How to Learn New Words Easily
Posted on May 4, 2009
Filed Under Learn Spanish CD, Learn Spanish Online | Leave a Comment
If you want to maximise your memory when learning a new language, then you must maxmize associations. Here’s what I mean.
For example, if you were learning English and you wanted to remember the word “apple”:
First, you might draw a picture of an apple and write the word next to it.
Then you might write a few simple sentences in English using the word “apple.”
For example:
Apples are red.
I like apple juice.
My favorite fruit is apple.
Each step gives you a mental association for the word “apple.” By drawing a picture, you create a visual image of the word “apple.When you think of the word apple, you also visualize the color red, you taste apple juice, and you think of fruit. All of these are associations that help you remember the word “apple” in English.
Here are some other ways to create associations when learning words in a new language:
- Listen to music in your new language. When you hear a new word, write it down with the definition in English and in your new language, plus the lyrics to the song. Listen to the song over and over, and the word will be permanently entered in your memory.
- Put the words of your new language in a story. When you connect words in your new language through a story, it’s much easier to remember them. Also, when you think of a word in your new language, related words will automatically pop into your head.
- Make “word trees.Think of a word in your new language, and then write down all the related words you can think of. Draw circles around the words and draw lines that connect them to related words. If you think of a related word, but don’t know how to say it, write down the word in English first. Later, you can go back and add the word in your new language. If you include pictures in your “word trees,” this method will be even more effective in memorizing and learning new words.
Leave a Reply