Word to help you remember something

Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.

Mnemonic Device	Example
Visual image Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember.	To remember the name Rosa Parks and what she’s known for, picture a woman sitting on a park bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus pulls up.
Acrostic (or sentence) Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember.	The sentence «Every good boy does fine» to memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F.
Acronym An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them.	The word «HOMES» to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
Rhymes and alliteration Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are a memorable way to remember more mundane  facts and figures.	The rhyme «Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November» to remember the months of the year with only 30 days in them.
Chunking Chunking breaks a long list of  numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks.	Remembering a 10-digit phone number by breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to 5558675309).
Method of loci Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well or in specific locations in a familiar room or building.	For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and bread on your bed.

Resource: http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm

So … you want to know how to remember things.

Excellent. You’re in the right place. I read every book on the topic I can find.  And I am always looking to improve my own memory skills.

Here’s a simple fact about improving your memory:

People with excellent memories and memory championship winners are not too different from you. They just use a combination of techniques to enable their minds to memorize things.

You might find it hard to remember names, facts, equations, lists, tasks you need to take care of, a new language, and so on.

But if you follow the right techniques, you can remember almost anything you want. The techniques you’ll discover on this page will work for you, no matter how bad you think your memory is.

In this article, I will show you a number of techniques that will help you understand:

• How to remember what you read
• How to remember names
• How to remember lists and things you need to do
• How to memorize things faster
• How to remember something you forgot

… and so on.

There are dozens of techniques and memory tricks, but they can be classified into three approaches:

1. Mnemonics for Memory Improvement
2. Lifestyle Changes For Memory Improvement
3. Other Memory Methods for Improvement

Let’s take a look at each. You can read or enjoy this video version of the text by clicking “play” and eliminating all distractions:

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How To Remember Things With Mnemonics: 21 Memorization Techniques

Mnemonics are memory techniques that help you to remember things better. They are also the most effective for forming strong long-term memories. Here are a few of the most common mnemonic devices:

1. Memory Palaces

The Memory Palace is the most powerful mnemonic device ever formulated.

If you are a fan of ‘Sherlock’ – the BBC series, you have seen Sherlock Holmes use his ‘mind palace’ to remember practically everything. This memorization method isn’t just used by fictional detectives. Memory champions swear by the memory palace.

The mnemonic device, also referred to as the ‘Method of Loci’ or ‘Cicero Method’ was developed in Ancient Greece.

How does it work?

The fundamental concept of the Memory Palace Technique is to associate pieces of information that you wish to remember with parts of a location that you are very familiar with. This location can be your home.

This memorization method begins by visualizing yourself walking through your home and remembering every single detail that you can. It’s also a great mental exercise.

However, you necessarily do not need to visualize, and can physically walk through your home too. In fact, the idea of the memory palace is to make use of all your senses – auditory, kinesthetic (touch), and so on.

Associate each item that you wish to remember with a specific object or space in your home. For example, if you are trying to remember a new language, you might want to store all the words related to weather in your wardrobe.

Associating items within your mind with a real physical space helps your brain ‘file’ important things to remember more easily.

Mind Palaces can be used to remember names, faces, languages, lists, academic material, and pretty much anything under the sun. I talk about the Memory Palace in more detail in this article.

2. Spaced Repetition

It’s easier to remember something that you read yesterday than a paragraph you have read a year back. Hermann Ebbinghaus referred to this as the forgetting curve. His research into the psychology of memory observed that we forget most newly acquired information within a few hours or at the most a couple of days.

However, if you reinforce what you learn at regular intervals, it’s easier to retain that piece of information from the long-term storage areas of your brain.

The spaced repetition method is all about practicing remembering at the right time.

You do that by reinforcing a bit of information in your mind just when you are about to forget it.

A simple way of applying this memory technique is to use flashcards. You can organize your flashcards into three batches depending on how easy it is for you to remember.

If you remember something clearly, test yourself with the same flashcard within ten minutes, but if you do remember, test yourself at a longer interval.

There are several tools out there that claim to be spaced repetition software, but which are actually not. If you wish to try out spaced repetition, the best approach is to make your own flashcards.

3. Use Chunking to Remember

Chunking is the process of clubbing things together into groups.

For instance, you could try remembering your grocery list according to each shelf in the store.

Or when you are learning a new language, learn words that are related by a strong context, such as breakfast food items, winter clothing, and so on.

The human brain naturally tends to look for patterns, and chunking allows the brain to store information in easy-to-remember packets.

Here are 21 more study tips related to chunking, some of which are a bit unconventional.

4. Expression Mnemonics or Acronyms

You have probably come across this method in school. You create an acronym of the different things that you wish to remember.

If you have taken music lessons, you would remember EGBDF (the treble clef) with the acronym, “Every Good Boy Does Fine.”

Another common expression mnemonic you might remember from your school days is HOMES – for the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior).

Acronyms are difficult to forget! There are similar Expression Mnemonics which involve rhymes, songs, and so on.

5. Remembering Numbers with The Major System

The Major System is also called the Major Method or is sometimes referred to as Harry Lorayne’s Number Mnemonics.

It works by associating a number with a sound. Like this:

0 = soft c, s or z

1 = d, t

2 = n

3 = m

4 = r

… and so on (see diagram for the full list.)

You use this simple formula by forming words with these numbers. For instance, 22 could be nun (formed by combining n and n). You combine these words to visualize an animated sequence of activities, which makes it difficult for you to forget!

