How to learn English words: hard and easy ways. How to memorize English words? How to quickly learn English words? Learn English words

Learning English words is much easier than you think. If you do not agree with this, then, apparently, because at school you were forced to cram columns of words that were difficult to remember, but were forgotten the next day. Fortunately, now with the help of simple tricks, tutorials and easily accessible materials in English, learning words is a pleasure.

Learning English words and learning a language are not the same thing.

First of all, we note that learning a language is not limited to memorizing words. Yes, you cannot throw words out of the language, but their interaction in speech occurs according to the rules of grammar. In addition, grammar will not be “brought to life” without practice in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Some of the techniques listed below involve memorizing words precisely in the context of live speech.

Cards with words

Ordinary cardboard cards are a powerful tool for memorizing words. Cut out cards of a convenient size from thick cardboard, write English words or phrases on one side, Russian on the other and repeat.

For greater efficiency, take sets of 15-30 cards and learn words in two directions - English-Russian and Russian-English - in four stages:

  1. Introduction to words. Look through the cards, pronouncing the words aloud, trying to imagine the objects, actions and even abstractions they represent. Don't try to memorize the words thoroughly, just get to know them, pick them up on the memory hook. Some of the words will be remembered already at this stage, but not reliably.
  2. Repetition of English - Russian. Looking at the English side, remember the Russian translation. Go through the deck until you can guess all the words (usually 2-4 runs). Be sure to shuffle the cards! Memorizing words in a list is inefficient, largely due to the fact that words are remembered in a certain order. Cards do not have this disadvantage.
  3. Repetition of Russian - English. The same, but from Russian to English. This task is a bit more difficult, but 2-4 passes will suffice.
  4. Consolidation. At this stage, mark the time with a stopwatch. Drive the deck as quickly as possible, achieving instant recognition of the word without hesitation. Do 2-4 rounds, trying to get the stopwatch to show less time with each round. Don't forget to shuffle the cards. Words can be driven in both directions or in one direction (preferably in Russian-English, as it is more difficult). At this stage, you will achieve instant, without mental translation, recognition of the word.

It is not necessary to make cards out of cardboard, there are convenient programs for creating electronic cards, such as Quizlet. Using this service, you can make voiced cards, add pictures to them, teach in different modes, including games.

Spaced repetition method

The method consists in repeating words with the help of cards, but at some intervals. It is believed that by following a certain repetition algorithm, the student fixes information in long-term memory. If the information is not repeated, it will be forgotten as unnecessary.

The most popular program for memorizing words using the spaced repetition method is Anki. Create a deck of words, and the application itself will select partially forgotten material and offer to repeat it at a certain frequency.

The convenience is that you only need to load the words, and the program itself will tell you when and what to repeat. But sometimes there is simply no need for an interval method. If you learn collections of such common words as days of the week and months, verbs of motion, vehicles, then there is no need to repeat them according to a special algorithm: they will already occur very often in the textbook, when reading, in speech.

Memorizing words while reading in English

It makes sense to learn words with the help of cards when the vocabulary is still insufficient even to understand the simplest texts. If you do not yet know such basic vocabulary as days of the week, colors, verbs of motion, politeness formulas, then it is convenient to lay the foundation of vocabulary by memorizing words from cards. According to linguists, the minimum vocabulary for understanding simple texts and speech is about 2-3 thousand words.

But, if you can already, try to write out words from the text while reading. It will not be just vocabulary taken from a dictionary, but living words, surrounded by context, associatively tied to the plot, the content of the text.

Do not write down all unfamiliar words in a row. Write down useful words and phrases, as well as words without understanding which it is impossible to understand even the main meaning. Write out only a few words per page to reduce distractions from reading. After reading an article or a chapter of a book, words can be quickly repeated.

They can greatly simplify and speed up the memorization of words. For example, when reading texts online, you can save words with a translation with one click and then repeat them using the Leo Translator browser extension.

Memorization of words from video and audio recordings

If during reading it is easy to underline or write out a word, then with a film or audio recording it is more difficult. But listening (listening) for learning vocabulary is no less interesting than books. In the live speech of native speakers, there are fewer bookish, little-used words and more popular colloquial phrases. In addition, listening develops not only vocabulary, but also the ability to understand speech by ear.

The easiest way to learn English from movies and audio recordings is to simply watch or listen without being distracted by writing out words. This is the easiest approach, but this way you are unlikely to learn something new, just reinforce already familiar words well (which is also important).

If you write out and then repeat new words, then you will not only enjoy the movie, but also replenish your vocabulary. Of course, while watching, it is very inconvenient to be distracted by pressing pause and writing out words, but you can take short notes, and then return to them and analyze the material in more detail. As with reading, you do not need to write down all the incomprehensible words in a row.

