Vocabulary is the alpha and omega of the English language, and memorizing new words is the fastest and most effective way improve your English.Is it difficult to remember English words?
We know that each person has his own preferred system for receiving and storinginformation: visual (visual), auditory (auditory) or kinesthetic (tactile). It is called the leading representative system. (R. Bandler and D. Grinder “Introductory course of NLP training”)Depending on which system is dominant, people are conventionally divided into visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. These types are rarely found in pure form, more often they are mixed: visual-kinesthetic or visual-auditory, etc. However, knowing what type you are, you can choose the most effective way for you to memorize new words.
Kishilawyer replies
This method of teaching vocabulary is called the learning map method. Using the card style window, you can sort your vocabulary by number of repetitions. In the beginning, you revise the vocabulary more often. A simple but very effective system is as follows.
Three months later, repeat one last time.
- You will learn a new word for the first time.
- Repeat this 3 more times throughout the day.
- For the next 4 days you will repeat it once a day.
- Repeat a week later.
- It will happen again in a month.
Visuals (35% of the population)These people have a great
visual memory. For successful memorization, they need to see new vocabulary as much as possible.
Auditory learners (25% of the population)
These people perceive the world through sounds. It is advisable for auditory learners to listen to audio and video recordings more often. It is better for them to say out loud what they read or write.
Alternative to Card Types and Study Card Methods: Vocabulary Learning Apps
You can download these steps as a graphic here for free. The most effective system is the repetition system. This, however, is somewhat more complicated. This article will give you more details about the topic. If you prefer to learn with support, a vocabulary tutor app is available.
Many of these vocabulary teachers have integrated an optimal review cycle for vocabulary. They always ask you for vocabulary when you are about to forget them. This is very convenient because you posted the work. The app does everything for you. Plus, you can take the app anywhere.
Kinesthetic (40% of the population)
These people perceive information through feelings, emotions, instinctive sensations, and touch. It is very good to write down new words by hand or type on a computer - to feel the memorized vocabulary through the movements and texture of tools (notebooks, pens, markers).
So, let's reveal some secrets to memorizing English words:
Vocabulary Trainer Feel free to link to this translation!
Some vocabulary teachers even have computer and phone integration. This means you can request your computer and your phone. The smartphone is now a constant companion. Why not use it to learn vocabulary? Vocabulary Trainer This list is a must for all those who love nature and would like to talk about it on English. Relevance is critical. Learning unimportant vocabulary can even be disturbing. You don't notice them so quickly because they have nothing to do with you.
1. Label all the objects around you.
Do you know the names of the simplest things in your home? They are the most commonly used vocabulary! Take bright green pieces of paper and a thick marker. Stick bright pieces of paper with English words on everything in the apartment: from the socket to the chest of drawers. After a week, you will remember the names of the signed items.If you are not new to learning a language, then the task can be complicated. For example, stick a sticker hint “to fold a chair” on a folding chair (“a chair”), “to pull” on a desk drawer, “to leaf through” on a book, “to watch one’s weight” on a scale. Unlimited field for creativity! Visuals, this is the way for you.
Plus, you don't use them often enough and you'll forget them much faster. If you learned important vocabulary instead of unimportant vocabulary, you would learn more. So the question is how to find the right dictionary for you. Because not everyone needs the same thing.
You will find the correct vocabulary in conversation
If you're still at the beginning, it's helpful to find a dictionary list of the 100 most important words and study those words. Expressions you don't regularly use in German. If you are already a presenter, please review the guidelines. In self-exchanges, you talk to yourself.
2. Make cards.
For kinesthetic learners, it is important not to see or hear a word, but to “hold it in their hands” and feel it.Buy a block of notes, write the word on one side, and the translation and example of the word on the other. Carry the cards with you, and when you have a free minute, look through them (in transport, in line, etc.). Look at the word and remember its meaning. If you can’t remember, turn the card over and read the translation and example again. This method is also suitable for visual learners.Draw pictures for words and expressions that you don’t want to remember. Are you not an artist? No problem, this is the picture for you.
Your thoughts, what you did today, what you had before, what your hobbies are, who you are and so on. Depending on your language level, you will quickly find the missing vocabulary. Write down all the entries on the list. You will follow the translations later. This works even better with the right conversation. For example, in a tandem conversation with a native speaker.
If you lack vocabulary, ask your interlocutor for the meaning and write it down. If you skip a lot of vocabulary, you're only asking for the most important things. The same thing works differently. Every time you don't understand a word, you ask your partner what it means.
