As we promised you in our first lesson, in this lesson we move directly to practical actions. Today we will deal with foreign vocabulary, namely: we will talk about what ways there are to memorize foreign words.
We have divided the material for today's lesson into three parts. From the first part you will learn about which words you need to remember first. In the second part, you will become acquainted with special techniques designed for memorization. And the third part is dedicated effective technology repetitions.
Considering that the scope of our lessons is limited, without unnecessary introductions, let’s get straight to the point.
What words should you remember first?
Let us illustrate this with the example of the Italian football player and football coach Fabio Capello. This man was the coach of the England national team, and held this position for 3.5 years. As you understand, in order to train football players and explain all the intricacies of the game, tactics and strategy, it is necessary, at first glance, to ideally know English. However, Capello performed his duties admirably, knowing only a superficial level of English.
What do experts say about this?
And a couple more tips:
- To make it easier for you to remember items/objects, you can use in your learning so-called visual dictionaries, in which next to the item/object there is an image of it - a drawing, photograph or picture. Thus, you also use visual memory along with associative memory
- Among the huge number of words found in foreign languages, there are words called internationalisms, i.e., one might say, universal words that sound approximately the same in almost all languages, for example, the words “commercial”, “international” ( international), “association” (association), “political” (political), “financial” (financial), “forum” (forum), “company” (company), etc. Just pay attention to them and match them with similar words native language, and remembering them will not be difficult at all
This concludes our conversation about methods of memorizing foreign words, but there is one more very important point: no matter what method of memorizing words you prefer to use, all these words can easily be forgotten if you do not use them regularly. If suitable occasion no, then you must repeat the memorized words, because any information is quickly forgotten within a few days after learning. But repetition must be done not just anyhow, but using a certain technology. We want to introduce you to her.
Effective repetition technique
The technique we'll talk about is a repetition program based on the method of the German experimental psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who studied the patterns of memorization. In the process of his research, he discovered a forgetting curve, according to which, within an hour after memorizing the material, about 60% of the data is forgotten (participants in the Ebbinghaus experiment memorized short syllables that did not have much meaning), after 10 hours another 25% is forgotten. Then the process of forgetting loses its intensity, but after 6 days the person remembers only 20% of what he memorized. This 20% remains in memory.
The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve looks like this:
The results obtained by Ebbinghaus and clearly displayed on the forgetting curve became the basis of a special regime that must be followed when repeating memorized data, in our case, foreign words.
Based on the fact that any associative series and relationships lose their relevance just an hour after memorization, the first repetition of information should be carried out immediately after studying. In the future, you can use one of the two most popular modes of rational repetition, which, by the way, is also discussed by modern experts.
First repeat mode
The first review mode is designed for when you only have two days to memorize the material.
- Repeat the second time 20 minutes after repeating the first time
- Repeat for the third time 8 hours after repeating the second time
- Repeat the fourth time 24 hours after repeating the third time
Second repeat mode
The second repetition mode is suitable when your time for repetition is unlimited, and you want to remember the words for the longest possible period.
The repetition is carried out like this:
- Repeat for the first time immediately after finishing the lesson (word learning stage)
- Repeat the second time after 20-30 minutes after repeating the first time
- Repeat the third time after one day has passed after repeating the second time
- Repeat the fourth time 2-3 weeks after repeating the third time
- Repeat the fifth time 2-3 months after repeating the fourth time
Of course, the time periods that are suitable for you also depend on the specifics of the information. For example, when perceiving speech and text information, it is recommended to repeat it 15 minutes after the first repetition, repeat it a third time - 8 hours after the second, fourth time - the next day, 24 hours after the third. And accurate information requires that it be repeated a second time - after an hour, a third - after 3 hours, a fourth - after 8 hours, and the next day - every 3-4 hours.
It is also important to note that there is no need to be intimidated by the huge numbers of repetitions that the Ebbinghaus technique assumes. The repetitions that you will do from memory will turn out to be much more interesting and easier than simply studying words. In addition, you can repeat words to yourself at any appropriate moment, in any place and in any environment, for example, while traveling to work or school, while waiting in line, while walking or even shopping. In other words, you can repeat foreign words all day long, but, of course,...
Now we, too, with a calm soul and clear conscience We can summarize the second lesson. And in conclusion, we will say that, naturally, three hundred, five hundred and even a thousand words will never be enough to master foreign language fully, so to speak, professionally. After all, a person who is a native speaker usually has a vocabulary of fifty and one hundred thousand words (just think about how many words you know in your native language). But in any case, at the very beginning of mastering a foreign language, you should not “raise the bar” to fifty thousand words. It will be much more effective to learn at least three hundred, because they will already open up horizons for you that seemed previously inaccessible.
In the next lesson we will talk about phonetics - we will talk about methods of pronunciation and correct transcription.
Want to know how to teach English words quickly and easily and remember them later all your life? In this article, we will introduce you to several tricks that can be used when learning not only English, of course, but any language, and which will help you quickly memorize new vocabulary. Choose convenient methods and no longer worry about not remembering something or keeping it in your head.
Tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I will remember. Engage me and I will learn.
NB! Don't try to learn everything if you're studying on your own! Study only what you will actually use and talk about. Of course, the topics “home”, “family”, “food”, “work” are required, everyone should know the vocabulary on these topics. However, if you want to learn something that is far from your life and almost never occurs (you are a lawyer, and you learn huge lists of words on the topic “medicine” for the sake of interest), you will only waste your time - your brain is unlikely to let in the information which he doesn't need. Now let's get down to business!
How to learn new English words quickly and effectively.
Let's say one thing right away important thing: Always learn words in phrases and expressions, and never – just one word! Having learned one word out of context, you will not clearly understand how to use this word.
Make cards with words and expressions.
This is a very old method, but proven by generations: you take thick small sheets of paper (so that they do not show through), on one side write an expression in the language you are studying with notes on pronunciation, on the other - the translation, preferably with different pens. Try to write individual words only if they are a pair of antonyms easy— difficult, in other cases, write down phrases on cards go home or even whole sentences and questions Have you been to…? You need to teach them this way: look at the Russian translation and say the expression out loud, turn the card and check yourself, take the next one. Such cards will not cost you anything; you can store them in an envelope and always carry them with you. They are very convenient: repeat them while you are on the subway going to work or stuck in a traffic jam, and always before you go to bed. Double benefit: the cards will be better understood, and you will have a dream in English or Spanish)
Combine words by topic.
To quickly memorize new English words, try to combine them into semantic groups on some topic. For example, your favorite food:cheese, salads, fish, dry red wine, milk chocolate. The brain is good at remembering what is close to you.
Say words and expressions out loud.
It is better, of course, to say them in a secluded place - at home or in the office, when no one else can hear you, in order to avoid unnecessary questions and puzzled looks. This method is really effective; by pronouncing words and expressions you train your auditory memory, and it is very important in memorizing. Pronounce the words, try to imitate the manner that you hear in the speech of native speakers of the language you are studying. If you are watching a movie or listening to a song, do not be lazy to repeat the words or phrases you like.
“Build” a new word into your experience.
When young children learn their native language, they begin to notice a new word in a variety of situations, environments, and contexts. For example, when hearing the word “white” for the first time, Small child begins to repeat it when he sees white snow, white paper, white sugar. And this is what helps him remember the word quickly and easily. Use a new word more often in different situations - try to use it by retelling the text, doing homework, or fellow students, with native speakers.
Make up examples with new expressions.
When you take a new word or expression, try to write it in a sentence. Firstly, you will remember its spelling, and this is important, and secondly, check whether you correctly understand and use its meaning in context. Read the compiled examples to your teacher or a native speaker friend and check together.
Make up funny stories and absurd dialogues.
If you need to learn a lot of new English words at once, make up a short story or dialogue out of them, funny and absurd. My students and I often use this method. The student writes a story or dialogue at home with new vocabulary and then reads it out in class. We do this at the very beginning of the lesson to relax, tune our brains to the language we are learning and have a good laugh.
Apply labels.
Take a pack of sticky notes and write words from your home or work environment on them. Then glue these leaves to the corresponding objects: “ a bathroom door” - on the bathroom door, “Salt”- on the salt shaker, « a dining table"- on the dining table, “ a laptop” - on a laptop.
The disadvantage of this technique is that you can only apply stickers to accessible physical objects around you; abstract concepts, as well as actions, will not be able to be signed - they will have to be taught in other ways that we have proposed.
Make Mind Maps - intelligence maps.
Mind map- this is a kind of scheme in which we associate certain vocabulary with a concept or event. In this case, new words may belong to different parts speech. Words will be remembered more easily thanks to associations, as well as division into groups. 
Let's look at an example of a mind map to understand how it works. For example, you want to learn vocabulary related to work (the activities you perform at work). The main word in this diagram will be work. We will assign the following lexical group to it:
- Get to work - get to work
- To make a call - call
- Chat with colleagues – chat with colleagues
- Check email – check email
- Reply to letters – respond to letters
- Sign documents - sign documents
Surround yourself with the words you study.
Do you know what the apartment of one of our students looks like? Made from paper! When she does, behind her, on the walls, furniture, and almost on the ceiling, there are sticky notes with words and expressions that she is studying. We suspect that this is the case throughout the apartment! Every morning she brushes her teeth and repeats the words. Prepares breakfast - repeats words. Putting on makeup for work - repeating the words. After some time, she removes the old remembered leaves and replaces them with new ones. The point is that the cards catch the eye and come across where we spend a lot of time, for example, at our favorite computer. Use technology to your advantage: write 5-10 words on the screen saver, in a couple of days you will remember them well.
Connect your emotions.
Emotional connection and imagination are very important in remembering new words. Emotions can even double the amount of information we remember. You should be interested in what you learn! Choose films and books that are fascinating to you in the language you are learning, read jokes and short funny stories. Watch the translation of your favorite songs, and then sing along. Watch news, travel and animal channels, solve crossword puzzles, play The gallows.