The method can be used to memorize long digits, multiplication tables, phone numbers, number-based passwords, and so on.

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6. Using the NAME Acronym to Remember Things

The NAME acronym is a process used to remember names. However, you can use it to remember other things too. This is based on an interesting book I read recently – Boost Your Memory by Darren Bridger.

For those of you who are seriously into memorization and mastering how to remember something you forgot, it’s a worthy read. Even if you’re already well established, I suggest reading it for a quick review of the major principles that support remembering things.

Notice

Notice is the first word in the name acronym.

In this case, the author is not only talking about memorizing things like names by noticing the person’s hair, eye color, and other distinct features of the face. He’s also talking about noticing the sound of the name as part of learning to recall things better.

Seriously. Notice how the names you want to remember sound. Even a seemingly pedestrian name like “Bill” becomes quite interesting if you think about it.

You can even go so far as to pretend in your mind that you’ve never heard the word before. Just as we want to pay close attention to the sound of the words we are memorizing using the Magnetic Memory Method, when we learn a person’s name, we want to swirl it around a bit.

It’s almost like tasting wine. That’s kind of a weird way to think about learning someone’s name, but I’ve tried it out many times, and it actually does bring an interesting quality to the memorization process.

Ask And You Shall Remember

Ask is the second word in this powerful acronym that teaches you how to remember names or even information for a test.

In the case of names, Bridger is suggesting that we ask for the name to be repeated if we haven’t heard it the first time. When it comes to how to memorize things for a test, it’s really the same process.

For example, I’m sure you’ve had this experience:

You hear someone’s name, but don’t quite catch it. Instead of asking for it to be repeated, you let the name issue drop and hope it will come up again …

But It Never Does!

And so, as Bridger suggests, there’s no shame in asking for a name to be repeated. Likewise when you study: there’s nothing wrong with going back and repeating the information. And then add the act of asking with this quick tip:

If you want to remember things better, start asking people about their names. Like this:

“That’s an interesting name. Where does it come from?”

These are perfect questions to ask a person. Questions like these will not only increase your rapport with the person but also cause you to pay more attention to the name in the first place.

It’s the same thing with any information, and you can always ask questions about any information using this formula:

• What is interesting about this?
• Why is it like this?
• How did it come to be this way?
• What if it was different?

Remember: a great deal of what memorizing things boils down to is noticing and paying attention to the target material. It also comes down to “rotating” the information in your mind by examining it from different angles.

Mention to Help Remember Things

The author uses the word “mention” for the purposes of his acronym, but usually, tips on memorizing names tell us to repeat the name we’ve just heard.

Memory experts are actually divided on this point. Yes, it helps the name you want to remember to sink into your memory. And yes, it tells the person that you’ve heard their name and that you care about knowing them. But it can still come off as rather corny.

Still, I spend a lot of time in places where the language is not my native tongue and have found repeating the names of people I meet to be an essential habit.

Pronunciations of names vary widely, and there are often subtle sounds that people will gladly correct for you once they’ve heard you mispronounce their name. It’s only polite to make sure you can pronounce a person’s name right.

Plus, pronunciation is one of the weakest points for me. I’m always working on improving it in my own memory improvement journey – largely due to being 80% deaf in my left ear.

Even though it can be a bit corny to repeat the names of people you’ve just met, just do it. Taking that simple step when it comes to recalling things like names is worth it in the end.

Envision

Here Bridger finally shows us how to bring it all together.

Envisioning is simple. It’s the part of the mnemonic process where we take the visual characteristics of a face and associate the name of the person with some distinct feature.

To use Bridger’s teaching, which seems pulled straight out of Harry Lorayne, let’s say I meet someone named Jacob and he has rather bird-like features. All I would need to do is imagine him having the face of a Blue Jay and then imagine him puffing on a corncob pipe.

(Jay + Cob = Jacob). Simple stuff.

The only problem is …

I don’t like doing it this way. I find that it makes me look at the person strangely later as I’m going through the recall process. I prefer seeing the images I create either behind the person, on their shoulder or above their head. That way, when recalling their name, I’m not looking all screwy-eyed at them.

The Missing Memory Step

Plus, there’s a missing step.. “Envisioning” is one thing. Having a place to find what you envisioned quite another.

That’s why I’ve had at times dedicated Memory Palaces just for names.

If I meet a person named Jacob and see him as a Blue Jay smoking a corncob pipe. But I don’t want to let the association just float around in the void. I want to Magnetize it somewhere. To do that, I put the Magnetic Imagery in a Memory Palace.

Later, when I want to recall his name, the association will come much faster than it would have otherwise.

Why? Because memory no longer needs to hunt for the association or “envisioned” information. When we associate without placing our associations somewhere, we often have an “uhhhhhhm” moment where we’re searching for the association we know that we’ve created.

Plus, without a Memory Palace, we have no means of performing Recall Rehearsal. We will find the imagery in our Memory Palace later, but still have to reverse-engineer it in order to get the target material.

That’s the key: always locate your material somewhere and then use that Memory Palace to rehearse the information into long-term memory.

How To Remember Things Through Lifestyle Changes

Your lifestyle and habits have a significant impact on your memory. These are not memory tricks. However, implementing these lifestyle changes will boost your overall ability to remember things.