3. Make mind maps.
Another way for visual learners is using mind maps (Mind Maps) (Tony Buzan “The Mind Map Book”). These are block diagrams that help you learn words by topic. We take a large sheet of paper and write a topic in the center, for example, “Travel.” From this word we draw arrows - smaller topics - transport, hotel, excursions. The next layer is even more specific: plane, breakfast, monument. You can make a fourth and even a fifth layer. As a result, we get a logical and detailed diagram. You will remember some of the words already in the process of drawing the diagram. The rest - reproducing it from memory several times.
This way you quickly understand the newly acquired vocabulary in conversation
Is this a word you are likely to use yourself? Ask your tandem partner if this important word on foreign language. Once you have learned the vocabulary, you should understand it. To do this, you need to define a word between two other words and understand it immediately. It is not enough to understand the dictionary itself. You also need to understand your role in the proposal. In a few seconds.
Olga answers
You can become more familiar with new expressions and words by using them in conversation. This can be self-talk or tandem conversation. Have you ever heard of a phrase that you had all the vocabulary for, but couldn't decipher the meaning? This is exactly what you need to decide.
4. Use mnemonics to remember.(from the Greek “mnemonikon” - the art of memorization)One of these techniques is the method of direct associations. You associate a new word with some image - funny, bright or unexpected. The mnemonic suggests finding in native language words that sound similar to English. For example, the word “puddle” means puddle. To remember this word, you can use the mnemonic phrase: “I kept falling and falling into a puddle” (from Wikipedia). Or another example: the word “garden” means garden. The mnemonic phrase will help here: “There are all sorts of nasty things in this garden.” “In this garden...” The main thing is to find a successful association.
English-Russian rhymes are another great mnemonic device for children and adults:
Ildar answers
This is best done by applying it. This time just in a different direction. If you hear a word often and understand it, you will understand it even better in the future. Please use your word multiple times. In many different contexts. Sometimes you speak slowly.
Conclusion: this is how you learn vocabulary very quickly and, above all, constantly
It also helps to apply the seal itself. When you use a word, you will understand it faster if someone else uses it. In the beginning it takes something to get used to. To do this, you very quickly speed up the process of learning vocabulary. The more of the 5 strategies you implement, the faster you will notice new words in a foreign language.
“One eccentric was looking for the treasure
A whole month of dig-dug-dug
Find-found-found at last
Metal casket"
(A.A. Pyltsyn “English in the family circle”)
Or:
“The claw is sharp as glass, claw in English is claw.”
Mnemonic devices are suitable for any type. Visual learners draw a picture before their eyes, auditory learners remember by sound associations (garden-bastards), and kinesthetic learners will be able to feel words, emotionally passing through one or another meaning.
If you pick up the vocabulary quickly, it's fun. I really enjoy learning these techniques. What difficulties do you have when learning vocabulary? Or what methods do you use? If you have an addition to my article, leave it to me in the comments! Thank you, your Gabriel Gelman.
How to learn the best vocabulary?
How did you learn vocabulary? If you only used vocabulary lists, on which there was a dictionary with translation into German, you can learn a lot here. You will find many great vocabulary tips and tricks in this text! Studying lists is good way quickly prepare for test testing by quickly memorizing many words. But, unfortunately, you will learn them very superficially and will soon forget them after the test. Because with this convenient method, you hardly have to deal with words.
5. Sing new words.
Yes, yes! Choose your favorite tune and sing the words you want to learn to it. You will be surprised. Words will be remembered much faster. Are you not a professional singer? Voice and hearing are not required. You just want to remember the words. This method is good for auditory learners.
6. Make an accordion.
Learn vocabulary using card styles
To retain vocabulary in the long term, you must deal with them as intensively as possible. In the following sections, we will show you some teaching methods that will help you learn vocabulary. Learning card types has great advantages over just a list of words.
You can change the order and make sure that you are actually learning the individual vocabulary and not their order in the list. Because if you are honest, you don't let the translation column hide in the dictionary and you will be prompted to study the dictionary. You can see your progress better! You can be very proud of the large stack of newly acquired vocabulary.
Take a piece of paper and write in a column 10 English words that you want to remember (in the singular, verbs in the infinitive), draw a line and write the Russian translation. Then bend the sheet so that English version was not visible and write these words in English from memory. And so on until the sheet runs out. Don't peek. If you don’t remember everything firmly, make another “accordion”.
