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Up until now, we have told you about traditional vocabulary learning and memorization techniques. Still, a key factor contributing to the success of language learners is creativity and imagination. In the following sections, you are welcome to start thinking a bit differently about how you remember the words you study in English. These strategies derive from different learning styles people use. Learning styles open new channels to learning, which not necessarily use verbal intelligence or purely academic procedures. Remember that mastering the grammar of the language is not enough to master the language. In the long run, it is your level of vocabulary and how you use it in your English writing, which determines how well you are at English. Whether you need English for personal, academic, or business purposes, always use any opportunity to acquire more and more words.
1. Instead of writing endless lists in your vocabulary notebook, why not write them on cards ? Many people find playing around with cards a fun way to review words. You can write all of your lists on index cards that usually come with a box, or only opt for writing those hard-to-remember words on blank playing cards. Some learners are kinesthetic, meaning that they learn through movement (in this case, of the hands, though you could also do it while dancing or in-house cycling, if you wish). In addition to the physical action of writing and copying lists, the cards empower these learners and are plain old fun for just about anybody who will be diligent enough to prepare them.
2. Whether you are using index cards or playing cards, use one side to write the new words in English and the other side for the translations in your language. Create a deck of cards for each study unit and carry it around with you. In small playing cards, write up to 5 vocabulary items on each card. Look at your native language side and try to remember the English equivalents, and vice versa. If you manage to remember all 5 word-items, put the card in your pocket. If you cannot remember all the word-items, put it at the bottom of the deck. This way, you will remain with only the cards whose words you still cannot remember. Going over the cards over and over again is sure to help.
3. Another card option is creating an information card for words you especially want to remember, as in the below model. Having such diverse information for each word, will definitely have you remember it forever.
1. Crazy stories to remember words with
A key to a good memory is an active imagination. The human brain is a sensation-seeking organ so if you just stare at a word you want to remember, the brain may start working its charm and invent some crazy story that will help you memorize. What are we actually talking about here? Let’s say, your new target word is evolve. A friend of mine who was studying English some years back, told me that after not succeeding to remember its meaning of “gradual progression and development”, suddenly came up with the following story.
“When Jim turned 18, his parents bought him his first car. It was a simple red Beatle he used until his final year in college. Then, as a graduation gift, they helped him buy a used Ford, which was not such a step up. After working in IT for a few years, he managed to buy a new Mazda he liked, in banana-yellow. When his bosses wanted to promote him to department sub-manager, they preferred that he use a more elegant cobalt-blue Chevrolet. When he was appointed vice president of the company, he was given a brand new shining silver Volvo ! Jim finally evolved to having a Volvo.”
This story, using a phonetic association between evolve and Volvo, is known as “a crazy memory story” that imaginative people use to remember things. The fact that my friend is passionate about cars, directed him in relating his interests to the target word in question. Take it from me, we all have a vivid sense of imagination ! We should simply let it go wild and relate whatever comes to mind to the memorization task at hand. And no, this long story is not harder for your brain to remember. Short lists with words not connected to anything are more difficult to retain than long stories that are interesting for you.
2. Your target word will sometime remind you of a different word in your native language, thus giving you a head start for a crazy story. For example, colombe in French means dove. The story goes like this:
"On his way to America Christopher Columbus sees America in the distance when a dove suddenly lands on his head ! And of corse there is that famous soap brand…"
see also Tip 8 below on visualizing words
If you need to remember a word like reluctant and cannot come up with a crazy story, why not invent a crazy sentence? You can even think of a sentence in your native language and simply stick reluctant in it where it fits you. Lets see, what about:
“My aunt Stella made her famous cheese cake and made me taste it forgetting I am lactose intolerant. I was completely reluctant to cooperate due to my lactose issue.”
We will leave it to you to come up with sentences in your native tongue. Try to create something funny and light-headed and it will do the job !
The sense of sight uses up to a third of the brain, therefore making visualizing a prime channel to aid us in remembering words. Some people are very visual and relish on anything that stimulates their eyes. Therefore, the following may help:
1. Big signs with target words hung a round your house to be encountered at all times, with optional related pictures.
2. Small stickers on objects around the house will help you associate word and image.
3. Visual dictionaries are great, as mentioned before, together with English learning software with online vocabulary games.
