active recall,» they are also an effective method for tasks related to repetition and memorization.

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    How can I memorize faster?

    Christopher Taylor, PhD

    Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.

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  • Try using the words in your day-to-day life with people you come across every day. It will make you even more confident.

  • It helps to Google images to find things that might inspire you.

  • Read/write the word over and over again saying each letter.

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Article SummaryX

To memorize words quickly, start by writing the words down in a list to study from, since just writing it out can help you remember. Then, underline the first letter of each word and create an acronym that you can easily remember. For simple words, try drawing pictures of each word, keeping the original meaning as much as you can. If these tricks don’t work, set the words to a catchy song and sing it repeatedly until you’ve memorized it. For tips from our Language reviewer on more ways to memorize words, keep reading!

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 376,379 times.

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  • Amin Hakimi

    «It’s the best way to memorize vocabulary by listening to music.»

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Mastering a new language is not a cakewalk as there are many obstacles that one has to overcome while learning and understanding the language properly. These obstacles are even more when the language is as critical as English. One of those many obstacles is how to remember the vocabulary?

Do many new learners struggle with how to remember English words? Well, memorizing new words is a huge obstacle in learning a new language but obviously not something impossible.

Many have a stronghold on English grammar, they even make sure that they learn new words every day but when it comes to using those new words, they just lose the battle. Does it sound similar? If yes, then you have come to the right place.

How to Remember Vocabulary Words Fast?

If you are concerned about how to memorize vocabulary fast? Then let’s be clear from the beginning. In order to memorize vocab words, you need to put in some good amount of effort but hey, do not get scared! In this article you will get to know about some best ways to remember vocabulary words and definitions, so let’s begin the learning journey.

How to Remember Vocabulary Words?

How to remember vocabulary words? You can be fluent in English by learning vocabulary words. Remember a lot of words at a time can be difficult. So what you can do is follow a few steps at a time. Keep a notebook to write all the new words that you learn in a day it doesn’t have to be many words, few words are enough. Try to use them in a sentence that will help you memorize in a much better way.

Go through the words you wrote in the notebook again after 24 hrs, repeat the same after a week and a month. That way you will never forget the words. Read as much as possible. Read, write and repeat.

Learn a new word everyday. So that you get to explore more words and use them in your day to day life. Make learning fun, play puzzle games like researchers, crosswords and anagrams. Try making small word cards and carry them along with you and look into them when you are free. You might as well feel like using them during your conversation with friends or family.

9 Best Ways to Remember Vocabulary Words and Definitions

Read

No matter what language you are trying to learn, the best way to get hold of that language is to read. Reading exposes the reader to a wide and lavish world of vocabulary.

Readers are free to read whatever he/ she wants, be it a novel that they enjoy, a comic or even the newspaper. In order to learn and remember new words, the task has not to be boring, it can be done in a fun way too. There are endless reading opportunities on various online websites.

The reader can choose their favourite piece and boost their language skills. This is a win-win situation for any reader as they learn about new things plus also improve their words.

Also Read: Types of Figure of Speech in English: Examples of Figurative Language to Ace English

Memory Techniques

This is a mental shortcut and one of the best ways to memorize vocabulary words which are not even so easy. Learners can create associations between words. To memorize vocab words in one night, one can even come up with acronyms like when he/ she needs to go to the STORE to buy Spinach, Tomatoes, oranges, Rolls, Eggs.

There also one has to remember the acronym but with regular practice, one can come up with useful and creative connections. Creating and practising more and more acronyms is one of the best ways to memorize vocabulary words.

Learning Environment

It is observed that people tend to learn languages faster when they are surrounded by people who speak in that particular language. Now, to learn English, one can get hold of it faster if he/ she can go to an environment where he/ she will always hear and read in that language.

But this is not always possible, so what the learner can do is create a learning environment. The learner can surround him/ herself with English books, can get indulged in English movies and can even try some good English podcasts.

Use in Sentences

It’s amazing that you have learned a good amount of new words and even made a list of those words, but, what is the result of so much effort if you can not use those properly? So if you are wondering how to memorize words quickly? then putting that listed word in context is the best way to memorize vocabulary words. By practising this you can see the usage of those words in real-life conversations.

Be Creative

It’s easier to remember things that are not so usual or weird than things that are boring. Relating a new word to something funny or bizarre will help the learner to picture the word in a better way thus helping in memorizing the word.

For instance, the word ‘banal’ can be remembered easily if the learner can picture a banana peel that might be floating on a canal. Whenever the learner will think about this, he/ she will be able to remember the term ‘banal’.

Solve Crosswords

This is an old but super effective method for memorizing vocab words in one night. There are daily crosswords given in the newspapers. Learners can simply grab a copy of English daily and start solving the crossword.

