Techniques of Learning Vocabulary in a Foreign Language
Are you learning a new language?
You might be threatened by the thought of having to learn a whole new set of vocabulary. This might set learners back as they struggle with retaining new words. We understand how challenging it is to memorise words from a different language in a short period of time. To learn new vocabulary in a more effective way, we’ve put together a few tips to help you get through the process.
Review the words frequently
Chances are that you are less likely to retain a word if you’ve only revised the word once, even if you feel confident after you learnt it for the first time. Repetition is crucial in retaining and retrieving information. To “save” the words for later review, you should record them down, by keeping a vocabulary notebook being an easy option. Later, the most important step is to spend time reviewing the words in the notebook regularly to absorb the information. Repetition is crucial for memorization so keep reviewing the words until they are stored into your brain. After a while, feel free to reorganise your notebook and rewrite the vocabulary in categories, for instance, you can categorise some of your vocabulary into negative adjectives or positive adjectives. Regrouping your vocabulary will allow you to further understand and remember them.
Focus on a small number of words
You are keeping a vocabulary book with lots of new words written in it, however, you don’t have the time to actually learn the words yet. Instead of overwhelming yourself with a bunch of unfamiliar words, you should narrow it down to learning words in which you would use the most in maintaining conversational fluency. Don’t set the bar too high by expecting yourself to learn all the words in your vocabulary notebook in a short time. As a new learner, it’s better to choose an area to focus on, common verbs and common adjectives are some practical words for beginners. It’s all about prioritizing your learning plans for aiming to learn the most useful words in the shortest amount of time.
Be creative and have fun in retaining new words
Visual imagery is a great way to help memorizing items and strengthening the memory. Associate the word with an image by visualizing your study notes. By recalling specific image, you’ll be able to recall the information attached to it. It might take some time creating the imagery, yet, I promise you that the impression left in your brain will be much more profound. In other words, you actually saved time! Apart from making use of visual imagery, you can associate the words with experience that is already rooted in your brain. Have fun with it and link the words with some funny memory to strengthen your memory. Don’t see learning as a tough process, make it fun and you will be surprised with the outcome.
Integrate word learning into your daily life
Deliberate effort is not much required if you merge vocabulary learning into your daily routine. You can put sticky notes on furniture so you are subconsciously reviewing the words. Of course, the learning outcome will be better if you spend extra time looking over the words written on the sticky notes. For instance, if you’re learning French, stick the French word of cupboard, “placard”, onto your cupboard so whenever you use it, you are reminded the French word of it. The word will join with the real-life image without you noticing.
Apply the words
Whenever you come across a new word, study the meaning and forms of the word and look at how it is used in context, to understand how the words are used in collaboration with other words. Try to make a few sentences with the word so your brain will correlate the situation with the word, making it easier for you to memorize. If you have friends who can practice the language with you, attempt to include the vocabularies in your conversation. By frequently using the words in your daily life, the words will leave a strong impression in your brain.
To learn a new language, there are a lot of new words you have to memorise. Nevertheless, with the right learning approach and learning assistance, learning a language shouldn’t be a struggle but a meaningful journey. There are various ways of learning a new foreign language, with taking a language course being one of the most effective choices. FluentUp is a useful platform for you to find language courses offered by language schools from all over the world. Teacher will provide you with the best material and practice to help you learn new words in an effective way.