It is much easier to engage in audio and video with the help of special sites. The popular online services LinguaLeo and Puzzle English are most suitable for this, which use a special interface for easy video viewing with the ability to quickly (click on a word in subtitles) translate and save words.

Memorizing words while writing and speaking

Reading and listening are passive speech activities, speech perception. Written and spoken language is the active use of language. When you write or speak, vocabulary develops differently: you have to practice using the words you already know, moving them from a passive vocabulary (at the level of understanding) to an active one.

When writing, whether it's an essay or informal chatting, you have to constantly choose words and try to express your thoughts more clearly, more accurately. Often there is a situation when you want to say something, but do not know the right word or expression. With the help of a dictionary, it is not difficult to find it, but do not let this valuable find be forgotten right there - write down such small discoveries and repeat in your free time. Practice in active speech activity helps to identify such gaps.

During an oral conversation, of course, you won’t be able to look into the dictionary, but conversational practice makes you practice already familiar words and constructions. You have to strain your memory, remember everything that is stored even in its most distant corners in order to express a thought. Speaking practice for learning a language is like training for the body: you strengthen, develop your “language form” by translating words from a passive stock into an active one.

Conclusion

The first two methods - cards and spaced repetitions - are suitable for memorizing collections of words, for example, "In the city", "Clothes" and so on. Methods from the third to the fifth are designed for memorizing words during speech practice.

If you want words not only to be remembered but also not forgotten, practice reading and listening regularly. Having met a familiar word several times in a living context, you will remember it forever. If you want to not only have a passive vocabulary, but also express your thoughts freely -. So you will turn dry knowledge into confident skills. After all, we do not learn languages ​​in order to know them, but in order to use them.

Do you want to learn how to learn English words quickly and easily? We will tell you how many words you need to know, where to get them from, what tools to use and how to learn all this in general. Use at least a few tips and you can expand your vocabulary.

All students are interested in the question: "How to learn English words?" The more vocabulary we know, the better we understand what the heroes of our favorite English films are talking about, what is written on the Tate Modern museum plaques, and how favorable the terms of the transaction are offered by our partners from the USA. Today we will give some recommendations that will help you learn new vocabulary effectively.

How many English words do you need to know

We recommend that you take the Online English Vocabulary Size Test (immediately click on the Start button) or Test Your Vocab to test your vocabulary. It will show your approximate vocabulary which you can compare with the average scores of native speakers and English learners. On average 3,000 - 4,000 words will be enough to communicate on most topics.

However, we want to warn you: do not rely entirely on the results of the test. It can only give a rough estimate of your vocabulary.

2. Special textbooks

Textbooks to increase vocabulary will help you learn new words and set expressions in which they are used. The benefits of manuals are that they provide lists of words along with examples of their use, so words are learned in context. We have presented a detailed one, be guided by it to choose the best manual.

3. Lists or dictionaries of high-frequency words

How to understand whether it is worth memorizing the next new English word that you met? It may have fallen into disuse or is rarely used. You can refer to lists of words that are most commonly used by native speakers. We recommend you lists from the Oxford Dictionary - The Oxford 3000 British Dictionary and The Oxford 3000 American Dictionary. These are the 3,000 most important words any English learner should know. They have been carefully selected by linguists and experienced teachers. You can recognize these words in the Oxford dictionary itself by the key icon.

Tools for learning new words

1. Cards with words

This technique may seem old-fashioned, but it is still effective. All students at least once in their lives started cards and tried to learn new vocabulary from them. It is convenient and affordable: no need to spend money, because you write them yourself, and you can take the cards with you anywhere.

Before compiling cards, you need to help:

  • choose a translation;
  • get acquainted with typical phrases in which the word is used;
  • study examples.

Then you should decide whether you will make paper vocabulary cards or electronic ones.

  • On one side of the piece of paper we write the word in English, on the other - in Russian. We test our knowledge: we translate a word from Russian into English and vice versa.

  • On the one hand, we write a word in English and paste a picture, on the other hand, a translation into Russian. This method is well suited for people with associative thinking. In your mind, you associate a new English concept with the subject it denotes.

  • On the one hand, we write a word in English with a Russian context, on the other hand, a word in Russian without a context. When repeating vocabulary, try to translate the concept from Russian into English. And with the translation in the opposite direction, the second side of the card with the Russian context will help you.

  • More experienced students are advised to use English-English dictionaries, such as Macmillan Dictionary. On one side we write the word in English, on the other - its definition in English. You can also write synonyms and antonyms of the concept under study.

  • How to learn vocabulary? Remembering English words is best in context. Therefore, you can write on the card not just a word, but a sentence in which it is used. Example sentences can be found in electronic dictionaries, such as ABBYY Lingvo.