This practice is one of the best ways to remember vocabulary words and definitions as while solving the puzzle one has to understand the meaning well.

Word Games

Even though crossword puzzles are available in newspapers, there’s a chance that someone might miss it or it can be hard for people to carry a newspaper every time and solve the crossword puzzle while in transport.

Well, there’s a solution for this too. There are plenty of word puzzle games available in the Android/ Ios play store, once you can simply open that and download some of the top-rated games.

These types of games are usually very interesting as well as challenging. With each level, these games challenge the user with difficult words and this process keeps on going as the player clears the levels.

Flashcards

This is another great way to remember new words and their definitions fast and easy. It is a good practice to write the new words on a small card along with its definition on the back. For memorizing vocab words in one night or in a short period of time, one can easily go through these flashcards several times a day.

There are even some mobile apps for this. One can download those apps and access those flashcards whenever he/ she wants.

Learn with Your Friends

Grab one of your friends who are interested in learning new words. You and your friends can practise together. You can exchange new words which you have learned with them and vice versa. It will be very effective because together you guys can explore more new words within a short period and it will be fun communicating as well.

Also Read: How to Practice English Speaking? Online Exercises to Improve Your English Skills

Vocabulary Words Meaning

Vocabulary words meaning-Vocabulary is all about words, the words in a language or a special set of words you are trying to learn.

Given below are a few English vocabulary words with meanings:

English Vocabulary Words

Given below are a few English vocabulary words that you should learn so that you become more fluent in English:

# Evident- clearly revealed to judgment or the senses or the mind

Example- ‘When they met their eyes, it was evident he felt uneasy as well.’

# Commit- perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

Example- ‘She keeps delaying her decision because she does not want to commit herself.’

# Utter- without qualification

Example- ‘He could not utter a word.’

# Fancy- imagine; conceive of; see in one’s mind

Example- ‘I will give you the money you don’t have to fix me a fancy breakfast.’

# Render- give an interpretation of

Example- ‘I can not render my thoughts accurately.’

Daily Vocabulary Words

Given below are some daily vocabulary words that you can use in your sentences during a conversation:

# Intend- have in mind as a purpose

Example- ‘I intend to spend the night at her place.’

# Concern- something that interests you because it is important

Example- ‘Her concern with the well-being of Her family is obvious.’

# Approach- move towards

Example- ‘Alex did not have enough time to plot how to approach him.’

# Establish- set up or found

Example- ‘As a young judge she worked hard to establish herself in the community.’

# Instance- an occurrence of something

Example- ‘A change of mind in one instance doesn’t certainly signal a change in overall agreement.’

Also Read: Daily Use of English Sentences in Conversations: Spoken English Sentences for Everyday

Basic Vocabulary Words

Given below are some basic vocabulary words that should be on the tip of your tongue during a conversation:

# Consider- deem to be

Example- ‘He refused to consider my proposal.’

# Issue- some event or situation that is thought about

Example- ‘Two weeks later the issue was settled.’

# Appeal- be attractive to

Example- ‘He is very handsome, but he has no appeal.’

# Grant- allow to have

Example- ‘I will not grant you any more favour.’

# Dwell- think anxiously or moodily about something

Example- ‘She does not dwell long on her most famous daughter.’

New Vocabulary Words with Meaning

Given below are some new vocabulary words with meaning that will improve your communication skills:

# Accord- concurrence of opinion

Example- ‘She decided to go of her own accord.’

# Engage- consume all of one’s time or attention

Example- ‘She sure can engage an audience.’

# Scarce- deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand

Example- ‘Books were very precious and very scarce, and only a few men could read them.’

# Apparent- clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

Example- ‘He discovered countless new expressions without any apparent effort.’

# Vain- unproductive of success

Example- ‘Hard work never goes in vain.’

Conclusion

Everyone’s learning technique is different. It is very much possible that which method is working for you is not showing much progress when someone else is doing that. So it is always important to find out which way works best for you.

Try the above-mentioned different ways to remember vocabulary words and definitions and also try in combination like trying solving crosswords and also reading books, and see which works well for you. Hopefully, this article will be helpful for you to learn the best way to memorize vocabulary words. Do share your thoughts about it by commenting in the below box.

Also Read: How to Remember Vocabulary Words? 8 Best Ways to Memorize English Words Fast


Asked by: Freda Douglas

Score: 4.9/5
(10 votes)

How to memorize new vocabulary faster: 9 tips

  1. Use Memory Techniques. …
  2. Create a learning environment. …
  3. Put the words in context. …
  4. Learn from real-life situations. …
  5. Take it to the next level. …
  6. Find the tools that work for you. …
  7. Make it interactive. …
  8. Focus on useful words.

How long does it take to memorize a word?

Memorizing new words will definitely help you build up a strong vocabulary. So, the key takeaway of this article is that you will need about 30 to 50 seconds to memorize a word.