You must love the language you are studying; without this, nothing will work. Our teachers will do everything possible to ensure that the “need” with which you came to us turns into a “want” after the first lesson!
How to learn even more new English words? It is necessary to put them in a certain associative series. Let's take for example ride a bike(to ride a bike), imagine that you decided to teach your son or daughter to ride, taught them, and now ride together. Using this expression, remember how much delight the child had when he went on his own without your support...
Using this method, you can always quickly find the desired expression in your vocabulary - it is enough to find yourself in a situation that requires you to have the same emotional associations that were used when memorizing it.
Study on training sites.
If you can’t imagine learning without a computer, then learn new English words with its help. Study on educational resources if this is more interesting to you than classic cards or notebooks with words. We recommend the site lang-8.com, where you can practice the language by writing and sending texts to native speakers who will correct your mistakes and give recommendations.
Read texts out loud.
The more you read, the more often you encounter new words and the more likely you are to remember them. You should not look up the meaning of every unfamiliar word in the dictionary; this will turn reading from pleasure into torture. Choose only those that are often found in the text or without which it is completely impossible to understand the meaning of the sentence.
Install useful applications.
If you don't have time to make flashcards or draw mind maps, you can install a special program on your smartphone or tablet and learn new English or Spanish or any words you like. We recommend using Lingualeo, Busuu or Duolingo - they are free and the classes are effective.
Test your knowledge.
It is useful to take various vocabulary tests from time to time. For example, you can find excellent tests for training oral and written speech at puzzle-english.com or englishteststore.net. After passing such a test, you will immediately see what is stored in your memory and which topics or words need to be repeated.
Execute your daily plan precisely.
The average person is able to learn 5-10 new words per day. Follow your plan for learning new vocabulary exactly to see progress. Regardless of which method you choose, it is better to memorize new English words according to this scheme: “ Writing - pronunciation - translation" Remember that classes must be regular. It is better to learn 10 words every day than 100 words once a week.
Memory is like a muscle; it can atrophy if it doesn't work. Most The best way train your memory - do constant repetitions. If you want your memory to work well, then make it work a little every day.
If you think that self-study using cards and charts is not your method, we invite you to try them. They will teach you to remember words in context, immediately use them in conversation and put them into practice in everyday situations. Learning new English words in Skype lessons with a personal teacher - isn’t it a pleasant and effective way to spend your time?
LF School warns: learning languages is addictive!
And now you need to ask where the nearest pharmacy is, but this word - "pharmacy" completely slipped my mind... You find it in the dictionary and indignantly hit yourself on the forehead: “Pharmacy! Exactly! How could I forget this?!”
Sound familiar? English words are forgotten or simply end up in the PASSIVE vocabulary. The question arises: how to learn English words quickly, easily and, most importantly, effectively? Get ready: a huge one awaits you, but the most complete and useful article on this topic.
To compile 8 rules for learning English words, we surveyed 6 experts. Two methodologists: Olga Sinitsina(Head of Methodology and Content Department) and Olga Kozar(founder of the English with Experts school).
And four language practitioners: Alexander Belenky(traveler and famous blogger), Dmitry More(professional translator and author cool video blog), Marina Mogilko(co-founder of the LinguaTrip service and author of two vlogs) And Ksenia Niglas(Cambridge graduate, Fulbright scholar and also popular video blogger). They will use personal examples to illustrate our rules.
Table of contents of the article (it really is very big):
What English words should you learn first?
Our answer will be useful to both beginners and seasoned students, because we often step on the same rake...
Rule #1 – Learn only the words you need!
When you teach new language, the temptation is so great to memorize something like this: "superficial", "fade", "piercing" etc. Perhaps you will be able to shine if you come across sophisticated interlocutors.
But why do you need a word "savor", if you don't know 3 verb forms "eat"? For what "fulminant" if you don't know the words "speed"? Do you need sophistication if the basic vocabulary still doesn’t fly off your teeth?
In the later years of university, we studied specific vocabulary on the topic “ International relationships"(my specialty is International Relations and American Studies).
At the end of the 4th year we went to the states under the Work and Travel program. One day I see my classmate sitting thoughtfully. I asked what happened, and he said: “We have been going through all sorts of complex concepts like “non-proliferation treaty” for four years now. nuclear weapons"or "detente of international tension." But today at work I realized that I don’t know how to say “bucket” in English.
By the way, those complex terms were never useful to me. So not all English words and topics are truly useful.
WE RECOMMEND: Don’t waste time and memory resources on words that you don’t actively use in your native language. It’s better to use the saved energy to practice and repeat words that have already been studied and are truly needed. Go through and remove excess from there without a twinge of conscience.
What then to teach? Base + area of interest
The required vocabulary is compiled according to the formula: base(high-frequency words that are used by all people, regardless of profession, interests, religion, etc.) + words related to your interests and language learning goals(why do you need English?).
At the same time, it is better to look for vocabulary in trusted sources, since sometimes something that in fact is not is passed off as high-frequency.
I remember how at school we learned many different words associated with the traditions of English-speaking countries. These words have never been useful to me in my life.