7. Make up short stories.
One of the most interesting techniques. Take ten new words, write them down on a piece of paper, and make up a funny story in English from them. Helps you remember new words and translate words from your passive vocabulary into an active one. The funnier and more unexpected your story, the better the words will be remembered.
Use your leading channel of perception
You have more information than just a translation. Here you can see how you can create your own card types. Of course, this is just a suggestion for what information your card should contain. If you're still thinking about your own categories, you should definitely use them. The more thoughts you have of your own, the better you will remember the vocabulary. The following categories may also be helpful.
More categories for your card types. Words containing the following words: Synonyms. Words that mean the opposite: Antonyms. Text box with additional examples. To find out your card types, you should receive a small box. In this field you can order them according to how well you already know them.
8. Solve crossword puzzles.
Another fun way to memorize words. It’s better to start with educational crossword puzzles, which are designed specifically for language learning. Crossword puzzles can become increasingly difficult over time.
9. Learn the most common words that suit your level.
In the English language there is a so-called frequency vocabulary, that is, the most commonly used vocabulary. You should start by studying it.Don't be tempted to immediately learn words like "relatively", "skilfully" or "to justify" to impress others with your beauty. English speech. Do this when your level gets higher. Is it worth learning the words “huge” (huge) and “tiny” (tiny) if you don’t already know them? simple words like "big" and "small"?
First, all the cards are in a pile that you view from front to back. Each time you know a map card by heart, draw a small line on the front of the card with a pencil. Four-dash card types come in a second stack, which you separate from the first stack. Repeat this pile from time to time, and if you forget a card, erase the strokes and pack the card back into the front pile. This needs to be done several times a week.
You can also download an app that allows you to create and explore map types on your phone. But here's a real map you can get your hands on. Tapping and rotating individual card types will help you learn. That's why you should use your phone in different ways to learn not only with your eyes, but also with your ears.
10. Learn words in context.
Remember the specific, narrow meaning of the word. If you come across, for example, the word “fine”, you find that it means “beautiful” and it fits the context, then stop there. There is no need to memorize all the meanings of this word in the dictionary. At the moment, it doesn’t matter to you that it is also “fine”, “very thin or narrow”, “refined, elegant” and so on. And if you ever come across “fine” in another text and with a different meaning, learn this word as if it were completely new.
Fotina answers
Use your card types to help and read them aloud as you study them. If you record your voice using mobile phone, you've saved your map style as an audio file so you can listen to it over and over again along the way. When you take your notes, you can let your ideas run free and write down all your comments quickly and easily.
Learning vocabulary using the keyword method
The keyword method can be used especially for difficult vocabulary that you will always forget. How the keyword method works. You associate a dictionary about spelling and sound with a German keyword. It is a word that you associate in a mental image or Merksatz with a meaning English word.
11. Remember: the unit of memorized information should be as long as possible (a block of words or a phrase).
Always learn a word with the words surrounding it: a verb with its inherent preposition: “to listen to,” an adjective with a noun: “a fluffy cat,” an entire expression: “You are kidding!”For each new word, try to remember a synonym or antonym in order to link the word to the one that you successfully memorized before. For example, “reduce” means to shorten, and “increase” means to increase. It will be easier for you to retrieve them from memory when you need one of them.
The color on the palisade fence has disappeared. Now check our exercises to see if you understood everything. It's not easy to learn a new language, especially because you have to memorize so many new things. Best method There is probably no one that applies to everyone, but using some strategies can make memorization more effective.
To create a dictionary in a new language, the most traditional type of learning is often chosen: the word of this new language is translated into the native language and thus memorized. This works very well if both languages are similar to each other. A more efficient way to do this is to omit this intermediate step: the new word is not first translated into its own language, but is directly related to the objects or actions it expresses. People who are fluent in another language often even find themselves in situations where they use words that are not even available in their native language.
12. Memorizing words should not be the goal.
Memorization should only be an action leading to the achievement of some goal.When starting to learn new words, tell yourself that you are learning a language to remember for the rest of your life. Inspire yourself: “I will remember these words for a long time.” This setup will allow you to remember words more firmly.
This makes it clear that sometimes it is not possible to learn words in the usual way, but rather learned from the context of a new language. To avoid the intermediate step of translation early on, it is useful to visualize in what context the word is being used. In this way, we pair a new word with a picture, mimicking the way children learn language. Another way to build your vocabulary faster is to create groups of words that go together and then practice them together. For example, on the way to work you can name everything that is related to traffic and transport, or at lunch everything is on the table.