How long does it take to memorize 1000 words?

In our research, we looked at 15 million questions over a period of six months, and we found that a user typically learns a word after 51 seconds of study, or about 9 question attempts. At this rate, a person will learn 1,000 new words in just under 15 hours of study.

Can you learn 50 words a day?

So how much vocab is necessary? … Learning 50 words a day is impressive, learning each word will take you about 10 seconds, but you need to practice it, so if you spend just 1 hour a day, you can pick up a lot of vocabulary and be confident in conversation with native speakers!

How can I memorize faster?

How to Memorize More and Faster Than Other People

  1. Prepare. …
  2. Record What You’re Memorizing. …
  3. Write Everything Down. …
  4. Section Your Notes. …
  5. Use the Memory Palace Technique. …
  6. Apply Repetition to Cumulative Memorization. …
  7. Teach It to Someone. …
  8. Listen to the Recordings Continuously.

38 related questions found

Can you learn 200 words a day?

To hit the 200 words a day target you only need to do, a 5-12 minute lesson per hour in a school day or average working day day. Suit Yourself! But of course you don’t need to do 200 words a day, you can work at your own pace… and just do an hour a night. . . or an hour a week.

Can you memorize 1000 words in a week?

Not possible. The amount of words you can learn will depend on the language.

What is the best way to memorize definitions?

Tips

  1. Try using the words in your day-to-day life with people you come across every day. It will make you even more confident. …
  2. It helps to Google images to find things that might inspire you. …
  3. Read/write the word over and over again saying each letter. …
  4. Read each vocabulary word each time along with definition.

How long does it take to memorize 500 words?

How long will it take to memorize 500 words? You should be able to memorise a full 500 word essay in about 3 hours, for your first time, using the above method. When you are practiced you should be able to memorise a 500 word essay in about 60 – 90 minutes.

How much vocab can you learn in a day?

That’s it: 50 new words, every day. That’s 18,250 words in the space of a year, the approximate size of the (active) vocabulary of a native speaker.

How can I remember what I study?

Try out these memorization tips for students that will help you exercise your mind and improve recall.

  1. Organize your space.
  2. Visualize the information.
  3. Use acronyms and mnemonics.
  4. Use image-name associations.
  5. Use the chaining technique.
  6. Learn by doing.
  7. Study in different locations.
  8. Revisit the material.

Is 10000 Japanese words enough?

About 10,000 words will give you a high level of competence. … Around 30,000-50,000 words will give you native level reading proficiency, equivalent to a college-educated Japanese. Of course, this level is only attained by a tiny fraction of non-native Japanese speakers.

How long does it take to learn 2000 words?

Using our data, we tried to figure out an average time estimate and found that over the last year, it has taken most people 17 hours to reach 2000 words.

How many words do a person need to know to be fluent?

Those who know 1,000 to 3,000 words can carry on everyday conversations. Knowing 4,000 to 10,000 words makes people advanced language users while knowing more than 10,000 words puts them at the fluent or native-speaker levels.

Is it possible to memorize the whole dictionary?

Unfortunately, unless you are blessed with a photographic memory memorizing the whole dictionary is not possible, however, there are a number of things you can do which will help you to learn and remember new vocabulary! … Using mind maps or vocabulary trees will help you to remember words about different topics. 3.

How long does it take to learn 300 words?

Answer: 300 words will take about 1 minutes to read for the average reader.

How many Spanish words should you learn a day?

Both sources refer to learning Spanish, so really about 15 words a day, with 30 minute or more practice sessions. The first source suggests that learning less than 15 words daily could be too slow, while learning more than 50 words a day could cause you to not remember the words.

How can I learn 10x faster?

These 10 Scientific Ways to Learn Anything Faster Could Change Everything You Know About Dramatically Improving Your Memory

  1. Say out loud what you want to remember. …
  2. Take notes by hand, not on a computer. …
  3. Chunk your study sessions. …
  4. Test yourself. …
  5. Change the way you practice. …
  6. Exercise regularly. …
  7. Get more sleep.

How can I study and not forget?

6 powerful ways to help you remember what you study

  1. Spaced repetition. Review material over and over again over incremental time intervals. …
  2. Active reiteration. …
  3. Directed note-taking. …
  4. Reading on paper. …
  5. Sleep and exercise. …
  6. Use the Italian tomato clock.

What are the methods of memorization?

