{"id":2574,"date":"2014-10-08T08:17:35","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T12:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/?p=2574"},"modified":"2020-10-02T13:13:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T17:13:54","slug":"7-ways-to-memorize-a-language-and-still-understand-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/2014\/10\/08\/7-ways-to-memorize-a-language-and-still-understand-it\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Memorize a Language and Still Understand It"},"content":{"rendered":"

We published a SlideShare<\/a> earlier this month discussing \u201c8 Mistakes that Haunt Language Learners\u201d. One of these mistakes is worth a deeper look\u2014the concept of memorizing what needs to be understood. <\/strong>It\u2019s a big problem for anyone who wants to learn a language quickly, but more importantly sustain it over time and use it fluidly.<\/p>\n

So what, exactly, is the problem with memorizing versus understanding? When it comes to learning a language, there\u2019s quite a bit of memorization to be done. The problem arises when learners try to memorize too much<\/em>. \u00a0Mindless drilling only helps us gather information in the short-term\u2014like cramming exhaustively the day before a test, only to forget everything immediately after we put our pencil down.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a>

Image by Deb Stgo on Flickr.com under CC BY 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning a language presents a similar struggle. You can memorize hundreds of words, but that won\u2019t help you form logical sentences, understand slang and expressions, or apply grammar rules. So, what can you do to ensure that you\u2019re actually understanding what you\u2019re learning?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Memorize what needs to be memorized. <\/strong>Some pieces of a language can and should<\/em> be committed to memory through good ole\u2019 repetition. Build up your vocabulary using spaced repetition\u2014a learning technique that involves spacing out review of learned material over time to improve retention. If you need some help, Transparent Language Online<\/a> employs a spaced repetition algorithm, and will present you with lesser-known material for review more frequently than mastered material.<\/p>\n

Look for patterns. <\/strong>While you\u2019re acquiring vocabulary, be on the lookout for patterns, or disruptions to patterns. For example, you might notice that the adjective \u201cbleu\u201d (blue) in French is spelled \u201cbleue<\/strong>\u201d. There is a reason for this: French adjectives agree with the gender of the modified noun. Understanding this concept will help you apply this rule across the board to every adjective, preventing you from having to memorize each and every instance where you need to append an extra -e. Look for these types of patterns, and seek out explanations.<\/p>\n

Use mnemonics and tricks. <\/strong>My high school French teacher used the acronym \u201cBAGS\u201d to help us remember which kinds of adjectives come before a noun (whereas the typical adjective would come after). Ten years later, I can still tell you that adjectives describing b<\/em>eauty, a<\/em>ge, g<\/em>oodness, or s<\/em>ize come before the noun. Apparently, the acronym worked. Using mnemonic devices, acronyms, songs, and other \u201ctricks\u201d are still a form of memorizing, but they\u2019re not mindless<\/em>. Reading idly about adjective placement over and over won\u2019t help you remember which ones go where. Coming up with a simple acronym like BAGS forces you to really think<\/em> about what you\u2019re reading and actively design a way to remember it.<\/p>\n

Engage your senses. <\/strong>According to Edgar Dale\u2019s Cone of Experience, we retain about 10% of what we read and 20% of what we hear, but up to 90% of what we say and do. The more actively involved you are with the material you\u2019re learning, the more likely you are to retain it. When you\u2019re studying, go beyond textbooks. Look for resources that involve audio, images, and interactivity. Read or speak out loud\u2014with a foreign language, the benefits are twofold: speaking the words out loud will help you remember them and<\/em> give you a chance to practice pronunciation<\/a>. Make gestures or facial expressions to act out what you\u2019re learning\u2014getting physical<\/a> will create a mind-body connection that reinforces the words and phrases you\u2019re learning.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>

Image by Jeffrey Anderson on Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0<\/p><\/div>\n

Explain the concept to someone else. <\/strong>Remember, we can recall up to 90% of what we do<\/em>, and what better way to put a language to use than by spreading it around! One of the most powerful ways to check your comprehension is to explain a concept to someone else. Discussing a grammar rule or pattern out loud will help you remember it, and having a friend or family member<\/a> there to listen will give you a memory to associate with that concept. It will also help you identify concepts you don\u2019t know quite as well\u2014if you can\u2019t easily explain it to someone else, chances are you don\u2019t understand it fully yourself.<\/p>\n

Be interested. <\/strong>One of the reasons so many students face the cram-and-forget dilemma mentioned above is simply that they\u2019re uninterested in the material. Edward Bolles, author of \u201cRemembering and Forgetting,\u201d puts it best: “We remember what we understand; we understand only what we pay attention to; we pay attention to what we want.” So, don\u2019t force yourself to study when you\u2019re tired, distracted, or unmotivated\u2014you won\u2019t remember much of it anyway. If you really want to remember what you\u2019re cramming in to your brain, you need to be present, interested, and excited to learn it.<\/p>\n

Review often. <\/strong>This may be the advice you were dreading all along, but there\u2019s really no way around this one\u2014you need to review what you\u2019ve learned. Plain and simple. Fortunately, we\u2019ve done some leg work to make language review a lot easier for you. Transparent Language Online<\/a>\u00a0includes a language retention system, which we call \u201cLearned Words and Phrases\u201d.Our program automatically keeps track of learned content that you haven\u2019t seen in a while, and brings it back into later sessions.\u00a0 If you demonstrate that you still know it, it is tucked away for a future check.\u00a0 If you struggle with it, Learned Words and Phrases\u00a0refreshes it and notes that for future checks.<\/p>\n

So, there you have it. Learning a language takes a lot of work, but that work doesn\u2019t need to involve hours and hours of mindless memorization. Seek out resources that you find fun, resources that engage you in listening, reading, writing, and speaking the language, and resources that make it easy for you to review and retain what you\u2019ve learned. Want more advice on this topic? Download our FREE eBook:<\/b><\/p>\n

\"ebook\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

We published a SlideShare earlier this month discussing \u201c8 Mistakes that Haunt Language Learners\u201d. One of these mistakes is worth a deeper look\u2014the concept of memorizing what needs to be understood. It\u2019s a big problem for anyone who wants to learn a language quickly, but more importantly sustain it over time and use it fluidly…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":2875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[542801],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2574","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archived-posts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7002,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions\/7002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/language-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}