7. Getting Adequate Sleep will Help you Remember Things

One of the biggest mistakes that students make is trying to study longer hours by skipping on sleep. What they forget is that sleep deprivation affects several cognitive abilities, including memory.

This should hardly be a surprise. In addition to affecting the mind, lack of sleep is also considered to be a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, diminished immunity, obesity, and several other complications.

Numerous studies have established that sleep helps in the second stage of memory – consolidation.

And there’s no doubt about it:

Sleep helps in recalling facts and information as well as in procedural memory formation – the aspect of memory involved in learning new skills faster (Diekelmann and Born, 2010)

And there’s more to it.

Sleep also contributes to reorganizing memories, by forming stronger connections between different memories. Sleep helps the brain to link newly absorbed information with previously acquired information, which spurs creativity (Diekelmann and Born, 2010)

Other studies have indicated that lack of sleep also makes us remember things incorrectly (Diekelmann 2008). Therefore, for several reasons, getting a good night’s sleep can significantly contribute to memory improvement.

8. Taking Naps will Improve Your Memory

What if you are unable to get adequate sleep? Try taking naps.

David Dinges (University of Pennsylvania) concluded from sleep experiments supported by NASA that naps help in boosting working memory.

Dinges also says that working memory “involves focusing attention on one task while holding other tasks in memory … and is a fundamental ability critical to performing complex work.”  Another study concluded that a nap as short as six minutes can help boost memory (Lahl et al 2008)

9. Foods that Boost Your Memory

When we talk about diet, the conversation is usually about weight loss, improving immunity, or preventing diseases. However, what we eat also has an effect on memory improvement.

There are several foods that are great for memory such as walnuts, green tea, blueberries, fish, whole grains, olive oil, etc. – often referred to as the Mediterranean diet.

Studies have demonstrated that consumption of green tea leads to enhanced activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (Schimdt et al 3888). This optimization leads to improved memory and better cognition overall (Feng et al 438).

Fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, oysters are all excellent sources of Omega-3s, which lowers the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s by as much as 47% (Schaefer et al 1545).

Incidentally, the Mediterranean diet is also recommended for preventing cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. Therefore, there are plenty of reasons besides memory improvement to include these foods in your diet!

You should also avoid foods that contain too much saturated fats and trans-fats such as red meat, butter, etc. Foods that cause cholesterol leading to heart attack or stroke also lead to memory impairment.

And it’s not just about food. Teas for memory and herbs that help memory are important considerations too.

10. Exercising Leads to Memory Improvement

Exercising is another great way to improve your memory.

It’s well known that exercise leads to increased blood flow to the brain, which has several cognitive benefits, such as alertness, better concentration, more positive mood, and so on.

Exercising also improves memory by releasing cathepsin B. It’s a protein that triggers the growth of neurons and forms new connections in the hippocampus, a section of the brain playing a vital role in memory.

Memory improvement necessarily doesn’t require rigorous exercise. Just 150 minutes of walking every week has been known to improve memory.

11. Socializing for Stronger Memories

Australian researchers conducted a study involving 700 participants over 15 years. The researchers concluded that maintaining close relationships helps in improving memory. Other studies have also indicated that socializing helps prevent memory loss through dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Since better relationships are also linked to happiness and improvement in a number of health parameters, it’s a great reason to invest more in your current relationships as well as get back in touch with people you haven’t spoken to for years.

12. New Stimulating Hobbies Will Improve Your Memory

Columbia University researchers have found that people having more than six hobbies have a 38% lower chance of developing dementia. Researchers at Berkeley, California also found that people who regularly engage in activities that stimulate their brains avoid the formation of a protein that causes Alzheimer’s.

The key is to pick up new hobbies that force you to expand the capabilities of your mind.

For example, you could:

• Read a book on a topic that you are completely unfamiliar with
• Learning a new musical instrument or a new dance form
• Pick up a new form of exercise,
• Regularly meet new people

The key here is to engage in activities that lead to the formation of new neurons in the brain as well as new connections between existing neurons. This helps maintain the brain’s cognitive reserve – its ability to avoid memory loss.

13. Learning a New Language Boosts Memory

There are several reasons why learning a new language is great for memory.

The process of remembering vocabulary, phrases, and grammar rules all exercise your brain cells. Mental exercise like this leads to overall memory improvement. Studies have indicated that bilingual people are at less risk of Alzheimer’s.

You also develop renewed curiosity about everything around you, which helps you to focus more on everyday activities and objects. As I have pointed out earlier, focus is another factor that helps us to remember things better.

Remembering is an essential skill that you have to pick up while learning any new language. When you are actively looking for ways to remember, you pick up lots of memorization techniques – which in turn improve your memory.

It’s a cycle that helps you to keep improving continuously. So why not spend a few minutes every day in brushing up your French or Spanish or pick up a completely new language like Mandarin!

14. Do More Challenging Work

Studies have found that people who do more mentally challenging work are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Working on things that are mentally taxing keeps your neurons on their toes and prevents them from deteriorating over time.

If you are in a job you find boring or if changing careers is not an option, developing better memory and a healthier brain is its own reward. You could also ask your boss to give you additional responsibilities every day that place you out of your comfort zone – so that your cognitive abilities stay in peak shape.

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15. Positivity Promotes Memory Improvement

A 2012 study indicated that feelings of positivity have a beneficial effect on remembering things in the case of older adults. Positive thinking and happiness are believed to trigger the release of dopamine in the memory-related regions of the brain, which stimulates memory formation and retention.