13. Repeat new words rationally.
Transfer new vocabulary from short-term memory to long-term memory. The likelihood of information loss is greatest in the early stages of imprinting. The time intervals between repetitions should be gradually increased. Repeat each portion of words on the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th day. The information will be remembered much better than if all five repetitions are completed during the first day. (Franz Loeser "Memory training").
Try as many methods of memorizing words as possible, experiment and determine which methods are right for you. Go for it!
Natalie answers:
I once saw how words were taught. You cut cards from paper, the size is such that you can comfortably hold the entire pack in the palm of your hand. On one side of the card you write a word in English, on back side- in Russian. And then you go through these cards, and if you don’t remember, you look. Those that you remember - in one hand, those that you don’t remember - down the pack, and repeat them again. I haven't tried it, so I can't say how effective it is :)
AG replies:
I fully support Natalie ;)
I successfully learn words using flashcards
Igor you need to do the following:
1.Buy a lot of good laces
2.Cut cardboard cards (300 pieces to start)
3. make holes in the corners
4.carry with you an envelope with empty cards and all the words you want to write down (English on one side, Russian on the other)
5.wrote 40 pieces --- put it on a lanyard and study on the subway
Personally, I remember everything in three trips (30 minutes each). Another thing is that over time, 30% is forgotten. But that’s okay :)
Over time, you will begin to experience a shortage of ready-made cards. I got to the point where I sat at some lecture on math or physics and stupidly scribbled words from the dictionary.
hoggy answers:
I offer my method of memorization, which I have 100% tested on myself, and thanks to which I have gained a good vocabulary of words that I do not forget, despite the fact that I stopped learning the language 2 years ago.
Method: you read some text with interesting content, write down the words necessary for understanding (they should not be memorized right away - there is no point in this). Then you take another text and read it. When you come across the written words, you will get the feeling that you are somewhere - then you’ve already met them. All that remains is to find them in the list, look at the translation and continue reading. This way the words will be stored in long-term memory. The advantage of this method is that you don’t get hung up on memorizing words, but simply read a book that interests you.
Abbey Normal replies:
Don't learn unnecessary words that you practically never use. If you are reading a book or listening to the radio (TV) and notice that a word comes up very often, but you don’t know it, then you should go into the dictionary to find it, write it down and remember it according to the context of the event. Learning all the meanings of any single word or according to a plan of 20 words a day according to a list is quite pointless, in my opinion. If you notice that in another phrase the meaning does not correspond to the context, then look at what it means and so on. Well, it’s clear that there should already be some kind of base, and it should be quite decent, that is, not from scratch, but when, due to individual words, the understanding of the entire phrase is inhibited, although the general meaning is clear.
Ok? (is it okay that I’m talking to you in American? ;-)
PS Unadapted books are sold in Moscow, but isn’t it easier to register and read articles and news on www.nytimes.com or something similar? - the writing there is quite literary and modern...
Fun4U,
Abb. Normal
catt5 replies:
We started talking about programs that help you learn words. They really help. There are many different ones. For example, during courses I study with a computer program (this is mandatory for them), I write out words, I don’t remember anything, of course;) I come to work, enter them into the dictionary of such a program and every 15 minutes it hammers at me: “How is this translated? word? And this? Don’t you know? etc. In short, by the next lesson I remember 90% of the words.
And about literature. I read penguin books, level 4. They are VERY well built. That is, each word is repeated several times in different sentences. At first you don’t know him, then you don’t know him again, the third time you remember him, etc. You don’t even have to use a dictionary - it’s clear from the context. And I underline words that I can’t remember (I read 3-4 pages every day on the road) and add them to the same program.
Guys, you can feel the progress, by God!
Olga answers:
Alexandra, I make sentences with words so that I can clearly see examples of their use and I read it everywhere: on the subway, before going to bed, etc. The subcortex does its job)))) Try it, the main thing is to carry this notebook with you all the time and everywhere.
Ildar answers:
Another way. Make small cards from cardboard; on one side is the word, on the other is the translation. Translate from Russian into English. and vice versa, shuffle the cards - and again. The main thing is to do this constantly and everywhere. You will use a lot of cardboard, but it will all pay off!
I learned 350 verbs in 3 months, now I've moved on to nouns.