Top 5 Methods of Memorizing | Psychology

  • Method # 1. Repeated Recitation:
  • Method # 2. Whole versus Part Learning:
  • Method # 3. Spaced and Un-Spaced Learning:
  • Method # 4. Cramming and Logical Memory:
  • Method # 5. Intention to Remember:

Маркова Светлана Дмитриевна
Вильнюсский университет
преподаватель, докторантка, кафедра русской филологии

Аннотация
Результат работы над развитием лексического навыка зависит от того метода, который используется при изучении иностранного языка.
В статье рассказывается о 25 наиболее эффективных способах запоминания слов. Это иллюстрированные словари, тематические словари, частотные словари, лексические минимумы, списки, ассоциации, маршруты, lexiland, город, карточки, тренажер всех полиглотов, слова в действии, карточки – приложение для смартфона, стикеры, метроном, зона личного комфорта, запись на диктофон, однокоренные слова, словосочетания, противоположности, синонимы, создание собственных тематических словарей, интеллект-карты, кроссворды, сканворды.

Markova Svetlana Dmitriyevna
Vilnius University
lecturer, doctoral student, Department of Russian Philology

Abstract
The result of work on the development of lexical skills depends on the method used in the learning of a foreign language.
The article describes the 25 most effective ways to memorize the words. This is illustrated dictionaries, thematic dictionaries, frequency dictionaries, lexical minimum, lists, associations, routes, lexiland, city card, trainer of polyglots, the words in action cards — applications for smartphones, stickers, metronome zone of personal comfort, recording on tape, root words, phrases, antonyms, synonyms, creating of own specialized dictionaries, mind maps, crosswords, scanwords.

Библиографическая ссылка на статью:
Маркова С.Д. 25 способов запоминания иностранных слов // Современные научные исследования и инновации. 2015. № 11 [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://web.snauka.ru/issues/2015/11/59418 (дата обращения: 07.04.2023).

Каждый, кто изучает какой-либо иностранный язык, должен в первую очередь овладеть лексикой данного языка, необходимой для общения на иностранном языке. Лексика является важнейшим компонентом всех видов речевой деятельности: аудирования, говорения, чтения и письма.

Анализ современной методической литературы подтверждает актуальность данной проблемы для дидактики в целом и для методики изучения и преподавания иностранных языков. Следует подчеркнуть также важность овладения активным и пассивным словарным запасом.

Схема запоминания иностранных слов

«Лексика – это совокупность слов (словарный запас) того или иного языка. Слова, которые человек использует в своей речевой практике, устной и письменной, составляют его активный словарный запас», – считает С.Ш.Нуридинова [http://bibliofond.ru/view.aspx?id=467659].

Только вот овладение словарным запасом у каждого происходит по-разному. По мнению Е.Васильевой, у детей до 12 лет след памяти выглядит так: ОБРАЗ + СЛОВО (натуральный метод), а после 12 лет след памяти изменяется и выглядит по-другому: СОЕДИНЕНИЕ ОБРАЗОВ + СЛОВО (техники запоминания). Поэтому натуральные методы начинают давать сбои.

Весь процесс запоминания слова можно изобразить схемой:

 Схема «Процесс запоминания слова»

Запоминание слова – сложный процесс, проходящий 3 этапа. Чтобы на 100% запомнить слово и уметь его использовать в устной речи, нужно:

  1. Одновременно представить слово и несколько раз его произнести, что дает 60-70% запоминания слова (слово + произношение);

  2. Одновременно писать слово и произносить, что дает еще 30-40% запоминания слова (произношение + написание);

  3. Читать, расширяя словарный запас (написание + образ)

Таким образом, любые слова (слова родного языка и иностранные слова) состоят из образа, произношения и написания. Чтобы «запомнить слово», нужно пройти все 3 этапа по часовой стрелке [Васильева, 2008, с. 13].

А теперь посмотрим, из каких составляющих состоят иностранные слова:

Слово – иностранное слово

  • Образ – перевод

  • Произношение – написание

  • Написание – иностранное слово

В схеме это будет выглядеть следующим образом:

 Составляющие, которые есть у иностранного слова:

  • Образ перевода;

  • Произношение;

  • Написание.

Важным аспектом в данном случае является «запоминание иностранного слова».

«Запомнить иностранное слово», по мнению Васильевой, – это значит:

  • Знать со 100-процентной точностью все его составляющие: перевод, произношение, написание (графическое изображение слова);

  • Быстро и со 100-процентной точностью вспомнить, когда это необходимо, любую из трех составляющих.

Именно такое 100-процентное запоминание иностранного слова возможно, если процесс запоминания будет выполняться последовательно, то есть 

  • 1 этап – образ перевода + произношение (70% запоминания слова);

  • 2 этап – произношение + написание иностранного слова (30% запоминания слова);

  • 3 этап – написание иностранного слова – образ перевода.

Е.Васильева считает, что свободное владение языком возможно только тогда, когда вы можете вспомнить иностранное слово по своему желанию в любое время. Подобное извлечение информации из памяти называется воспроизведением и возможно лишь при запоминании по часовой стрелке. Начиная запоминать с перевода, мы тем самым учимся думать на иностранном языке [Васильева, 2008, с. 22]. 