For example, the word “shamrock” stuck in my memory, but I never used it.
It’s easier to ask as the situation progresses what a certain word means than to try to prepare yourself for all sorts of traditions (and to ask, you just need frequency vocabulary - approx. author).
Where will we look for basic English vocabulary?
1. Study lists of high-frequency English words. No need to go far: Lingualeo has lists of words and frequency words. If your language level is already higher, then take larger lists, for example, The Oxford 3000.
2. “Take out” words from adapted literature. This is why it is called adapted because it is rare and Difficult words replaced with simple and high-frequency ones. You will find a selection of 16 cool books adapted by English-speaking experts.
3. Study news in an adapted language. The principle is the same as with books: read the news (you can find them on the website learningenglish.voanews.com) and write down unfamiliar words. Use ours to immediately translate them and add them to the dictionary.
It is better to have news, literature, etc. adapted by English-speaking experts: you will be sure that this vocabulary is actually used in life.
I remember a school course where we were taught that breakfast is breakfast, lunch is dinner, dinner is supper.
In practice, it turned out that not only does no one speak supper, but no one even understands.
It turned out to be a fairly local British word.
In fact, lunch is lunch, and dinner is dinner.
Where to look for words for your area of interest
As an answer, I’ll tell you a case: in the summer of 2016, our communications director went to the Olympic Games in Rio as a volunteer. She was appointed as a translator for the beach volleyball section. Her English is excellent, but she did not know sports terminology.
To prepare, Katya watched volleyball videos in English from the Games in London. So all the necessary vocabulary was at her disposal.
Dmitry More shared the same experience: to prepare for the wheelchair volleyball project, he watched recordings of the Paralympic Games, read articles in English, etc. Ksenia Niglas learned vocabulary for her bachelor's work in the same way. I think you understand our recommendation :)
Another cool tip from Marina Mogilko:
I recommend it to guys who are learning English for a specific area according to its theme and watch-watch-watch in the original, because such a movie is filled with the necessary vocabulary.
There, these words are constantly repeated, and if you hear a word in context 3-4 times, it is etched in your memory.
So, while watching House, M.D., I picked up medical vocabulary, and with the TV series Suits I unconsciously memorized legal words.
Rule #2 – Learn more verbs!
Especially at the beginning of learning a language. Any noun can, in extreme cases, be described with the words “such a thing that ...” - and then a description of the actions.
Gina Caro in her book “English for Our People” describes an exercise: look around and describe in English, using verbs, all the nouns that come up:
a bed is the thing on which I sleep, a chair is where I sit, a table is where I eat, etc.
All the verbs that come up are good verbs, they are worth remembering. The only noun you'll need is thing.
Rule No. 3 – Learn stable phrases!
These are combinations of words that are natural for a native speaker. For example, take a photo, but not do a photo, fast food, but not quick food etc. We have already dedicated this rule, in which you will find a list of phrases + dictionaries, where there are even more of them.
Why is this important: a person who does not speak a foreign language well first thinks in Russian, and then translates these thoughts into English. But the norms for combinability of words in these languages are different.
Imagine: you need to explain that your car has a flat tire. You will go to Google Translate and enter the word "lowered" (or "lowered"), and the translator will give descended (or deflated). But there is a stable phrase for this situation.
One day, when I was traveling in America, I got a flat tire. For a long time I could not figure out how to explain this.
And only then did I hear from the specialist consulting me the expression “flat tire” (which translates to “flat tire”). Then I remembered it firmly.
Although before that I associated the word “flat” with the word “apartment”. But this is the British version, in America an apartment is called only apartment.
WE RECOMMEND: learn more stable phrases. Google collocations examples or common collocations and study the results. Or just read it. In addition to learning phrases, we recommend memorizing entire phrases. Teach them in the form in which you will use (1 l. unit). This is the advice of the polyglot Kato Lomb, whom we are talking about.
How to learn English words quickly and easily
From the previous part of the article it is clear that the sources of new words are English-language materials and sets of words / dictionaries. And so you learn, for example, a phrasal verb to get down. At this stage, typical mistakes begin.
Rule #4 – Learn words only in context!
Suppose verb to get down I first came across it in a song by KC & The Sunshine Band. You wrote it down on a card and noticed that in addition to the meaning used in the song “let’s have a blast, let’s light it up” the verb has others: make someone unhappy, take note of someone, leave the table after eating and etc.
"How cool! In one word I will cover so many necessary meanings!”- you think and begin to memorize all the meanings en masse.
And the wonderful musical context with disco rhythms has already been forgotten, and the word has become a set of letters with a dozen unrelated meanings... Alas, most likely you will not remember this word when you need it.
WE RECOMMEND: learn to ignore that this or that word has other meanings besides the only one that you need right now. Let this word exist only in the context in which you met it. If elsewhere you see to get down with a different meaning, well, you’ll go back to the dictionary. But even then, don't get stuck thinking it's the same word. Let them exist separately in your mind, each in its own context.
If we found the word in English-language materials?