Or you can do this - write 10-15 words with translation on a piece of paper. Hang this sheet in your closet. Update words once a week, for example. The main thing is not to take newspapers and so on with you. The method was not invented by me, but it is effective. No joke.
Eriza answers:
I thought for a long time whether to join the discussion or not... My way is to translate literary texts. I don’t remember words either from cards (and not only words, but also phrases and phrases taken out of context!), or even just by reading books (I read - I remember, I close it - I forget in a week). I take short stories (in my case, by contemporary Latin American writers, since I study Spanish), because... I don’t have the patience for thick books :), and I definitely “create” the Russian translation on the computer. These translations have no artistic or practical (for others :)) value, I don’t even try to polish them too much. But the right hemisphere is strongly involved in the work here - visualizing what is happening and the characters helps to remember all sorts of things like “he looked at her questioningly”, “straightened his tie”, “she sighed heavily” and other nonsense. This will be remembered for a long time.
It happens that I return to Russian texts more than once in order to correct something there. And I can almost always retell and name key words (well, not key words, but those that I didn’t know before this text and that might be useful to me) in Spanish. I threw away all the notebooks and cards, paper and electronic, and tablets with words and don’t regret it. Here.:)
Nice side effect- the dear Great and Mighty is improving! :)
Mupke replies:
For example, I do this: I write down new words, and then make up a story with it - not just appendices, but a coherent, interesting story (like a fairy tale for children). If anyone is interested, I can send an example. The most important thing is that new words are remembered instantly in this way. A method that has been tested many times (by the way, this is how passive vocabulary is practiced)
Mupke replies:
Sorry, I wanted to write active vocabulary (which, you see, is very important)
mike528 replies:
There is nothing more boring than stupid memorization of words. Read literature with a dictionary. There are new words and their application. Best for beginners are adapted texts for a vocabulary of 500, 1000, 1500, etc. words At the end of each book there is a dictionary of new words and expressions. You choose your favorite genre, and here are those on - Jan Flemming on 50 pages. :))) When you start reading without a dictionary, you move to the next level. But you will have to cram the grammar...
Good luck.
answers:
It seems to me that all these methods, in principle, cannot give anything, because... in principle, deliberate study of words also does not help much if you do not use these words every day. Those. Even if you learn a certain number of new words a day, they will be forgotten just as quickly if you don’t have practice, the conclusion is that you need practice, if not in the country of the language, then at least on the Internet on TV and radio in books, what else is available to you , then frequently used words will appear on their own (well, you’ll have to look up the same word in the dictionary two or three times, but by the fourth time you’ll already know what it is, and by the fifth time you’ll use it yourself)
Mike answers:
Anton
mad old buzzard the reverend absolutely right. There is no point in memorizing words just to have a large vocabulary. Moreover, it can be harmful if words are learned out of context. If you constantly work with language - read, watch films, listen to the radio, speak, write, etc. - your vocabulary will grow steadily naturally.
akivika answers:
It happens that there are words that are simple to the point of banality, but the cases of their use (or maybe they themselves) do not want to be remembered. This happened to me, for example, with the word hair. Namely with the fact that:
My hair is long. – singular (hair and hairstyle in general)
There were three hairs on her head. - plural (hairs)
And one of my teachers gave this example: I had two hairs in my soup. So after that I remembered everything perfectly. I think in order for a word to stick in your memory forever, you need to evoke some kind of emotion in yourself towards it: disgust (as in the case of soup), irritation, a smile, etc. You can also come up with some non-standard sentence with it like: It was raining and two students. / Genius in corduroy pants. Etc. Sometimes this works quite well.
Topgun replies:
Considering that you need to remember several thousand words, we can conclude that this method is not very good. It's better to remember bits of context. It's even better if the context is emotional and comes from what you're watching and listening to.
Hear a phrase in which you feel a certain “taste” once and remember it forever. It is better if you regularly listen to the text for 30-45 minutes throughout the week. That’s what’s good about audiobooks (of course, excellent sound quality): you listen to them for pleasure, and your memory “records” them, the same with songs.
lilu answers:
I completely agree with you. Sometimes emotions are a good way to stimulate memory. I would like to say about one more personally invented method of memorizing words (it may be trivial, but it works flawlessly). I write new words on tear-off leaves of a notepad (English on the one hand, Russian on the other). I paste the most disgusting words all over the apartment. It's a paradox, but it works.
