Hi there! It's Luca, from MosaLingua. Today, I'd like to talk about how to not
forget the words and sentences you've learned in a foreign language.
I have tested many techniques to avoid forgetting vocabulary of the languages I speak,
so in this video I'm very excited to share the very best methods I've found
for making vocabulary stick.
Here at MosaLingua we insist a lot on the importance of dedicating time to learning
the most common words and phrases of your target language.
But there is no point in putting a lot of effort into memorizing new words only to forget them, right?
So let me start with the first strategy to make these words stick in your brain.
First of all you need to review what you learn as many times as possible. The sad truth is that your
memory can be unreliable. So, when you memorize a new word, your job is not done.
Luckily, there is a powerful technique to make sure you remember what you learn
in the long run. Its the Spaced Repetition System, or SRS. This method makes you
review what you learned about 8 hours later, then 1 day later, again 8 days later, and so on.
After many review sessions, the words
you've learned finally make their way into your long-term memory, and once they're there
you're a lot less likely to forget them. So review, review, and review again,
using the Spaced Repetition System, if possible. By the way, I recorded a whole
video about the SRS. Have a look at it, if you are interested in learning more
about how it works. The link is in the description below.
Another powerful technique you can use to make vocabulary stick is to start using what you've
learned right away. So if you learned a new word or expression, try to work it into your conversations.
I usually start by talking to myself. So I imagine a situation in which I could use that particular
word or sentence, and then I act it out aloud to force myself to use it.
The next step is to write it down so when you speak with a tutor or a language partner,
you can have a look at your notes and use the word or sentence you've learned.
It's so powerful, so even if it seems a bit artificial, I encourage you to give it a try.
Our brains are all about connections, so another excellent way of remembering
what you learn is helping your brain make connections between everything you learn.
When you learn a new word, make sure you think about how it is related
to other words in the same family or other words you already know. You can even do it
with a similar word in another language. I'll give you a quick example:
when I learned the expression "Bis bald" in German (meaning "see you soon"),
I immediately made a connection between the word "bald" ("soon" in German) and a
similar word in English. So, when I was repeating this sentence, I imagined
saying goodbye to a friend of mine who happens to be completely bald!
You can get very creative with it and you'll soon notice how powerful this technique is.
It's always a pleasure when I recognize a word I've learned in something I'm reading or listening to.
It helps give me more context and, of course, review what I've learned.
So if you want to remember the vocabulary you learned,
do read and listen to a lot of material in your target language.
The more you practice, the more likely you are to stumble upon the vocab you've learned.
This is also very useful because it shakes up your practice routines.
In the book "Make It Stick," Peter Brown writes that you need to vary your
practice to remember things better. And it makes sense, because when you practice
with different types of activities, you involve all your memories: visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
As they say, "practice makes perfect."
I read many books about how we learn, and something that comes up a lot is the importance of sleep.
While we're asleep, our brain reorganizes what it has learned
and establishes those important connections I already mentioned.
The first tip I can give you is to get enough sleep. Apart from a small minority, everyone needs
at least 7 hours per night. But many experts say that 8 hours is much better.
My second tip is to review the words and phrases you learned just before going to sleep.
Like that, you remind your brain to work on them during the night.
So learn new vocab in the morning and review it in the evening.
These are the techniques that have been most effective for me, so I really recommend
giving them a try if you want to be sure to never forget the vocabulary you learn.
Have a look below, because we put some links to other videos about vocabulary,
including how many words you need to speak a foreign language
or how to memorize vocabulary fast.
That's all for today! Take care!
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See you next time!