Then keep this context in mind. Parse the lyrics of your favorite song, add the word to your study list, and the context will always be with you.
I added this word is from a song by The Rolling Stones .The line at the bottom of the vocabulary card will always remind me of the context.
If we take a word from a list like “Top 100 Frequent Words”?
Then we immediately put the word back into context. According to scientists, we need to see each word 7-9 times in different situations in order to remember it. There are a huge number of sources for these situations. For example, English-language explanatory dictionaries always provide words with good examples. These are Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, etc.
By the way, in them (explanatory dictionaries) it is best to look up the meaning of a new word for you (namely MEANING, not TRANSLATION), because this way you will be protected from all sorts of uncomfortable situations.
One day one of my students came to class after training and when asked “How are you?” answered “My press hurts.”
Indeed, if you go to, say, Google Translate and type in the word “press”, it will give the answer “press”. But the problem is that the “press” is a hydraulic press. And the one that hurts is the abdominal one.
And in the English-English explanatory dictionary you will immediately see that “press” is not what you need.
Another source of context is search engines in English-speaking countries, for example, google.co.uk or google.com.au. You type a word into a search engine and see in what situations it is used.
Third source - hulls in English(specially prepared text databases with standard English). The most popular: “Corpus of British English” and “Corpus of American English”. You need to work with them the same way as with search engines: you type in a word and study examples.
Once you have found a suitable example (context) for yourself, you can add it to your word.
Learn English words online
WE RECOMMEND: never learn the “lonely” word! When you start learning a new word, first of all, find the word for it. good examples, correct context. To, firstly, remember it better; secondly, use it correctly and combine it with other words.
Rule No. 5 – Use intralingual connections!
Some English words may have distant relatives in other languages - French, German and even Russian. Also, the word probably has close relatives in its own language - these are words with the same root, like ours: table, dining room, feast etc. You can look for such “connections” in special etymological dictionaries, for example etymonline.com.
Also look for synonyms (similar in meaning) and antonyms (opposite). The explanatory dictionaries above will help you with this. And catch another one: dictionary.com.
WE RECOMMEND: for new words, especially rather complex, abstract ones, look for context within the language itself: cognates, synonyms, antonyms. All this will help create strong neural connections and associations.
Rule #6 – Come up with your own word examples!
You did everything according to the rules: you found an example, together with it you “placed” the word in your head, but it is still forgotten... Why? Because it is better to remember what is relevant to you, your personal experience.
When you have learned a word, immediately come up with your own examples for it, or better yet, act out a whole dialogue. Let's remember our to get down(in meaning "break away, light up").
- Let's let's have a blast This Friday! -Will you have time to free yourself? After all, if we want for a long time have a blast, then you need to start early. - Yes. I want to start have a blast at 8, and finish only by morning! etc.
So, along with learning a new word, you will also review the grammar.
When you yourself have used a word several times, it is remembered forever.
I remember the story of the word oatmeal. On my first trip to Britain, I didn’t know this word. In the meaning of “porridge” I always used the word porridge, as we were taught at school. But no one understood me, because porridge is a very formal, bookish word (no one uses it).
I was corrected once, corrected twice. Then I repeated this word myself several times - that’s all. I haven't forgotten him anymore.
WE RECOMMEND: After you have seen examples of the use of a word, come up with your own context. Based on it, come up with several examples (coherent dialogue or individual sentences) and speak them loudly and clearly. If it’s hard to come up with a situation, then remember the last time you used this word in real life, and reproduce this situation in English.
How to learn English words online: simulator
How not to forget a new word?
If you learned the word in accordance with these rules, then it will settle in your head for permanent residence. But! If you do not use it in your speech for a long time, over time the English word will migrate from active to passive vocabulary. How to avoid this?
Rule No. 7 – Come up with a bright association for yourself!
This will especially help with abstract concepts, long and difficult to spell words, etc.
For example, our service has a special field for entering associations. For those with associative thinking and developed visual memory, this is simply a godsend: close your eyes and remember this phrase.
Here's my stupid example for the word admiration. “Admirate” is a fiction based on the word “die.” Silly, but it works for me.
Rule #8 – Use spaced repetition!
In repetition, the main thing is not the character (HOW to repeat), but the timing of the training (WHEN to repeat). It is better to do this when you are about to forget what you have learned. These moments of forgetting were established by the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who derived the so-called “forgetting curve.”
Let's say you've learned the word. Repeat it a few minutes after that, then after a couple of hours, then every other day, then after 2 days, then after 5 days, then after 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 8 months, etc. .d. After a while, the word will stick firmly in your head.
Let's summarize. How to learn English words every day - program
- Learn only the words you need! This is the base + specific vocabulary for your area of interest. Also learn more verbs, stable combinations and whole phrases. You can find all this in special sets, dictionaries and materials in English (adapted for the base, thematic for special vocabulary).
- Learn words only in context! If you “get” a word from an article, song, etc. – then keep it in mind with this context. If you take a “lonely” word, look for a context for it. And under no circumstances try to learn all the meanings of a polysemantic word at once! You will only get confused and lose touch with the main thing - the context.