Fotina answers:
Already better program Supper Memo get it. At least the repetition will be organized automatically and individually, and you can also put several sentences for each word. True, there is one problem - for greater productivity you need to work with it every day :)
At one time I learned German in queues :), using cards (5x4). Looking at the card, I remembered the word without problems; It was only with the use of words that there were problems. Now “cards” with sentences and without Russian are doing better.
But still, cards are more suitable if there is “lost” time (queues, trips on trolleybuses...) or for “extra-feats”: like, tomorrow there will be a word test. :)
Dany answers:
Probably, everything is really individual, but based on my own experience I can say that words are learned only by reading (a lot) + using (if possible). All memorization of words from lists, lessons, dictionaries, in my opinion, is a waste of time, since you can remember them, but they are forgotten just as quickly, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste from wasted time and effort.
Nina answers:
Stam
I don’t pick up words on the fly, but I don’t learn them forcefully anymore either. Looking in the dictionary - yes, making cards or posting lists on the walls - no longer.People forget how they were taught and for some reason remember only individual cases in the recent past, or they only remember their advanced stage. Or maybe this is just a slight show off, they say, I grab words on the fly and don’t bother with them on purpose.
In Greek (more about Greek, of which I am a beginning student), it was enough for me to make two hundred cards, then I got tired of it and decided to try to memorize the words better right away. Of course, there is no feeling that “I am learning words,” there is no stack of cards at hand or lists where it would be recorded that today I tormented myself with twenty-five new words, yesterday with three dozen, etc. The vocabulary acquired in this “natural” way is, of course, smaller. When reading and listening, I collect a maximum of ten words a day, which I guess from the context and then double-check in the dictionary, or they bother me so much that I look them up in the dictionary and try to remember them. But for me, it’s better to memorize a dozen words without difficulty than to waste time cramming fifty words that “need to be learned.” More time remains for other important things :). And I can say with confidence that everything written above is not “misconception”, and not a show off, and not an “advanced stage” :).
Io replies:
It seems to me that it is unreasonable, without context and a very bad method, to write out all the words in a column and memorize this violence against the psyche.
It is better to work through more texts than to study even the best dictionaries, and then use hypnopedia or compose your own little stories from the words you encounter, invent situations where they can be used, that is, an emphasis on active vocabulary, which is more important, since with passive use and There is no need to memorize anything; if a word appears several times, then you involuntarily remember it yourself.
Vovka
So what kind of technique is this or did you just have to show off? :)))
mad old buzzard the reverend replies:
Imho Learning words is basically a bad practice, you need to use the language and then they will be remembered by themselves. If you learn 300 words a month and actually use the language little, then all this is in vain; previously learned words will inevitably be forgotten as unnecessary.
Nattie answers:
It’s interesting, but even without Kato Lomb, I always wrote out words in sentences and phrases.
And she wrote down almost all the meanings of an unknown word, because during the so-called work with it you think about it, and the word is remembered. In general, who cares...
But honestly, I now remember where I learned this or that word, I can even remember the book and find that place.
Another thing that works very well (although it is a bit tedious): make sentences from a handful of new words.
Maggie answers:
The question is controversial. :-) I've never used paper cards, but I'm used to creating cards electronically. But I’ve already written about this so many times on this forum that I’m a little (to put it mildly) tired of this topic. What exactly is the problem? When reading, we copy the sentences (or even phrases) that we like into a separate file. I do this on Palm, so for each book I have a separate Memo file, with the title of the book. As a rule, while reading, I only look at the dictionary if absolutely necessary. Instead, after reading, I process my statements. I make cards using written passages for cloze deletion, while adding style notes (formal/informal, BrE/AmE, etc.). Then I rely on the SuperMemo mechanism, which offers to repeat what I have learned - I’m not offended by it, especially since you can add any card to the drill yourself (if you really want to). When testing and drilling, I sometimes giggle, especially when I come across cards with extracts from Hiaasen "a. Context matters, as always. I can almost always tell which book the quote is from, but if problems arise, you can always add another field to the card for the title books.it will take even longer than if you wrote them out on cards
Lida answers:
Simple-minded. It seems to me that there are a number of developed methods that increase vocabulary and for now this is quite enough. Read in English without a dictionary and guess what a word means. Check your guesses in a monolingual dictionary on the Internet. Write these words into cards on your computer or write them by hand. Come up with a few sentences using this word yourself and write them down on a piece of paper. It is necessary for all memory areas to work. Listen to words in spoken dictionaries. You just need to vigorously and daily strain your brain. Moreover, the word daily is no less significant here than energetically. Unfortunately, not a single super-method will “reflash” our brains to use another language.