А А.Каралюс считает, что в мозгу нужно создать отдельную область, которая будет отвечать за иностранный язык. То есть не филиал нашего родного языка, а отдельную иностранную нишу.

Эффективные методы запоминания слов

В данной статье представлены 25 способов запоминания слов, из которых можно выбрать для себя наиболее приемлемые и удобные.

  1. Иллюстрированные словари

  2. Тематические словари

  3. Частотные словари

  4. Лексические минимумы

  5. Списки

  6. Ассоциации

  7. Маршруты

  8. Lexiland

  9. Город

  10. Карточки

  11. Тренажер всех полиглотов

  12. Слова в действии

  13. Карточки – приложение для смартфона и т.д.

  14. Стикеры

  15. Метроном

  16. Зона личного комфорта

  17. Запись на диктофон

  18. Однокоренные слова

  19. Словосочетания

  20. Противоположности

  21. Синонимы

  22. Создание собственных тематических словарей

  23. Интеллект-карты

  24. Кроссворды

  25. Сканворды

Иллюстрированные словари 

Особенно часто они используются при работе с детьми, когда дети видят картинку, а рядом – слово. Их огромное множество для изучения английского языка, намного меньше для других языков. Но хорошо то, что здесь важны именно картинки, а их как раз и можно взять из любого иллюстрированного словаря, предназначенного для изучения английского или любого другого языка. Можно просто взять картинки и перевести слова. И таким образом будет готов личный иллюстрированный словарь. При такой работе слово прикрепляется к образу. Так учат любой язык дети. Но и некоторым взрослым этот метод очень нравится.

Тематические словари

Наш мозг не воспринимает обычные списки слов, поэтому никогда не следует учить слова из словаря, да еще и по алфавиту. Лучше использовать тематические словари. Часто тематические словари соответствуют лексическим минимумам.

Что это такое? Наш мозг лучше всего усваивает информацию, которая разделена на какие-то блоки. Например, 100 слов – это 5 разделов по 20 слов, или 7-10 разделов по 10-15 слов. Берем тему, допустим, «Одежда». В ней будут разделы: «Женская одежда», «Мужская одежда», «Детская одежда», «Обувь», «Аксессуары» и т.д. Лучше составлять тематические словари самостоятельно, чтобы в них не попадали слова, которые Вам не нужны (не соответствуют зоне Вашего языкового комфорта). В таком случае лучше всего делать словарную интеллект-карту каждой темы.

Частотные словари

Существуют в каждом языке. Это наиболее употребляемые слова среднего носителя языка. Найти частотный словарь по английскому языку очень просто, что касается других языков, то надо просто поискать. Да и вообще, методика преподавания иностранных языков, какие-то новые веяния сначала появляются и прорабатываются на английском языке. Ведь он сейчас – lingua franca, его должны знать почти все. Только потом все это новое из английского попадает в другие языки, когда этим начинают заниматься специалисты. Частотные словари связаны с лексическими минимумами.

Лексические минимумы

Это самый простой и популярный способ учить слова. Есть много разделений по минимумам, но, на мой взгляд, наиболее понятный метод Э.В.Гуннемарка. Во-первых, исследователь разделил уровни на два: уровень устного общения и уровень чтения на иностранном языке. К уровню общения относятся:

Базовый или пороговый уровень: 400-500 слов, примерно 100 устойчивых словосочетаний и «речевых штампов». Следует также заметить, что, уже начиная с овладения 150-200 словами и приблизительно 25 устойчивыми словосочетаниями, можно начинать общение.

Мини-уровень: 800-1000 слов и 200 устойчивых словосочетаний и «речевых штампов».

Меди-уровень: 1500-2000 слов и 300 устойчивых словосочетаний и «речевых штампов».

Для целей чтения на иностранном языке выделяется:

Мини-уровень: 800-1000 слов.

Уровень чтения «литературы по специальности»: 3000-4000 слов.

Уровень чтения прозы: 8000 слов [Гуннемарк, 2002, с. 19].

В разных системах эти числа будут варьироваться. Кроме того часто в минимумах дается больше слов с учетом 10-20% погрешности. То есть как бы мы ни учили, определенный процент слов мы никак не можем запомнить. И зачастую те слова, которые никак не запоминаются, нам просто не нужны. Мы их не используем в своем повседневном общении. Мы их знаем, но не употребляем, они у нас в пассиве. То есть они не принадлежат к нашей зоне языкового комфорта.

Списки

Слова лучше учить не по отдельности, а целыми списками. Они могут быть сгруппированы абсолютно по любому принципу (цифры, синонимы, антонимы, названия профессии и т.д.), но главное – именно список. Тогда в памяти остается то, что их много и они быстрее запоминаются.