- Try to immediately apply the word in life! If there are no communication situations in English yet, then come up with your own examples: act out a scene with this word, remember a real life situation related to it. Remember that for strong memorization you need to encounter the word 7-9 times in different situations, preferably in those that are related to experience close to you.
- So that the word is not forgotten, come up with a vivid association for it: graphic, auditory, funny, stupid - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that it matches your type of thinking (are you auditory? visual? kinesthetic?) and works for you.
- Keep repetition frequency to a minimum by using the spaced repetition method.
Have you even noticed how many pages you have written?!
You may think this is too long. Is it easier to just memorize the cards and hope for their “magic” effect.
You promised to tell me how to learn words in English fast!
But the same Lingualeo is TOOL, which gives you the opportunity to add an example (context), your own picture and association. The ability to take a word out of that very context () and drive it away from all sides.
But This tool can be used in different ways. You can mindlessly run through word cards in the hope that they will come to mind when needed. Or you can take responsibility for learning and take it seriously.
Then you will not only recognize the word in the picture (passive dictionary), but also be able to use it in speech (active dictionary).
P.S. As you can see, this article does not provide “magic tricks” or “easy methods” (by the way, such do not exist). Instead, she talks about the seemingly obvious rules of how our memory works, which many have forgotten about in the pursuit of speed. If the article turned out to be truly valuable and useful, share it with your friends and make their English learning more effective.
Today, self-development in the form of learning languages and going to the gym is literally considered a trend that everyone is trying to keep up with.
All you can hear from everywhere is “Don’t give up!”, “Be better than yesterday!”, “Work on yourself!”. If you don’t have a perfect figure, everything is clear here - you need to maintain proper nutrition and build muscles. However, is everything so simple in learning English? Let's see.
If you have gaps in English, you should improve your grammar and expand your vocabulary. What to do if your memory is bad and all these words can’t fit in your head? Is it possible to upgrade memory? The answer will pleasantly surprise you - you can.
Of course, some people will be able to quickly learn a number of new English words just by looking at them, while others will have to make an effort. It all depends on your desire.
In order to understand how you can pump up your memory, it’s worth taking into account several of your own characteristics - everything is individual. As you know, there are two types of memory - someone perceives new things auditorily, and others visually. There is one secret technique that we intuitively know at school, but over time we forget.
Remember how during recess, repeating a verse, you walked from corner to corner with a textbook. Indeed, movement helps to remember new things. And of course, memorization is significantly influenced not only by speed, but also by the quality of memorization or the level of attention. It is important to concentrate on what you are learning here and now, and not fly in the clouds.
Understanding what memory is, it becomes obvious that by working on yourself, adding more self-discipline, you can develop your memory and easily memorize required amount new memorization of English words. All the excuses you've used so far aside, it's time to get your act together and take the leap to learn English.
How to quickly learn English words
1. Learn words from context.
It is quite difficult to learn words if they are listed in the dictionary. This method can only be used if you are studying with a teacher who will help you use these words in context, build a dialogue with you using these new words, and transfer the list of new words from your passive vocabulary to your active one.
If you are at the stage of learning English on your own, then it is best to memorize words in the context of a topic that interests you.
In this method of learning new words, two types of memory work - visual and auditory. Subtitles are important because they will help you be 100% sure what the word was just said and how it is spelled. Agree, it is difficult to remember something that you are not confident enough in.
If you study English with a teacher, then he will definitely include podcasts in your classes, which are also a magic wand for expanding your vocabulary.
3. Don't grab every new word.
When learning words, you shouldn’t grab every new word and run to write it down in the dictionary. If only because the number of words in the English language is incredible!
To begin with, it is best to memorize the base of words that you need, depending on your age and lifestyle. Of course, an experienced English teacher will be able to point you in the right direction and tell you what to focus on.
However, you can try and independently determine what you should concentrate on and what words you can omit.
4. Read.
You may be surprised, but now we are not even talking about reading in English, but about reading in our native language. It doesn't matter if it happens fiction or quality articles.
Reading helps make your thinking more flexible and develops your memory, thereby improving your memorization of new words in English.
5. Learn words in combination with grammar.
Many people believe that the main basis of English is words, and you don’t have to work much on grammar. Perhaps someday in a parallel universe this myth will be dispelled, however, now it still exists.
Just imagine, if you know the conjugation of verbs, how many new words you will immediately recognize. For example, if you do not perceive that all these new words in the text are just the first or second form of an irregular verb, they all seem new to you and confusion arises.
6. Learn English with the help of modern technologies, away with old-fashioned flashcards!
Fortunately the world modern technologies This also helps to learn new words. For example, on our website there is a dictionary in a completely free format that will help you learn new words, memorizing them auditorily and visually. Learning takes place rather in a playful way, which helps make the process of memorizing new words much more enjoyable.
In order to remember an English word faster, you can draw a certain parallel with it in your mind. It doesn’t matter whether it will make sense to someone else, the main thing is that it carries a certain message for you and, remembering this association, you could remember a new word.