How do you think the process could be automated? If you have any thoughts, then let's try to develop and implement them.
Mike answers:
“First I’ll learn the words, and then I’ll calmly read books and speak without a dictionary” is a very common misconception, perhaps the main reason for “Russian-English” speech being unnatural for native speakers. It is better to learn words and expressions in the process of reading (listening), taking into account the context in which they were heard.
blue answers:
I agree with Mike that words, expressions, idioms, etc. are remembered only in CONTEXT. Take an English article, read it, write a translation above the unfamiliar words and return to reading this article 5 times, once a day. Each time you read it, new associations will arise and be stored in your memory, as well as keys to understanding, and eventually you will be able to speak calmly on this topic. Personally, this method helps me a lot. All notebooks are dictionaries with examples, etc. They didn’t suit me, they just confused me. IMHO.
Leda answers:
The main thing is that the word should not be on its own - only in a context, and preferably plot-sequential (so that along with the word the situation is remembered - like a TV series. The plot can be of any primitiveness, it is important that it is easy to track the words in the environment by turns , return to them without a piece of paper - you simply remember in any situation free from business, as it were, not a word, but a plot device, and the word is already attached to it, and even in the right environment, and restore it).
And to write it out or not, you yourself must understand: what is best for you - everyone has their own way, everyone is right. In my opinion, what is written by HAND (not typed on the keyboard) is deposited more firmly and is easier to retrieve (the involvement of motor skills secures the mark purely)
It would be good, in my opinion, if the return to the same text was slightly delayed (three, seven and some other date delayed by sevens - then forever, as from childhood. No stroke will take away the word). You know, if you learn something from someone else as an adult, the words seem to be on the surface. they are not truly interiorized, they seem to always be strangers - if there are any memory impairments, traumas - they are the first to go completely nowhere, as never happened before. The foreign language is then completely forgotten. And yours begins to atrophy (These are already medical horror stories, but it’s good to know about them). And if you invested well, without rushing (as they advise here, like 10-20-30 words a day), then everything remains as if it were native. And it is lost as if it were native.
It’s good to try on every word. That is, for example, at school, I remember, we had these (not my favorite) tasks: with each new expression, create a small situation or several meaningful sentences. Make it yourself. This is the second presentation after reading, writing down the dictionary meaning and understanding in context (ONLY this stage - writing out - is not enough, it rarely works). And thirdly, present it out loud in the group. Those. everything is involved: see - identify/guess - write out; create a situation (+motor skills and even “with weights” - creating your own context); speak out loud, receive feedback (speech motor skills, sound). That's all that was worked out like this, I remember most firmly - some things still pop up from there - it was the most competent way, when no Internet was yet widely available. Plus the reinforcing influence of the group (any action that occurs in the group is intensely recorded).
Retellings are also good, first VERY close to the test (almost “by heart” - the task here is to have NO creativity - there is still no material to create competently and authentically. Those who ask in their own words are making a huge mistake - after all, the creator also remembers all this fallacy, even if someone rules well. And every mistake you make out loud is also put on the shelf. At a moment of stress (spontaneous speech), it is precisely this that can be extracted - against your will, desire and knowledge... Here you just need to be as ape as possible - and in writing. , and out loud, and in different ways: answering questions (with and without peeping), acting out, reading aloud, searching for words in the text (with different tasks, substitutions, etc.) I.e. If you process the same text with different tools, it (and each of its elements) takes root as native text. And then the models themselves emerge when the situation arises.
And if you process dozens, hundreds of such small authentic texts with a clear plot pattern, you will be able to relate to many of them. If enough texts have been processed, a sense of language appears, when, even if you don’t know exactly how to say it correctly (it wasn’t in experience), you can already sense which combinations are impossible. There is a feeling that the hearing is hurting. Accurate hits are very frequent (you can always check with the natives).