Electronic cards

If it's hard to tear you away from the computer, use your affection for good: create virtual stickers with words on your desktop and in a few days you will remember them well.

To create electronic vocabulary cards, we recommend the Quizlet service, which allows you to memorize words in different ways: choose the correct translation from four proposed ones, fill in gaps in sentences and play games with words. Here you can also track your progress: which words are harder for you than others, how quickly you learn new vocabulary. There is an app for iOS as well. An alternative resource is Memrise. Its free version has limited functionality, but it will be enough for compiling flashcards.

You need to constantly work with cards: review and repeat the learned vocabulary. Periodically change the cards to new ones, and after 1-2 weeks return the old ones again to repeat the words.

2. Dictionary notebook

This method is good for those who constantly lose something: your cards are unlikely to last long :-)

You can structure your notebook however you like. We present our version. Each page must correspond to a specific day. At the top, write the dates of the repetition of the words. In order for the studied vocabulary to be well fixed in memory, do not forget to train it. To do this, use the techniques described by us in the article "".

3. Mind map

You can easily learn English words of the same subject if you draw a mind map. Such a scheme clearly shows which topic the words belong to. In the meantime, you draw it, the vocabulary will be deposited in memory. A mind map might look like this:

4. Learning websites and apps

On the way to work in the subway or in line at the clinic, use any free minute to learn new words. You will find useful programs for your gadget in the article "".

It is enough to practice 10-20 minutes daily to feel the progress.

1. Combine words by topic

How easy is it to remember English words? Groups of words related to the same topic are usually well remembered. Therefore, try to break the words into groups of 5-10 pieces and learn them.

There is a so-called Restorff effect, according to which the human brain best remembers the most prominent from a group of objects. Use this effect to your advantage: in a group of words on one topic, “introduce a stranger” - enter a word from a completely different topic. For example, when studying words on the topic “Fruits”, add one word from the topic “Transport” to them, in this way your studies will become even more effective.

2. Use associations and personalization

Many students love this method: to learn a word, you need to come up with an association in Russian. For example, you need to remember the word obstinacy (stubbornness). Break it down into three syllables: ob-stin-acy, you get "stubborn as a donkey against a wall." The word shoot (to shoot) can be remembered as "the jester shoots." You can make convenient associations yourself, the main thing is that they are clear to you and easy to remember. This will make it easier for you to increase your English vocabulary.

Training will be effective if you not only make a verbal association, but also visualize it: when pronouncing the word shoot, imagine this shooting jester, let the image turn out to be as funny and memorable as possible. Even better, a dynamic picture with your personal presence: you imagine how the jester next to you shoots someone (with a water pistol to make the spectacle comedic, not tragic). The more alive the picture, the easier it will be to remember the word.

3. Use the learned vocabulary in speech

How to learn English words and not forget them? Are you familiar with the use it or lose it principle? In order for knowledge to remain in memory, you need to actively “use” it. It is good practice to make short stories using new words. The best remembered vocabulary is set out in a short funny text, which is written about oneself, beloved or dear to the heart of things.

If you take courses or study with an English teacher, try to insert new words into the conversation as often as possible: the more times you say the word, the better you will remember it. Do not forget about spelling: try to use new words in writing.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

Tell me and I will forget. Teach me and I will remember. Make me do it and I'll learn.

Learn new words and put them into practice right away with .

4. Regularly test your knowledge

It is useful from time to time to take various tests to determine the level of vocabulary. For example, great picture tests (a joy for visuals and kids) are provided on the Vocabulary for learners of English page. After passing such a test, you will immediately see what is deposited in your memory, and which topics or words need to be repeated.

5. Follow your daily plan

7. Improve your memory

It is impossible to remember anything if you do not have a good memory. Learning a language in itself is a good exercise for our brain and improves memory. But to make it easier to remember, you can use the tips from our article "".

8. Consider your type of perception of information

Not all methods are equally good for you. Don't try to apply everything at once. Try text, video, or audio formats and choose the ones that help you pick up new words faster. So you will come to your author's mix of techniques.

The main thing - do not forget to move from theory to practice. Not only read useful tips on how to memorize English words quickly and easily, but also actively use them in everyday life, then you will not have to puzzle over how to improve your knowledge.

Do you count cards and notebooks with the words "yesterday"? Then try to learn words according to the current British textbooks in the online English courses at our school. Our students learn words and phrases in context, use them in a lively dialogue with the teacher, memorize new vocabulary easily and quickly. !

The main problem in learning any foreign language is the memorization of words. To solve this problem quickly and memorize many structures, the student takes up to 80% of the time and effort to master the active minimum. At this stage, the task of setting up a competent pronunciation, quick and correct reading, and developing the skill of listening to foreign speech is solved. learning English words Starting to learn English, a person, first of all, asks a series of questions: how to make learning easier and more efficient, how to memorize English words quickly, how to learn a lot of words? Of course, modern linguists and polyglots have created a lot of ways to learn hundreds and thousands of lexemes at once, many phrases, speech turns quickly.

