How to memorize new words better?

If I started selling a new app or a course about my secrets to memorizing lots of new words quickly in more than 20 languages, a lot people would buy.

Everybody is looking for a way to memorize lots of new words quickly. In my experience, there is no need for special techniques. The key is avoiding some basic mistakes most language learners make. For many, language learning is based on the assumption that the first and most important thing is that you learn as many new words as possible.

This is like if you want to build lots of muscle mass and the only thing you do is swallowing big quantities of protein powder, without ever exercising.

Here is some inconvenient truth:

- The key in speaking a language is to learn how to correctly and flexibly combine words. You can express many things with relatively few words. On the other hand, knowing lots of words and not being able to combine them, you remain mute.

- There is no problem with forgetting words. Our brain “forgets” for a reason. It means that, deep down, we understand that the words we are learning are only superficially important. The words we are trying to memorize via an app or a list have little practical relevance to our real life.

- We have learned most of the vocabulary in our native languages unintentionally. We have not learned words via apps or word lists. We have learned words by inferring their meaning from the context. We have started to communicate with the few words we had, trying to use them in as many combinations as possible.

What is the solution?

- Limit the number of new words you memorize. Memorize instead basic structures of sentences and apply those words to them.

- Learn new words according to your current situation in life. What would be the first ten words you needed to survive in a foreign country? After that, what would be the next 10 most important words?

- Start communicating from Day 1, even if it is just recording yourself on your phone.

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Gerhard Ohrband is a psychologist, book author and language teacher from Hamburg/Germany. Starting as a shy student, he currently speaks over 21 languages and assists business executives and companies in developing better international communication skills.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerhardohrband/ 

Want to get rid of insecurity and bad feelings regarding the foreign language(s) you have already started to learn? Want to learn a new language, without going through various levels of standard courses? You feel you are making no progress?

Go to Amazon and grab a copy of my classic book ”The GO Method – breaking barriers to language learning”.

https://www.amazon.com/GO-Method-Breaking-barriers-language/dp/1973118688/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZLMGYKR6PDY3&keywords=Gerhard+Ohrband&qid=1694099394&sprefix=gerhard+ohrband+%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-1

 

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