If you’re learning a foreign language, associate new words with words in your native language. If a new word resembles a word in your native tongue, create a mental image association between the native word and the new word. For example, the French word “vin,” or wine, sounds similar to the English word “van,” so you might make a visual association of a van full of wine to help you remember. Word associations are also helpful if you’re learning a new word in your own language. For example, the beginning of the word “curtail,” which means to cut short, resembles the beginning of the word “curtain,” so you can make a mental association of curtains cut too short to help you remember “curtail. ” When creating word associations, be sure to visualize the image vividly and to review it in your head several times a day so the association will become hardwired into your memory. [2] X Trustworthy Source Reading Rockets Online resource supported by PBS providing research-based strategies for assisting children to become confident readers Go to source
For example, the word “abrogate,” which means to deny or cancel, can be broken down into a pattern of images based on the series of letters that make up the word. So, you might break “abrogate” down into “a”+”bro”+”gate” and then visualize a bro standing at your gate while you “deny” him entrance. For example, “PEMDAS” is a popular math mnemonic, while “FANBOY” is a popular English grammar mnemonic. [4] X Expert Source Ted Coopersmith, MBAAcademic Tutor Expert Interview. 10 July 2020. Like word associations, mnemonic techniques work best when they relate new concepts to concepts already in your knowledge base.
For example, the term “banal” means “boring or everyday,” so to help you remember its definition, you might picture a banana peel (because the beginning of “banal” resembles the beginning of “banana”) floating in a canal (because “canal” rhymes with “banal”). A banana peel floating in a canal is a vivid enough image to remember, but it also captures an image of something banal, allowing you to associate “banal” with the definition “boring or uninteresting. ”
Include a written definition of the word if you’re struggling to remember it. You can also draw a small picture depicting the meaning of the word beside it to help you build the association. For foreign vocabulary, try writing words for everyday objects like “mirror” and “table” on sticky notes. Attach the sticky notes to the objects the words refer to to strengthen the association between the word and the object in your mind.
For example, if you want to learn to use the word “azure,” a term for a deep blue color, write it into several sentences that relate to your current situation or surroundings: “My new shampoo bottle is a striking azure color” or “the sky this summer has been a particularly vivid azure. ”
There are a number of vocabulary-learning games accessible online. For a listing of web-browser based games, go here. For a review of various vocabulary-learning software options, go here. If you prefer a game you can play offline, see EdHelper’s Board Game Generator.
Another tool that is great for learning vocabulary words is Quizlet! Create a vocabulary journal or notebook and write out new words and their definitions. Write them as often as you need in order to set them in your memory. Create stories using your new words. You can write stories that simply incorporate the new words into a narrative, or you can challenge yourself to write a story using only your vocabulary words. Draw pictures depicting the meaning of your vocabulary words to accompany their definitions. Create a visual storyboard if you like to express yourself artistically.
Write down each new word you learn on the front of a small note card or piece of paper, then write its definition on the back. Run through the flashcards several times each day, trying to remember the word’s definition before checking on the back. There are a variety of flashcard apps available for Android and Apple devices that can make using flashcards even more portable and accessible. Do some research and find which one would work best for you.
If you’re trying to elevate your vocabulary in your native language to, for example, the university level, read academic journal articles, The New Yorker, The New York Times, etc. If you’re trying to learn a new language, read texts at your current skill level or just slightly above it. So if you’re just beginning to learn, reading books for young children may help you establish the fundamentals. If you’re at an intermediate level, you can read books for young adults. You may try to find simplified or summarized versions of longer stories that you already know. Also, look for subjects which you are interested in. You may even recognize a few words that are similar to your native language and that will boost your confidence. Reading a book you’re familiar with in your native language that has been translated into your target language can be a fun and effective way to practice your vocabulary and language skills.
A number of websites offer online vocabulary quizzes to help you practice. There are some that allow you to select your level, desired quiz length, and vocabulary word category, and others like this that allow you to create custom quizzes using the specific list of words you provide.
The more you use the new words, the more completely you’ll understand and remember them.
