So many English students waste time trying to memorise long lists of English words and phrases. They repeat the lists many times, trying to memorise each word or phrase and their translations. Unfortunately, research shows that 80% of vocabulary learnt this way is forgotten in less than a year. Think about it, that’s a lot of time and effort wasted.
There is another problem with this learning method, it’s boring and it lowers motivation. As a student, you must be careful, killing your motivation is the worst thing you can do. Learning English is a long journey. It requires high levels of motivation that you need to keep for many years. Therefore, using boring vocabulary learning methods is doubly bad: it doesn’t work and it weakens your motivation. There is a better way, as my students in my classes have found out. It is possible to learn vocabulary in a way that is more powerful and a lot more fun. When you learn in this way you will be able to remember 80% of the words and phrases a year later. Now that’s powerful!
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The key to deep and powerful, long term vocabulary is movement. When you combine physical movements with new vocabulary, you create a better connection in your brain that helps you to remember that word for the long term. It’s important to use a movement that reminds you of the new vocabulary. I realised how powerful this was when I was learning Spanish. Every time I learnt a new word, phrase etc. I would assign a movement to each word. I also used this method when I taught children and young adults in the classroom. There are two good points to this method, one is it’s fun and two, it really does work. The next time you learn a new word or phrase create an action that reminds you of it. You might put your hands up or clap your hands whatever, when you do the action shout the word out loud as you do the movement. The louder you shout or make your movement more energetic you will create a stronger connection to that word or phrase.
Remember that English is a performance skill, not a subject you study. The more you use your body while learning the more success you will achieve. Another simple way to use your body is to walk while learning English. Listen to a podcast or a radio show while you go for a walk. As you walk you’re your heart will pump more blood to your brain. You’ll feel more energy and you will be able to concentrate more. You will probably enjoy learning more too. You do not need to sit still in a chair while you learn. You do not need to remain silent. You do not need to feel bored and tired. As an independent learner, you are free to learn in a way that is most effective and enjoyable for you.
Try this method, I guarantee you will see a difference in your ability to remember new vocabulary.
Try this method, I guarantee you will see a difference in your ability to remember new vocabulary.
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