I write in haste, I get distracted all the time.((((((
But it seems that she expressed something important - in my understanding...))
olga answers:
Somehow I came across a very interesting book, I don’t remember exactly the name, but it was a small brochure by the author, not a linguist, but a biologist, and there he described how he learned English and other languages perfectly. If anyone knows about this book, please respond. I remember his method of studying words - exhausting, of course, but the words remain firmly in my memory. The author of this book suggests that when reading any text, underline unknown words and return to them within 5 days, reading in context, and then this word will remain with you forever. I don’t know about others, but the word doesn’t stay in my memory the first time.
kishilawyer replies:
Flashcards are very helpful in learning a language. For me personally, they are simply irreplaceable in mastering vocabulary.
But never buy them.
You need to do them yourself. When you are working on new texts, films, etc. This way there will be much more benefit.
You come across a new word or expression, work through it with a dictionary (different meanings, building connections with other words), and based on this you make a corresponding card. That is, before you make a card, you work with the word. Besides, you meet it in a certain context. And one way or another this context is postponed. All this greatly increases the efficiency of memorizing words.
When I made them on paper. But it's very tiring. And besides, they are constantly scattered and lost. Inconvenient. Today there are a lot of programs that allow you to make such cards on a computer. I haven’t come up with anything more convenient for myself yet. Not only is everything in electronic format, but these programs are also specially programmed in such a way as to test the memorability of certain words, and depending on this, calculate the time intervals at which to show this or that word.
igorfa answers:
miss
Just think about how much time you spend writing out and “memorizing” these words.For example, I’m reading a text. 60% of the words are unfamiliar to me. I write them out and teach them. Not all, of course, there are 15-20 pieces. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow I already read and understand 70%. And so on. But you need to learn words anyway.
It’s better to start with simpler texts, preferably with audio; when an unfamiliar word appears, look up its meaning in a monolingual dictionary with examples, don’t write it down anywhere, just read/listen again to the sentence (postcards) in which it appears to understand exactly what it’s about. speech, and read/listen further. If this word is common, you will definitely come across it again and again (this means that you do not stop reading/listening and do it every day), if at the next meeting you cannot remember its meaning - just look in the monolingual dictionary again - after 2- 3 glances, it will settle in memory by itself, that’s all, and instead of doing such obstructive things as writing out and memorizing words - you will practice the language, the words will be remembered by themselves, in context and in the correct meanings, and with With sufficiently intensive reading/listening/practice, the most common and necessary words will be remembered.
Words must be remembered by themselves, learning them specifically is a vicious practice, it is necessary to learn the language and not the words. They used it in written speech (no longer artificial, but more or less natural). I make a couple of attempts to guess the meaning from the context, then look it up in the dictionary - and..... remember it.
I used to write it out - I covered whole sheets of paper with these words. Doesn't work.
Memorization is activated only when there is interest in this word.
For example, I said it incorrectly, but they corrected me, or I used some other inappropriate synonym,
They corrected me and at the same time discussed what similar words there are.
And so - without interest - neutral - nothing comes of remembering.
Nina answers:
Cards are a great thing. But universal laziness is even better :). I don’t like making cards, I don’t like to constantly look into dictionaries, so I try to memorize words right away. Cards helped me at one time - by the time you make all the cards, write down the words, meanings, examples, 60-70% of the words will be remembered by themselves. There will be words that don’t stick so easily - that’s why the cards are sorted out. I tried card generators, printing ready-made cards, but with them it went in one ear and out the other. Homemade cards are much more effective.
Roman answers:
Nina + 100Homemade cards are much more effective
I decided to add my little experience to the collection: I made cards not only with vocabulary, but also with grammar. They, of course, did not look like a paragraph written out from a textbook - they were more like examples with explanations. Much has been said here about memorizing lists of words (for some, they claim it was quite effective). My memorized lists were quickly forgotten. Therefore, I began to use cards for intensive reading of various literature (including textbooks): I read the text, type 40-50 words and then memorize them. Usually this does not take much time, because... I don’t really learn by heart, and I expect to repeat the words I’ve memorized later. I learned the portion and move on. The “double rotation” technique mentioned here was very helpful, as well as the advice at the end of the week to put the learned and unlearned cards together and repeat everything for the week. It seems to me that making homemade cards is also faster. At least for me it takes a few seconds to write it out. But poking at buttons in different programs, editing a dictionary entry, deleting unnecessary values or copying from other dictionaries if the program’s dictionary does not contain the desired word - all this takes much more time. In addition, I work on a computer, and the constant pop-up windows interfere with my work, irritate me and reduce my motivation to study. And sitting at the computer in the evening is an additional burden. All this, of course, is IMHO. Although for those who only use computers for learning, computer studies may be more interesting. =)