Ассоциации по Аткинсону

Имеется пара: слово на родном языке и это же слово на иностранном языке, которое нам надо запомнить. Запоминание проходит в несколько этапов:

  1. Нужно взять слово на родном языке и представить его. Если это собака, то вспомнить, когда Вы в последний раз видели ее, где именно, что она делала, какие чувства Вы при этом испытывали и т.д. Если это глагол, например, любить, то вспомните, когда Вы испытывали это чувство, к кому и т.д.

  2. Взять слово на иностранном языке (например, по-английски «любить – love») и записать транскрипцию: ЛАВ. Подумать, на какое русское слово оно похоже. На слово ЛАВА.

  3. Соединить первое представление со словом «лава». Получается маленький видео-ролик «ЛЮБОВЬ как вулканическая ЛАВА».

  4. Повторить иностранное слово 3 раза: любить – love, love, love.

Маршруты 

Многие любят гулять. В парке, по городу, по магазинам… И это увлечение тоже можно сочетать с изучением иностранного языка. Например, прогуливаясь по парку, можно изучать деревья. Это клён, сосна, берёза, липа… Дальше – цветы. Одуванчик, клевер, ромашка… Можно пойти в магазин за продуктами. А если пойти в супермаркет, то не только продукты можно выучить, но и много других слов. Пока идем в одном направлении – учим, возвращаемся обратно той же дорогой – повторяем. Можно ходить с обычным словарем или использовать электронный словарь, а можно взять с собой друга, который знает язык. Он с удовольствием вспомнит его, да и Вас научит.

Lexiland

Не всегда есть возможность прокладывать реальные маршруты. Поэтому есть хороший способ чертить маршруты на листе бумаги. На каждую из тем можно сделать интеллект-карту. Темы разделить на подтемы, а подтемы – на разделы. Надо взять отдельный лист бумаги и начать рисовать. Рисование очень помогает, так задействованы два полушария – правое и левое. Например, тема «Город», подтема «Зоопарк», раздел «Дикие животные». Схематически рисуем зоопарк и прокладываем маршрут: клетка со слоном – рисуем слона, далее обезьяна – рисуем обезьяну, которая нам корчит рожи. Медведь, лиса, заяц… Чем хуже человек рисует, тем больше этот метод для подойдет. Не надо рисовать очень красиво, главное, чтобы предметы были узнаваемы. Таким образом мы прокладываем не реальные маршруты, а рисуем свой особый Lexiland.

Город

Чтобы быстрее выучить иностранный язык, можно выделить для этого какой-нибудь город, который Вы хорошо знаете и в котором отлично ориентируетесь. Например, мне надо выучить продукты питания. Мысленно можно пойти в конкретный магазин и вспомнить ряды. То есть все продукты питания мысленно находятся в данном магазине. И когда нужно вспомнить хлеб или молоко, то можно мысленно перенестись в этот магазин, увидеть прилавки и мгновенно вспомнить слова. Если это здания, то эти здания будут опять же в этом городе.

Метод «Город» хорошо работает и для изучения каких-то морфологических или грамматических групп слов. Например, нужно выучить артикли. В немецком языке из три: der – мужского рода, die – женского рода, das – среднего рода. Тогда следует взять один район города и поместить туда всех «мужчин» с артиклем der. В другом районе – всех «женщин» с артиклем die. А в третьем – весь средний род с артиклем das. Можно делить и по частям речи: существительные – в одном районе, прилагательные – во втором, глаголы – в третьем. И т.д.

Карточки

Для этого понадобятся карточки-листочки, которые можно купить в любом канцелярском магазине, или нарезать самостоятельно. Чтобы мозгу было веселее работать, можно купить цветные карточки. Но можно обойтись и простыми белыми. Если нет коробочки, то желательно купить резиночки, чтобы скреплять листочки.

Далее на эти карточки пишем слова. На одной стороне пишем слово, на другой – перевод. Никаких транскрипций не пишем, чтобы привыкать к написанию. Если слово трудное и его произношение очень отличается от написания, внизу можно подписать проблемные места. Но не транскрибировать все слово. Повторять в течение нескольких дней.

Тренажер всех полиглотов

Это работа с карточками. Для того, чтобы составить картотеку, понадобится коробочка с пятью ячейками. Лучше всего такую коробочку купить, но если нет такой возможности, то можно и обойтись без нее. Можно просто раскладывать карточки на 5 стопочек: первая толщиной в один палец, вторая – два пальца, третья – три, четвертая – четыре и пятая – пять. То есть в картотеке мы реализуем систему пяти повторений.

Как работать с картотекой?