Try to engage in activities that make you happy. It can be as simple as setting aside 10 minutes a day to revive a hobby that you used to enjoy, such as reading or singing.

Using memory tricks definitely makes me happy, and research by Tim Dalgliesh shows how and why. In “Method-of-Loci as a Mnemonic Device to Facilitate Access to Self-Affirming Personal Memories for Individuals With Depression,” he shows precisely how and why using a memory technique relieves mental anguish and creates more joy.

You can also practice positive visualization or meditation. Both of these activities reduce stress and release dopamine in the brain. Practicing gratitude also makes us happier and helps improve our memories.

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16. Meditation for Memory

Meditation is the most effective way of improving the ability of our mind to pay attention to tasks – which is important for improving retention and converting short-term memory into long-term memory.

Studies have demonstrated that practicing meditation improves our ability to focus on smaller details. (Maclean et al. 2010). Other studies have shown that mindfulness meditation works better as a memory technique than yoga.  (Quach et al 2015).

Building a habit of meditating every day isn’t too hard.

What if the thought of sitting still for even a couple of minutes is too painful?

Try walking meditation. Lots of people find this approach far easier than the regular sitting meditation approach, and as effective as calming the mind.

Other Memory Tricks To Remember Things

Improving your memory is also possible by approaching the process of learning something new a bit differently. Making these small additional changes can go a long way in helping you remember things.

17. Learn in the Afternoon

Research indicates that the afternoon is the best time to study to maximize recall, not necessarily when you are feeling the most alert. If your work involves any sort of learning, try to schedule it during the afternoon hours.

18. Recall Before Writing

Everyone remembers how school teachers asked us to write things down to help us remember. Adding a step to this age-old practice helps us remember things even better.

If you just mechanically write something down, you are likely to forget it soon.

Actively recall each item you wish to remember and then write it, as opposed to just copying something without thinking about it. Repeating this process multiple times is great for adding things to your long-term memory.

A useful hack to remember things that you read is to summarize a page or a paragraph in the margin of the book as you read along. This reinforces absorption into your memory, as well as helps you quickly remember the contents of the page when you look it up in the future.

Finally, remember that writing something down is far more effective than typing it out because it helps you pay more attention to the moment. The reticular activating system is a section of your brain that gets stimulated when you do something with higher levels of alertness and lowers your chance of forgetting things.

19. Be More Interested

It’s always easier to remember things that we are interested in. For instance, you might find it far easy to remember personal details of your favorite celebrity, but you tend to forget historical facts or the names of your in-law’s friends!

But how do you apply this memorization technique to areas that you are not so interested in?

By actively trying to find reasons to be interested. Remind yourself regularly about why it’s important to remember – how will it contribute to your personal or professional life? That will signal to your brain the importance of the topic and it will dedicate more resources to strengthening neurons that reinforce those memories.

20. Pay More Attention

Out of all the best memorization techniques for remembering things, this might be the most effective.

Researchers from MIT have identified a neural circuit in the human brain that helps in forming long-term memories. This circuit works best when your mind pays close attention to the task at hand. Essentially, higher concentration automatically leads to better absorption in the brain and helps in converting short-term memories into long-term memories.

Unfortunately, concentration is becoming an increasingly rare trait in a world where people are bombarded with an infinite number of distractions from multiple digital devices, and multitasking is the norm. However, there are two simple steps that will help improve your concentration – and hence boost your memory.

First, gradually reducing the use of digital devices will improve your attention span and free you from Digital Amnesia. Next, try doing one thing at a time and avoid switching between tasks every few minutes.

Simply building these two habits will help you to remember things more easily.

21. Visualizing Helps You Remember

A simple way of remembering tasks that you need to do is by visualizing yourself doing that action. This is especially useful when you don’t have a notepad or a to-do list app with you right away, or if the process of noting down a task is too cumbersome. This is useful in several situations, but here are the two most common ones.

The first is in the middle of a conversation. Paying complete attention to someone speaking, is also a positive step in building rapport, and whipping out your phone to note down a task can be a distraction.

The second is remembering where you have kept something, like your glasses. Quickly visualizing it will help you recall where it is.

Visualizing to remember things doesn’t eliminate the need for a to-do list, but it serves as a useful complement.

Remembering Things Isn’t Hard!

We have covered a wide range of methods that will help you to remember. You don’t need to practice all of them. Just picking up a few of these memorization techniques will make a substantial difference to your memory.

And what if you wanted to learn just one method that will make a huge difference to your memory? I recommend the Memory Palace. Click here to learn more about how to effectively create and use one – fast.

Then create and use more Memory Palaces. It’s good for the health and longevity of your brain!

Recommended textbook solutions

 

Everyday English Speaking Course

Download 500+ English Phrases

#1 – I remember…

There are a number of ways to use “I remember…”

• I remember + -ING form of verb
  I remember spending every summer at camp when I was a child.
• I remember + person or thing
  I remember him – we met at a conference last year.
  I remember that TV show, I used to watch it all the time.
• I remember + that + subject + verb
  I was going to make hamburgers, but then I remembered that she doesn’t eat meat – so I made a salad instead.

#2 – I’ll never forget… / I’ll always remember…

Use these phrases for people, things, or experiences that were so strong that they will never leave your memory!