For example, the word "sing" is somewhat similar to the word Singapore. A parallel can be drawn with the phrase “singing in Singapore”. In this method, only your fantasy and imagination are important, add creativity.
8. Pay attention to words of common origin.
Words of common origin in different languages, cognates, seem to have been created to instill the belief that learning a new language is not as unattainable as it might seem at first glance. When learning new words, you will personally see that many English words are similar to Russian ones.
9. Communicate with native speakers.
It's no secret that the easiest way to learn a language is in an environment where it is spoken. However, you don’t have to go to another country to do this. You can find yourself a pen pal or call him on Skype. Communication with a native speaker will be very useful when learning new words.
There are even many websites where people from different countries offer to improve your English for free, in exchange for learning something from your native language. However, it is better to use this technique when you already have fairly confident English. On initial stage It’s better to turn to a professional teacher so that he can point you in the right direction.
10. Use the S.M.A.R.T goal system.
Set goals when learning new words in English and you will see progress. It's much more enjoyable to learn English by noticing your progress. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound - i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Promise yourself that in the next month you will learn 70 new words that are most in demand in the English language.
11. Speak and think like a native speaker.
When learning new words, pay attention to the accent and intonation with which the word is usually pronounced. Try to imitate these elements at the very beginning of learning the language. In the future, this will greatly help you overcome the barrier of communication with native speakers.
12. Don't be afraid to make a mistake.
In order to speak competently, it is not necessary to remember all the words that exist in English. It is enough, for starters, to master the basic base of words, of which there are about 300. Having studied the base, you will be able to express an idea even without knowing any word using the paraphrasing technique.
Learning a language no longer seems so out of reach. Is not it?
By the way! We recommend reading our article on how to quickly learn English. Not everything is so simple :)
How to help your child remember English words easily
What can you do to help your child learn new words?
There are many memory poems that will greatly simplify the process of learning English for children. Can methods for memorizing new words developed for children be used by adults?
Yes! Both children and adults can learn language through nursery rhymes.
For example:
We were given red tomatoes for lunch!(red)
And a lemon, when it is ripe, has a yellow skin!(Yellow)
I love running around the city in blue jeans!(Blue)
Orange means orange, the color is the same, we will eat it.(orange)
Let's call the mouse gray, he will be the gray mouse.(Gray color)
Black - our black master, as always, came alone.(Black)
Green - green grass, it grew on its own.(Green)
Brown is a new chocolate, I'm happy with brown.(Brown)
White color - white and snow.(White)
You can help children learn new words by studying rhymes and demonstrating objects about which we're talking about in a poem. This technique will be useful when working on the following poems:
This is a bear, this is a hare,
This is a dog and this is a frog.
This is a car, this is a star,
This is a ball and this is a doll.
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little finger on the right.
With the help of poems, you can learn not only new words, but also remember temporary structures. For example:
To have
I have a father,
I have a mother,
I have a sister,
I have a brother.
Father, mother, sister, brother -
Hand in hand with one another.
Using this rhyme, you can work out the construction of the question:
How to learn English words for business
Don't be afraid, everything here is the same as in learning general English. The main thing is to select the necessary sources of study. It is worth focusing on videos on a topic that is relevant to you.
When choosing a textbook, you should also consider the business area you need. By studying business English with a teacher, he will help you place all the accents correctly and focus on the topics that you need, be it business, aviation or agriculture.
Do you need a mentor? Of course no one can say, for example, how to learn English words in 5 minutes;) But m We will select the best teacher who will lead you to results. Set goals and achieve them! Nothing is unattainable, the main thing is to set your priorities correctly and understand what to work on.
Good luck on your way to perfection!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Basic English is worth loving if only for the fact that to study it you only need to learn 850 words. Oddly enough, this amount is quite enough to communicate easily and naturally with a resident of any English-speaking country. Of course, if you need English to become a translator or read Wilkie Collins in the original, then welcome to the philology department or very serious courses. However, if your goal is simply to own international language, then welcome to this article!
For greater simplicity, the 850 words are divided into main groups:
1) objects and phenomena (600 words, of which 400 are general, and 200 are designations of objects);
2) action or movement (100 words);
3) expression of quality (150 words, of which 100 are general and 50 with the opposite meaning).
Particularly pleasing is the fact that out of 850 basic words, 514 have only one syllable! This is not a conservationalist or anything worse. Are you already rubbing your palms in anticipation of the Basic dictionary? Please.
1. OBJECTS AND PHENOMENA
If you follow the “from simple to complex” method, then the minimum vocabulary can be learned from picture words. There are 200 of them. You can put stickers all over the apartment (if the household doesn’t go crazy taking an apple with an “apple” piece of paper from the refrigerator). Or cut out pictures from books. Or download the images on the Internet and print them with captions (by the way, you can flip through them in queues or traffic jams). And here is a ready-made list with pictures on Wikipedia.