  1. Взять стопочку слов и сначала выучить значение слов с иностранного языка на родной. Потом нужно пройти и значение с родного на иностранный. Если слово знакомо – положить назад, незнакомо – положить в середину стопочки, чтобы оно в скором времени попалось на глаза еще раз. И таким образом просматриваются все слова. Всегда есть от 10 до 20 процентов слов, которые не запоминаются. Их следует откладывать и оставлять в первой ячейке. Те, которые знакомы – перенести в следующую. И так, пока все наши слова не пройдут путь от первой ячейки до последней. Знакомы – перенести в следующую, незнакомы – оставить в предыдущей. На одно слово приходится около недели работы. Но так как таким образом изучается и повторяется не по одному слову, а сразу сотнями, то по времени на это уходит около 10-15 минут в день. За исключением первого раза, когда не просто проглядываются слова, но и придумываются визуализации к каждому, чтобы слово не было статичным, а приобрело динамику.

  2. Как вариант к данному. Часто ставится цель – за неделю выучить лексический минимум языка (допустим, 500 или 1000 слов). Можно по системе пяти повторений просто прогнать все слова по пяти ячейкам в течение пяти дней. Но есть и другой вариант: каждый день записывать на карточки по 100-150 слов ежедневно и повторять их в течение семи дней. То есть в первый день записать и выучить при помощи визуализации 100 слов (затратить на это 2-3 часа сначала, 1-2 часа, когда система становится понятной). Во второй день их повторить (20-30 минут), плюс записать и выучить еще 100 слов (1-2 часа). В третий день повторить 100 слов первого дня (5-10 минут), 100 слов второго дня (10-15 минут), плюс записать и выучить еще 100 слов (1-1,5 часа). И так далее. С каждым днем уменьшается количество времени на каждое последующее повторение и сокращается количество времени, когда готовятся новые партии карточек «100 слов дня». Таким образом, за неделю-две можно овладеть лексическим минимумом в 500-1000 слов без особых проблем. Главное, учить и повторять их каждый день в течение пяти дней (за один день можно повторить и несколько раз для гарантии качества) и не путать стопочки. Можно даже на каждой стопочке подписать: «100 слов 1-ого дня», «100 слов 2-ого дня», …, чтобы не запутаться. И носить их всегда с собой. Как только появляется свободная минута – взять и повторить. Сначала с иностранного на родной, потом – наоборот. Когда слова уже выучены, не надо карточки сжигать или выбрасывать, как многие советуют. Их можно просто отложить куда-нибудь на время. И когда, например, через 2 года, опять понадобится для реального общения тот язык, можно взять все эти карточки (500 или 1000 слов) и быстро повторить их в течение 2-3 часов. Это все равно будет намного быстрее, чем если начинать их писать заново.

Слова в действии

Например, при приготовлении обеда можно комментировать ингредиенты и все производимые действия на иностранном языке. Или в тренажерный зале и можно учить движения. Просто у многих кинестетическая память, то есть память связана с действиями, которые нами совершаются.

Карточки – приложение для смартфона и т.д.

Это такие программы для телефонных устройств. Метод хорош для тех, кто много времени проводит в общественном транспорте или просто «играет» с телефоном. Рекомендуется найти такие карточки, скачать их на телефон и проводить время с пользой, обучаясь.

Стикеры

Наклеивать листочки со словами на иностранном языке на все предметы, которые нас окружают в повседневной жизни, и скоро можно заметить, что словарный запас заметно увеличился.

Метроном

Для реализации этого метода понадобится список слов на иностранном языке (желательно не меньше 2000, можно в крайнем случае взять обычный словарь) и метроном. Метроном можно скачать в интернете.

Ход работы:

  1. Установить метроном на 80 ударов в минуту (скорость биения сердца).

  2. На каждый удар метронома успевать прочитывать слово и его перевод (сначала будет очень быстро, но к темпу можно быстро привыкнуть). И знакомые слова отмечаются точкой.

  3. На следующем этапе просматриваются только не отмеченные слова. И так – пока возле каждого слова не будет стоять точка.

Таким образом, где-то за 1-2 дня можно «пробежать» весь словарь, необходимый для пассивного использования (чтения). Слова таким способом запоминаются на уровне узнавания.

Зона языкового комфорта

У каждого из нас существует свое языковое ядро или наша личная зона языкового комфорта. Это те слова, которые мы используем чаще всего. Их может быть 500, а может быть и 1500. Зависит от каждого отдельно взятого человека, от уровня образования, сферы деятельности и много другого. Вспомним героиню романа И.Ильфа и Е.Петрова Эллочку-людоедку, которой для нормального общения требовалось не так уж много слов. Смешно, но ей хватало. Используя слова из своей личной зоны языкового комфорта, мы чувствуем себя комфортно и можем выразить все, что нам необходимо для того, чтобы быть понятыми на бытовом уровне.

Главное – выявить свою зону языкового комфорта. И это можно сделать самостоятельно.