#3 – If I remember correctly… / As far as I can recall…

Use these phrases if you’re not 100% certain that what you remember is correct – and you want to communicate this small uncertainty.

#4 – I have a vague recollection of…

Use this phrase when you remember something, but not very well – for example, you remember the general experience a little bit, but not the details.

#5 – It’s on the tip of my tongue.

Use this phrase when you are trying to remember something (usually a word or a person’s name) but you can’t quite say it yet. This expression is often used to get a few more moments to remember the word or name you’re trying to think of.

#6 – My mind went blank.

Use this phrase to describe a moment when you couldn’t remember or think of anything. It’s common for people’s minds to go blank during moments of pressure, like tests and presentations.

#7 – It doesn’t ring a bell. 

Use this phrase when someone asks you if you’ve heard of something, and you want to say that you don’t know about it or don’t remember it. For example, if your colleague says, “Do you know Michael Smith? He works in our London office” – and you don’t remember him or haven’t heard of him, you could say, “No… the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

#8 – I’d like to remind you about / to…

This is a diplomatic way to remind somebody about something so that the other person doesn’t forget! (Click here for the difference between REMEMBER and REMIND).

• I’d like to remind you about + noun
  I’d like to remind you about your dentist appointment tomorrow.
• I’d like to remind you to + verb
  I’d like to remind you to send me the information by Friday.

#9 – You haven’t forgotten about / to _____, have you?
I hope you haven’t forgotten about / to…

Use these phrases to check if someone has remembered or forgotten about something. Again, use about + noun and to + verb.

• You haven’t forgotten to do your homework, have you?
• You haven’t forgotten about the test, have you?
• I hope you haven’t forgotten to pay the bill.
• I hope you haven’t forgotten about our meeting this afternoon.

#10 – It completely slipped my mind!

Use this phrase after you COMPLETELY forgot to do something – you didn’t remember or think of it at all.

• “I hope you haven’t forgotten to pay the bill.”
  “Oh no – it completely slipped my mind! I’ll pay it first thing tomorrow morning.”

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. 

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. 

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

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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? 

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Related: What type of language learner are you?

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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: 木. 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. 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.

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

Very 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!

So 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!

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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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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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The Best Memorization Techniques for 2022 (proven by science)

Forgetting information can hinder our productivity and performance, causing havoc in our daily routines, especially at work. Besides, that experience of having something “on the tip of your tongue” but that name or that term doesn’t come out, it’s really frustrating! As we all have been there, we are featuring the best memorization techniques for you to keep your brain storage up to date. Stay tuned and forget no more!

Over time, we have been trying to figure out how memory works, and how to find the best memory techniques. To Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher we can accredit the first serious discussion of the subject. He thought of memory as a blank slate on which correct impressions of the world could be made and stored indefinitely.

Plato separated two parts of memory: the ability to retain or hold information, and the ability to recall information already stored in memory. Nowadays, many contemporary psychological theories of memory still share these views. And of course, these views have been considered to establish the best memorization techniques.

Human Brain and Memorization

The human brain is one of the most complex structures in the universe, containing billions of neurons making neural connections in your everyday life, and memorization is just one of its functions. The brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left and right. Each hemisphere controls different aspects of our body.

Left and Right

The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and is analytical. It’s good for tasks such as math, science, and words that have a specific meaning. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and is creative. It’s good for tasks such as music, art, and images.

Interestingly enough, our ability to remember information also depends on which hemisphere we are using when we store information. If we are trying to remember something that happened to us, we are more likely to use our left hemisphere. If we are trying to remember something that we have seen, we are more likely to use our right hemisphere.

According to Marinsek et.al (2016), the two hemispheres of the brain also communicate with each other. In the image below you can see the cognitive functions that the left (purple) or right (orange) hemisphere excels at. Dark orange represents cognitive processes that are substantially bilateral.

The left hemisphere sends messages to the right hemisphere, and vice versa. This is the corpus callosum. When these messages pass through the corpus callosum, they become transcallosal connections.

Memory Differentiation

With the complexity of the brain, comes memory differentiation. When you need to remember a phone number, a grocery list, or a set of instructions, you rely on what psychologists and neuroscientists refer to as working memory.

It gives you the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind over brief intervals. It’s for all those things that are important to you in the present moment, but not 20 years from now.

Researchers believe working memory is central to the functioning of the mind. It correlates with many more general abilities and outcomes, things like intelligence and schooling, as well plays a role in basic sensory processes.

• Working memory is subdivided into three main types: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

• Sensory Memory is the first stage of memory. It lasts for only a fraction of a second, and it stores information from our senses. For example, when you see something, the image is stored in your sensory memory.
• Short-term Memory is the second stage of memory. It is like a temporary storage area for information. The average person can remember about 7 items in short-term memory at any one time.
• Long-Term Memory is the third stage of memory. It is a permanent storehouse for information. The average person can remember about 100,000 items in long-term memory.

Memorization is a key cognitive process of the brain as almost all human intelligence is functioning based on it. So, how we can memorize things? Took a look at the next model!

Surely it’s a very intricate process, our brain is an extremely efficient organ in processing information! But if the brain is such an effective machine, how come we forget stuff?

Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve

According to Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve, there is a strong correlation between memory and time. The forgetting curve is a graph that shows how quickly we forget information over time.

The curve typically starts out with a steep slope as we tend to rapidly forget the information in the first few hours or days after we were exposed to the new data. However, the curve levels off as we slowly lose the information over time.