4. And of course, another crazy story is in order here ! You need to remember the word abandon, how will you do it? Well, the story goes like this:
A famous rock group was venturing out from Liverpool on a ship heading for New-York. The ship sank and they got stranded on an island. The result was a band on an island, or a-band-on !
Yes, I liked it too when I heard it…
Music is a great way for learning new vocabulary. You may be having a hard time reading an article form the New York Times’s Literary supplement, but you will memorize and understand every word from Bob Dylen or Britney Spears (depending on your musical inclinations) in no time, because you love the music. This is why using song lyrics, movies, TV series etc. is very much conducive to English learning.
Another thing you can do to help you memorize specific word lists is to record them on an audio file, or better yet, re-listen to the texts from which you extracted the words in the first place. Most textbooks have a CD with texts recorded on them. Some scientists say that you can even listen and learn while you sleep; I listen to my language learning audio CDs while doing the dishes…
The final word on vocabulary learning is that you should never give up about enriching your vocabulary as much as possible. The keys to success here are an active imagination, strong motivation and persistence, and being organized with your lists and vocabulary notebook. Most importantly, use as many new words and phrases in your English writing and while speaking.
The best advice we could give you on vocabulary memorization is simply to employ all the tips and strategies offered in this 3 part series of articles and apply each one when it suits best to a specific word. Different learners develop different ways to building their vocabulary. The more you review the words, the more they will become active in your mind, ready to be used in real interactions, spoken or written alike.
This has been the third and final part of our series on vocabulary strategies.
Go to the English Lessons Portal for more English Lessons
More “Zany” Vocabulary Tips and Strategies
Building Your English Vocabulary – Part 3
Part 1 Part 2Up until now, we have told you about traditional vocabulary learning and memorization techniques. Still, a key factor contributing to the success of language learners is creativity and imagination. In the following sections, you are welcome to start thinking a bit differently about how you remember the words you study in English. These strategies derive from different learning styles people use. Learning styles open new channels to learning, which not necessarily use verbal intelligence or purely academic procedures. Remember that mastering the grammar of the language is not enough to master the language. In the long run, it is your level of vocabulary and how you use it in your English writing, which determines how well you are at English. Whether you need English for personal, academic, or business purposes, always use any opportunity to acquire more and more words.
Tip 5: Do you like playing cards ?
1. Instead of writing endless lists in your vocabulary notebook, why not write them on cards ? Many people find playing around with cards a fun way to review words. You can write all of your lists on index cards that usually come with a box, or only opt for writing those hard-to-remember words on blank playing cards. Some learners are kinesthetic, meaning that they learn through movement (in this case, of the hands, though you could also do it while dancing or in-house cycling, if you wish). In addition to the physical action of writing and copying lists, the cards empower these learners and are plain old fun for just about anybody who will be diligent enough to prepare them.
2. Whether you are using index cards or playing cards, use one side to write the new words in English and the other side for the translations in your language. Create a deck of cards for each study unit and carry it around with you. In small playing cards, write up to 5 vocabulary items on each card. Look at your native language side and try to remember the English equivalents, and vice versa. If you manage to remember all 5 word-items, put the card in your pocket. If you cannot remember all the word-items, put it at the bottom of the deck. This way, you will remain with only the cards whose words you still cannot remember. Going over the cards over and over again is sure to help.
3. Another card option is creating an information card for words you especially want to remember, as in the below model. Having such diverse information for each word, will definitely have you remember it forever.
| definition: ? | synonyms:? | |
| vocabulary word | picture: ? |
|
| antonym: ? |
example sentence:? |
Tip 6: Its all about associations
1. Crazy stories to remember words with
A key to a good memory is an active imagination. The human brain is a sensation-seeking organ so if you just stare at a word you want to remember, the brain may start working its charm and invent some crazy story that will help you memorize. What are we actually talking about here? Let’s say, your new target word is evolve. A friend of mine who was studying English some years back, told me that after not succeeding to remember its meaning of “gradual progression and development”, suddenly came up with the following story.