1.1. 200 picture words:
It is most convenient and quick to divide these basic words into 6 groups according to their meaning: body parts, food, animals, transport, objects, etc. If you study at least 2 groups every day, then in three days you can master the basic vocabulary. The main thing is not to lose your knowledge and consolidate it in practice. Any acquaintance who agrees to become an angry examiner or pretends to be a know-nothing who is interested in everything is suitable for this.
U:
umbrella - umbrella
1.2. 400 common words:
To make it easier to learn this sequence, let's not reinvent the wheel. You can, of course, suffer and divide all the words into semantic groups, but there will be so many of them that some will only fit one or two terms. It's easier to learn in alphabet. For each letter there are about a dozen words. If you bend over a piece of paper for 10 minutes at least three times a day, you can learn at least 3 letters a day. The maximum depends on your goals and desires.
| page - page pain - pain, cause pain paint - paint, draw, paint paper - paper part - part, separate, divide paste - stick, paste payment - payment peace - peace person - person place - place, place, take place, place plant - plant, plant, graft, sow |
play - play pleasure - pleasure point - point, point, indicate poison - poison, poison polish - polish porter - porter, porter position - place, position powder - powder power - strength, power price - price print - print |
process - process, process produce - product, produce profit - profit, make a profit property - properties prose - prose protest - object, protest pull - tension, pull punishment - punishment purpose - intend, purpose push - push, push |
| quality - quality, quality | question - question |
| salt - salt, salt sand - sand scale - measure, scale science - science sea - sea seat - seat, seat, place secretary - secretary selection - choice self - himself sense - feeling, meaning, sense, feel servant - servant sex - sex, gender shade - tint, shadow, shade shake - shake, shake, tremble, shake shame - disgrace, dishonor shock - shock, shock side - side, adjoin sign - sign, sign, sign silk - silk silver - silver |
sister - sister size - size sky - sky sleep - sleep slip - miss, blank, slip, slide slope - tilt, bow smash - blow, break smell - smell, smell smile - smile, smile smoke - smoke, smoke sneeze - sneeze, sneeze snow - snow soap - soap, soap society - society son - son song - song sort - view, sort sound - sound soup - soup space - space, space |
stage - stage, scene, organize start - to begin statement - statement steam - steam, steam, move steel - steel step - step, walk stitch - stitch, stitch stone - stone stop - stop, stop story - history stretch - segments, stretch, extend structure - structure substance - substance, essence sugar - sugar suggestion - suggestion, guess summer - summer support - support, support surprise - surprise swim - swimming, swimming system - system |
Y:
year - year
2. ACTIONS AND MOVEMENT (100 words)
To this list miraculously included words that, it would seem, do not fit the concept of “action” at all: pronouns, polite phrases. Well, what did you want? Try asking someone to make a move without "please let him go northeast for the asterisk."
You can learn in alphabetical order. And it can be divided into parts of speech: verbs, pronouns, prepositions, etc. Prepositions are easy to remember if you use a diagram. Draw a square on a piece of paper in the very center and use dots or arrows to indicate movement. For example, the preposition in is translated as “in” - put a dot in the square and sign it in. And, for example, out is translated as “from” - put an arrow from the square.
| come - to come, to arrive get - receive, force give - give go - walk, go keep - continue, keep, leave, prevent let - allow make - do/make, force put - place seem - seem, introduce yourself take - take/take be - to be do - do have - to have, eat, know say - talk see - to see send - send may - be able will - want to be about - about across - through after - after against - against among - among at - in before - before between - between by - to, in accordance with, for, on down - down from - from in - in off - away, from on - on over - by through - through |
to - to, before, in under - under up - up with - with as - since, as for - for of - from, oh, from till - bye, until than - than a - any, one, each, some the all - everything, all any - anyone, no one every - everyone no - no, no other - different some - some, a little such - such, in this way that - what this - this, this i - I he - he you - you, you who - who and - and because - because but - ah, but or - or if - if though - although while - while how - how when - when where - where, where, from where |
why - why again - again ever - ever, never far - the farthest forward - send, forward here - here, here near - nearby, about now - now, now out - outside, outside still - still then - then there - there, there together - together well - good, much almost - almost enough - enough even - yet, even little - small much - a lot not - not only - only quite - quite so - so very - very tomorrow - tomorrow yesterday - yesterday north - north south - south east - east west - west please - please yes - yes |
3. EXPRESSION OF QUALITY (150 WORDS)
3.1. General (100 words)
This is probably the most enjoyable part of the vocabulary. Without adjectives, the language would be too bland and formal. You can learn in alphabetical order. Or you can find images of objects or photographs of people and write on back side whatever you think about them. Don't be shy in your expressions. The more adjectives you use from the list, the faster you will learn.
| important - important |
3.2. Opposites (50 words)
The easiest way to quickly master words is to find antonyms. You've already said everything about different people on photos? Change your perspective and use opposite adjectives. Or simply write down first the quality designation from paragraph 3.1., and after a hyphen - the opposite meaning from paragraph 3.2.
That's all. Congratulations! You have a basic vocabulary. And it will be quite enough for communication. All that remains is to learn how to put these most necessary words into sentences. Welcome to Grammar!