• It is crucial to practice effective review strategies in order to remember freshly informed data. The best memorization techniques don’t work by themselves!

Memorizing information is just as vital for exercising the brain as physical activity is for exercising the body. However, we want to complete both exercises in the most efficient and effective manner possible so that we can reap the benefits. We just need to pick the right memorization techniques for us.

Let’s exercise our brains with these top memorization techniques for successful professionals to remember details and better retain information!

The Loci Technique

Remember Plato? The Method of Loci, also known as the “memory palace technique” is an old and very well-known memory technique as it was used by Greek and Roman orators to remember speeches.

“Loci” (Latin for “places”) is a memory method based on the concept that people remember places they are familiar with well. So, if you can associate something (important concepts, items on a list, etc.) with a familiar area, the location will serve as a reminder to help you recall what you’re trying to remember.

HOW TO: This technique takes out the best of our spatial memory to help us remember information. First, create a mind map of your surroundings. Next, associate each item of information with a specific location on your map. When you want to remember the information, mentally walk through your map and recall the associated items.

Mnemonics Devices, One of the Best Memorization Techniques

Mnemonic is a memory device that helps us to remember information better. There are many different types of mnemonic devices, but all of them work by using associations to make the information easier to remember.

One popular type of mnemonic device is the acronym. An acronym is a word made up of the first letter of each word in a phrase or sentence. For example, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) goals.

Another popular type of mnemonic device is the rhyme. A rhyme is a short poem or song that helps you remember something by using sound association.

HOW TO: By using a combination of images, acronyms, rhymes, and actions, you can create powerful mnemonic devices that will help you remember any type of information!

The Storytelling Technique

This memorization technique is based on the idea that humans are natural storytellers. We remember information better when it is stored in the form of a story.

HOW TO: To use this technique, you need to come up with a story that incorporates the items of information you want to remember. The story can be as simple or complex as you want, but it should be meaningful to you.

Pixar’s Inside Out movie is a great example of memorization through storytelling. The movie tells the story of an 11-year old girl named Riley who moves out from Minnesota to San Francisco causing her huge distress.

All her memories are tinted with specific emotions, specifically: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear. Through the film, we can see Riley recalling memories as some sort of projection while featuring the emotion dominating the scene.

TIP: People remember better after an emotional reaction. Include positive emotions in your story!

The Chunking Technique

This memorization technique is based on the fact that humans are limited in their ability to remember a large number of items at one time.

You can boost how much you remember by breaking down a larger whole into smaller sections. The division of phone numbers into chunks rather than a single continuous line of numbers is an example of chunking.

HOW TO: Break down the items of information into smaller, more manageable chunks, especially if you are dealing with a complex topic. Look for connections between each chunk, and go over them several times.

The Peg System

The Peg System is another memorization technique that uses spatial memory. With this technique, you associate each piece of information with a peg word.

The system assigns each number to a word, and then we use these words to help us remember the order of items.

HOW TO: Simply associate each number with a word, and then use those words to help you remember the order of the items. If you need to remember more than 10 items, simply create additional words for numbers 11-20, 21-30, etc.

The Association Technique

This memorization technique is based on the fact that humans are naturally good at making associations. We remember information better when we can associate it with something we are familiar with.

HOW TO: Come up with a mnemonic device or story that links the items of information you want to remember together. The more bizarre and outlandish the associations, the better!

Spaced Repetition Method

Another technique to improve your memory is the “spaced repetition method”. This method involves reviewing information regularly but spacing out the reviews over a period of time.

HOW TO: If you are trying to learn a new language, review the material every day for a week, then take a break for a week, and then review it again for another week. This method helps to “fix” the information in your memory.

TIP: Do not try to cram all your material into one night; this will not give you any better chances of memorizing it than if you had spent a week with it. All that will happen is that you will end up forgetting most of what you took in and have wasted your time and effort altogether.

Study sessions shouldn’t pass the one-hour mark, each day over a seven-day period, ensuring that the repetition works. It’a important to give information enough time to be committed to memory and stored efficiently and correctly by your brain.

The Link System

The Link System is perhaps one of the oldest known methods for remembering things that work by linking items together according to their physical properties.

HOW TO: All you need to do is come up with physical associations for each item you want to remember. When you are trying to recall the information, think of the items as if they are in front of you and try to see the links between them.

Rainbow Memory

Humans are very good at remembering colors which is why a lot of the best memorization techniques use colors as a way to remember different bits of information.

HOW TO: To use this method, simply come up with a list of colors and associate each color with an item that you want to remember. When you need to recall the information, think of the colors in order and see if you can “see” the image in your head. If not, try associating the colors with something else until it becomes easier for you to remember.

When people are trying to remember something, they might picture the items in their minds in black and white. However, research as the one shown below states that picturing information in color can help with both the memorization and recall processes.

Kuhbandner et al., 2015 have very peculiar findings in their research “Differential binding of colors to objects in memory: red and yellow stick better than blue and green”

“In all four experiments, memory for the color of an object depended on the color type and was particularly high for red and yellow-colored objects and particularly low for green-colored objects, indicating that the binding of colors into object memory representations varies as a function of color type.” 

Colors for Memorization

One way to use colors for memorization is by creating a memory palace. This involves visualizing a familiar place (like your childhood home) and then assigning different colors to different rooms or objects inside that space.