Первый вариант выявления языкового ядра. Если Вы – человек пишущий (пишете статьи в прессу, пишете письма друзьям по электронной почте, ведете электронный дневник или свой блог, пишете комментарии к другим заметкам и т.д.), то можно просто взять и скопировать все эти тексты за последние недели-месяцы (чем больше, тем точнее данные) в программу WordStat. Программа подсчитывает личный частотный словарь на родном языке. И все! Остается перевести это ядро на иностранный язык. Программу можно скачать бесплатно, а слова перевести при помощи электронного переводчика.

Второй вариант выявления личной зоны языкового комфорта более кропотливый, но более верный. Это запись своего голоса на диктофон. То есть в течение дня записывать все, что Вами сказано, на диктофон (есть даже такие программы, когда диктофон записывает только тогда, когда человек говорит, а когда человек молчит, диктофон не записывает). Потом нужно всю запись перевести в текст и через программу WordStat подсчитать ядро языка. С одной стороны, работы много, но один раз можно потратить время на выявление личной зоны языкового комфорта, чтобы потом все иностранные языки «ложились» на это ядро, а любой иностранный язык – учился быстро и с удовольствием.

Запись слов на диктофон

Нужно взять диктофон и в течение 30 минут надиктовывать на него слова: сначала на родном языке, а потом 5-7 раз на иностранном языке. Например, читать – read, read, read, read, read… На следующий день прослушивать надиктованные слова. И так пять дней.

Однокоренные слова

Это группы слов с общим корнем. Например, читать – читатель – читальный зал – читательский билет. Пополнение словаря подобным образом специалистами оценивается как довольно эффективный метод, особенно для пассивного использования (узнавания в текстах).

Словосочетания

Учим не просто «площадь», а «Красная площадь», не «кататься», а «кататься на велосипеде». Таким образом слова запоминаются в контексте, и не одно, а два-три сразу.

Противоположности

Черный – белый, маленький – большой…

Синонимы

Красивый – прекрасный – чудесный …

Создание собственных тематических словарей

Особенно хорошо подходит для составления профессиональных словарей. Например, врачу нужен словарь своей профессиональной терминологии. Следует взять и составить словарь на родном языке, а потом его через google-переводчик просто перевести.

Интеллект-карты

Следует взять лист бумаги формата минимум А4 (лучше – А3) и в центре записать тему. Например, тема «Магазин». Теперь написать подтемы: «Продукты», «Магазин одежды», «Обувной магазин», «Канцелярия» и т.д. Далее каждая подтема может делиться еще на более мелкие. Например, «Одежда» – это «Женская одежда», «Мужская одежда», «Детская одежда», «Обувь», «Аксессуары» и т.д. Если надо, можно разделить. А потом написать слова. Например, «Мужская одежда» – это рубашка, брюки, пиджак, галстук и т.д.

В результате 100-200 слов одной темы (одна интеллект-карта или одна большая тема редко включает в себя больше 200 слов, чаще всего 100-150) разделены на 5-10 подтем, которые делятся еще на 2-3 раздела по 10-15 слов. Все! Интеллект-карта готова!

Кроссворды

Изучению слов очень помогает составление кроссвордов. Плюс ко всему еще и значение слов (для объяснения) имеет значение. Запоминается и слово, и значение. Можно делать просто переводные кроссворды: слово – перевод.

Сканворды

Помогает и составление сканвордов. Причем это намного проще, чем составлять кроссворды. Подходит даже на начальных этапах изучения языка. Можно взять, например, тему «Семья» и составить по ней сканворд.

Выводы:

  1. Слова состоят из образа, произношения и написания. Чтобы «запомнить слово», нужно пройти все 3 этапа.

  2. Наиболее эффективные способы запоминания слов: иллюстрированные словари, тематические словари, частотные словари, лексические минимумы, списки, ассоциации, маршруты, lexiland, город, карточки, тренажер всех полиглотов, слова в действии, карточки – приложение для смартфона, стикеры, метроном, зона личного комфорта, запись на диктофон, однокоренные слова, словосочетания, противоположности, синонимы, создание собственных тематических словарей, интеллект-карты, кроссворды, сканворды.

Библиографический список

  1. Васильева Е. Секреты полиглота: как без труда запомнить 5 языков. Уникальная техника запоминания. Москва: Астрель, 2008, 632 с.
  2. Гуннемарк Э.В. Искусство изучать языки. Санкт-Петербург: Тесса, 2002, 208 с
  3. Нуридинова С.Ш. Обучение лексике как важнейшему компоненту речевой деятельности на уроке иностранного языка на начальном этапе. In: http://bibliofond.ru/view.aspx?id=467659
  4. Полонейчик И. Видеокурс «Форсированное овладение иностранными языками», 2010.
  5. Karalius A. Kaip efektyviai mokytis užsienio kalbų. 2012, 101 с.


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