“When Jim turned 18, his parents bought him his first car. It was a simple red Beatle he used until his final year in college. Then, as a graduation gift, they helped him buy a used Ford, which was not such a step up. After working in IT for a few years, he managed to buy a new Mazda he liked, in banana-yellow. When his bosses wanted to promote him to department sub-manager, they preferred that he use a more elegant cobalt-blue Chevrolet. When he was appointed vice president of the company, he was given a brand new shining silver Volvo ! Jim finally evolved to having a Volvo.”
This story, using a phonetic association between evolve and Volvo, is known as “a crazy memory story” that imaginative people use to remember things. The fact that my friend is passionate about cars, directed him in relating his interests to the target word in question. Take it from me, we all have a vivid sense of imagination ! We should simply let it go wild and relate whatever comes to mind to the memorization task at hand. And no, this long story is not harder for your brain to remember. Short lists with words not connected to anything are more difficult to retain than long stories that are interesting for you.
2. Your target word will sometime remind you of a different word in your native language, thus giving you a head start for a crazy story. For example, colombe in French means dove. The story goes like this:
"On his way to America Christopher Columbus sees America in the distance when a dove suddenly lands on his head ! And of corse there is that famous soap brand…"
see also Tip 8 below on visualizing words
Tip 7: The put-it-in-the-sentence routine
If you need to remember a word like reluctant and cannot come up with a crazy story, why not invent a crazy sentence? You can even think of a sentence in your native language and simply stick reluctant in it where it fits you. Lets see, what about:
“My aunt Stella made her famous cheese cake and made me taste it forgetting I am lactose intolerant. I was completely reluctant to cooperate due to my lactose issue.”
We will leave it to you to come up with sentences in your native tongue. Try to create something funny and light-headed and it will do the job !
Tip 8: Give me a visual !
The sense of sight uses up to a third of the brain, therefore making visualizing a prime channel to aid us in remembering words. Some people are very visual and relish on anything that stimulates their eyes. Therefore, the following may help:
1. Big signs with target words hung a round your house to be encountered at all times, with optional related pictures.
2. Small stickers on objects around the house will help you associate word and image.
3. Visual dictionaries are great, as mentioned before, together with English learning software with online vocabulary games.
4. And of course, another crazy story is in order here ! You need to remember the word abandon, how will you do it? Well, the story goes like this:
A famous rock group was venturing out from Liverpool on a ship heading for New-York. The ship sank and they got stranded on an island. The result was a band on an island, or a-band-on !
Yes, I liked it too when I heard it…
Tip 9: Listen to the sound !
Music is a great way for learning new vocabulary. You may be having a hard time reading an article form the New York Times’s Literary supplement, but you will memorize and understand every word from Bob Dylen or Britney Spears (depending on your musical inclinations) in no time, because you love the music. This is why using song lyrics, movies, TV series etc. is very much conducive to English learning.
Another thing you can do to help you memorize specific word lists is to record them on an audio file, or better yet, re-listen to the texts from which you extracted the words in the first place. Most textbooks have a CD with texts recorded on them. Some scientists say that you can even listen and learn while you sleep; I listen to my language learning audio CDs while doing the dishes…
Tip 10: Use it or lose it !
The final word on vocabulary learning is that you should never give up about enriching your vocabulary as much as possible. The keys to success here are an active imagination, strong motivation and persistence, and being organized with your lists and vocabulary notebook. Most importantly, use as many new words and phrases in your English writing and while speaking.
The best advice we could give you on vocabulary memorization is simply to employ all the tips and strategies offered in this 3 part series of articles and apply each one when it suits best to a specific word. Different learners develop different ways to building their vocabulary. The more you review the words, the more they will become active in your mind, ready to be used in real interactions, spoken or written alike.
This has been the third and final part of our series on vocabulary strategies.
- Expanded vocabulary
- Templates
- Punctuation corrections
- Improved clarity
- Grammar check
- Thesaurus
- Spell check
- English-Dictionary
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