Whenever you want to remember something, you simply picture it inside of your memory palace and the associated color will help to cue your memory and remind you what it is that you’re trying to remember.

Good Short Term Memory Skills

People who are good at memorization techniques usually have better than average immediate recall abilities because they can consciously or unconsciously process information into their short-term memory (STM) and then recall it before it decays (usually around 15 seconds).

Short-term memory skills are essential to learning and remembering new information. One way to improve your STM skills is by practicing the best memorization techniques that we’ve talked about in this article such as using mnemonic devices, linking items together, and using colors.

Additionally, you can try to increase your attention span by practicing activities that keep you mentally engaged like meditation or mindfulness exercises.

Good Long Term Memory Skills

People with good long-term memory (LTM) skills usually have a greater ability to remember info from their long-ago past, general knowledge, or vocabulary.

These people are skilled at memorizing important dates for history, remembering words in a foreign language they studied years before and recalling trivial information such as license plate numbers.

One way to improve your long-term memory (LTM) skills is by regularly learning new stuff. Learning on a regular basis can help us keep our minds fresh, avoid memory loss, and boost our spirits. Pick up that book, listen to that podcast, but make it a routine.

Pro Tips on Memorization for Work Productivity

There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to memorization and productivity. The first is that it’s important to find a technique that works best for you and that you’re comfortable with. Secondly, repetition is key – the more you practice, the easier it will be to remember information.

Finally, breaking down information into smaller chunks can also make it easier to learn and recall. So, if you have a big project due to come up, start by breaking it down into smaller tasks and then focus on memorizing each individual step. This will help ensure that you stay on track and don’t get overwhelmed.

How to Remember the Letters on a Keyboard with the Best Memorization Techniques

When most people try to learn the keyboard, they usually start by trying to remember where all of the letters are. However, this method can be a little tricky because there are a lot of letters and it’s easy to mix them up.

HOW TO: Using the F and J keys as reference points is possibly the easiest approach for remembering the keys on a keyboard. These keys have little, raised bumps on them on most American keyboards.

You can feel around the keyboard to identify the F and J keys if you close your eyes. Place your pointer fingers on them and move the others in random directions, gradually trying to remember the letters that surround them.

How to Memorize a Text Quickly and Effectively with the Best Memorization Techniques

There are a few things that you can do in order to help improve your memory when it comes to memorizing texts. First, make sure that you are well-rested and relaxed before you begin. If you’re feeling tense or anxious, it will be harder to remember the information.

Secondly, try to read the text a few times so that you get a feel for it. This will help your brain to better process the information. Finally, use some type of mnemonic device to help you remember the text.

This could be something as simple as making up a tune or rhyme to go along with the information. If you’re having trouble remembering a particular word or phrase, try breaking it down into smaller parts and creating mnemonic devices!

Let’s wrap it up!

• Read the text aloud several times for words mind retainment.
• Highlight or underline important points or keywords as you read.
• Create mental images or associations for each of the highlighted points.
• Recite the text from memory, using the images to help you remember the words.
• Practice regularly until you have the the text memorized.

Lifestyle Tips for Memory Champions!

1. Get enough sleep: Our brains need time to rest and recharge in order to function at their best. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it will be harder for you to remember information.
2. Regular exercise: Regular aerobic activity, such as running, appears to increase the size of the hippocampus, a brain region involved in language memory and learning.
3. Eat a healthy diet: Eating a balanced diet is important for both your body and your brain. Depriving your brain of the nutrients it needs will make it harder for you to remember things.
4. Stay mentally active: The more you challenge your brain, the better it will perform. Try doing puzzles, learning new skills, or playing mental games to keep your mind active and sharp.
5. Reduce stress: When we’re stressed out, our minds are busy trying to deal with all of the cortisol and adrenaline that’s coursing through our bodies. This leaves little room for storage of new information. Take some time for yourself each day to relax and de-stress.
6. Get organized: As we mentioned before, organization can help to improve your memory retenton. When everything has a place, it’s easier for your brain to find and remember the information it needs.
7. Practice regularly: The more you practice the best memorization techniques, the better you will become at using them. Try practicing regularly so that the techniques become second nature to you.

Final Thoughts

Although, memorization is usually depicted as an “old school” tool still plays an important role in learning and brain development. Make sure to not “just look over” the information, instead pull up a strategy for better memory.

Whether you are using digital tools, or physical flashcards, always settle a learning plan. Here, we featured the best memorization techniques that have been proven to be effective and powerful. So, give them a try and see which ones work best for you!

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Asked by: Vincent Schulist

Score: 4.9/5
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7 Tricks To Help You Remember Anything

How do I remember a forgotten memory?

Read an old letter, personal journal, or newspaper article. Listen to an old song that you or someone in your family loved. Cook a meal your mom or dad used to make for you. Smell something that may jog your memory, like a book, pillow, perfume, or food.

How can I memorize things quickly?

7 Brain Hacks to Learn and Memorize Things Faster

Can you make yourself remember something?

Obviously, not all memories go to the long-term stage; instead, your brain consolidates certain memories and discards others.In fact, previous research has shown that people can actually train themselves to forget things on purpose. Basically, you already forget some things on a daily basis, and that’s not a bad thing.

What is human memory?

Human memory is a powerful mental process that has many implications on life and how you experience things, from remembering meaningful events to enabling you to execute tasks and achieve goals. In essence, human memory has three facets: sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory.

21 related questions found

No matter what language you’re learning you’re going to need words and lots of them!

But all too often it can feel like new words just go in one ear and out the other.

It’s easy to blame yourself or your memory for this, but in actual fact, it’s not your memory that’s letting you down.

You see, if you want to remember new words, reading and repeating them once or twice isn’t enough. You need to bring attention to them and create associations that will allow your brain to easily recall them when you need them.

The greater the association you can create between the words you want to learn and something you already know, the easier it’ll be to remember those words. That’s why using mnemonics is such a powerful way to learn new vocabulary.

What are mnemonics?

A mnemonic is a pattern, idea or association that you use to help you remember something.

There are two basic types of mnemonics that we can use in language learning.

• Word Associations
• Mnemonic images

And what better place to talk about mnemonics than on the Memrise blog! Memrise already incorporates mnemonics into its learning platform. You know those wacky images or sentences that sometimes appear when you start learning a new word in Memrise?

Those are mnemonics! Basically, mnemonics are connections you make that you can use to remember something.

Mnemonics work because the brain remembers things much more effectively when you bring attention to them and connect them with images and existing knowledge.

“As bad as we are at remembering names and phone numbers and word-for-word instructions from our colleagues, we have really exceptional visual and spatial memories.”

― Joshua Foer, ‘Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything’

In a nutshell, this means that if you can create a wacky image for a word you want to learn or if you can connect it with a piece of information you already know, you’re far more likely to remember it.

How can mnemonics help you learn a foreign language?

Take a look at the French example in the image above. On its own, the word santé isn’t particularly easy to remember. But when you connect it with an image of Santa and Rudolph kicking back with a couple of beers, it becomes practically impossible to forget!

Now all you have to do is recall that image of Santa saying santé and voilà, you’ve remembered the word!

Best of all, mnemonics can be used to help you remember many different elements of a language such as:

•  The pronunciation and meaning of new vocabulary
• The genders of words
• Verb or case endings

Practical examples of mnemonics in language learning

Creating mnemonics for words you want to learn can be time-consuming at first, especially when creating images instead of just simple word associations. Just keep at it and you’ll find that you become faster at it the more you practice.

Let’s look at some practical examples to demonstrate how you might go about creating good mnemonic images.

Here’s a mnemonic I created to help me remember the Spanish phrase de pie, which means ‘standing’.

The first step is to listen to how the word is pronounced and see if the word or any parts of the word sound similar to words you know in your native language. You can start creating associations by linking these sounds to words you already know.

In this case, I although the pronunciation is different pie immediately reminds me of the English word ‘pie’. Who doesn’t love a good pie after all?! This is a great place for me to start my mnemonic because I can easily create an image from this word. Most of us can imagine a warm pie fresh out of the oven and the smell of gravy, pastry and fresh vegetables.

Next, I need to figure out to remember the preposition de. The first thing that came to mind for me was the name Denzel, and this makes me thing of the actor, Denzel Washington.

So now I have images for both parts of the phrase I want to learn: ‘Denzel Washington’ for de and a freshly baked pie for pie.

But what about the meaning of the phrase? So far, I’ve created an image that will definitely help me remember the phrase itself but how am I supposed to remember what it means?

The answer is that I need to add combine my images and add some action.

So, I picture Denzel Washington standing in a freshly baked pie. All I have to is picture him standing there to remember the meaning of the word. To make the image more graphic I might imagine the look on his face as he say’s ‘ugh, my feet are covered in gravy!’. This image is pretty wacky, but that’s a good thing! The crazier your image, the easier it will be for you to remember.

Using Mnemonics to learn grammar

As I already mentioned, you can use mnemonics to learn more than just individual words. You can also use them to memorise tricky grammar elements such as the genders of words.

If you’ve ever studied a Romance language like Spanish or French you’ve likely cursed word gender at some point or another! Well, not anymore.

A great way to remember the gender of words is to create a specific element which you can add to all your mnemonics to indicate whether the word is masculine or feminine.

I recently applied this to Russian while learning masculine and feminine case endings. Any mnemonic images I create for masculine endings feature John F. Kennedy, while any mnemonics for feminine words feature Marilyn Monroe.

The characters in my images will remind me of the gender and their actions will remind me of the word itself and its meaning and pronunciation.

So, for example, to remember the masculine pronoun ‘моему’ (mo-yemu)’ I created an image of JFK (masculine) riding an emu (-yemu) and shouting loudly ‘this is, eh, … my emu!’ in his New England accent.

Crazy? Undoubtedly! But it’s also incredibly easy to remember and that’s what’s most important.

Applying this technique to your own learning

It’s very easy to apply these things techniques to your own learning right away. All you need are some new words to learn and a little imagination!

If you’re using Memrise, you can even add your mnemonics to the words you’re learning in the app or use mnemonics that other users have already created for these words.

At first, creating these images and associations will take time. Like any skill, you need to practice!

So don’t worry if at first, it takes you 5 minutes to come up with a mnemonic for each word. The more you do it, the easier it will become and soon you’ll be creating these associations in a matter of seconds.

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James Granahan is a language learning coach and blogger from Ireland. He’s fascinated by the mindset side of language learning and methods for learning more effectively. He loves learning about new cultures through their languages and is passionate about travel and history.

You can read more of his tips on memory and many other language learning topics at Lingua Materna . You can also find him on Facebook! 

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