I will tell you about the most popular ways to learn something:

  • Associations
  • memorization

The association method is very simple. For each English word or concept, a Russian word similar in sound is selected: lemon - lemon, nose - nose, tangerine - tangerine or mandarin. Our language even has words borrowed from foreign speech, and they have long been familiar to you: airport - airport, recruit - recruit, recruit, autobus - bus, aviation - aviation. Some neologisms also took English terms as a basis: browser, internet, monitor, office, printer.

Therefore, you will always find something to associate with those concepts that you have to learn. In addition, a large number of English characters, as in Russian, consist of two bases:

  • Overall - everywhere: over - over, over, excessively all - everything, entirely
  • Thunderstorm - thunderstorm: thunder - thunder storm - storm, storm (storm with thunder)
  • Exchange - exchange: ex - former change - replacement, change
  • Watermelon - watermelon: water - water melon - melon (water melon)

You can also associate situations. For example, to remember the word "fist" (fist), imagine a large pistachio that you crush with your fist.
memorizing words in English As for memorizing by heart, it is effective in two cases - if words are classified by consonance, when a group of words is similar in the first or last words. Or teach constructions in the second way - according to the thematic classification, which is closer to me personally. The same group includes the most used words and phrases. However, hard-to-remember words are better to quickly fix in memory by choosing a consonant analogue.

How to learn 100 words a day?

The process is best divided into 2 stages.

  • Divide all the concepts that you are going to learn according to one of the classifications: theme, consonance, associations
  • Take the first hundred with translation in Russian
  • Divide this portion into 5 equal portions
  • Several times, before memorizing, read the first 20 in order, trying to remember the translation at the same time
  • Don't spend more than 2 seconds learning one word
  • Close the translation with a piece of paper
  • Test yourself
    • By tapping the rhythm to yourself with a pencil or using a metronome (1 sec), achieve recognition of each word in time with a rhythmic beat
    • Immediately go to the next portion - learn the next 20
    • Repeat the steps and so on until the end of 100
    • The clock should be in front of your eyes. Note the time it took you to learn each twenty
    • Perform an easy check of all hundred
    • Just read the words you were taught
    • Use a template: close the translation, leaving the original

learning English words Notes:

  • Don't look back, repeat the words all the time and increase your daily portion
  • The portion size should be increased gradually - from 100 to 500, from 500 to 1000. However, first make sure that the technique is right for you and really helps you
  • You need to learn only in one direction - that is, when you see an English word, remember Russian, and not vice versa
  • The first 20 may take longer than the other group due to novelty
  • Memorizing a large number of words quickly does not mean learning a language, you need to learn how to use them correctly in colloquial speech
  • But knowledge of English phrases is the basis for further study of the English language.

The rapid study of English words should also be in parallel with the development of skills and abilities for constructing sentences, listening to English speech and setting the correct pronunciation. So have a good start!

Has it ever happened that you learn a set of new words in English, repeat them several times, listen to the transcription and look at examples of use, but when you need to remember this word after some time, it does not pop up in your head instantly? It seems to be “spinning on the tongue”, but it’s impossible to remember for sure.

Regular vocabulary replenishment and the study of thematic vocabulary is the key to a rich English language. But here's how to make sure that new words are deposited in memory for a long time?

Today we will share the secrets of how to learn and easily memorize English words.

How many words do you need to know

Before talking about techniques and techniques for memorization, I would like to say that learning English words and learning English is not the same thing. After all, the language is alive, it uses the rules of grammar, and the translation of the same word may vary depending on the context.

So even if you memorize ten thousand words from the Oxford Dictionary, there will be no sense if you cannot use them in live speech.

Naturally, the norms for knowledge of words for a native speaker and for a student of English as a foreign language are very different.

The average active vocabulary of an English speaker, which he regularly uses in everyday life, is from 10,000 to 20,000 words. But the passive stock can be from 50,000 to 100,000 words.

For those who study English as a foreign language, the numbers are quite different. So, for a general understanding of oral speech and superficial communication, knowledge of about 1000 high-frequency words will be enough. 3,000-4,000 words are enough to keep a conversation going on general topics and watching simple movies and series. But if you want to understand up to 100% of speech, you will need a reserve of about 20,000 words.

You can check your vocabulary with a special test:. His results are pretty accurate, especially if you answered honestly.

The number of words learned does not guarantee that you will communicate freely. It is important to approach vocabulary replenishment wisely: not to cram everything in a row, but to concentrate on the most frequently used words and thematic vocabulary.

Start by learning basic topics such as: family, home, work, city, weather, animals, food, travel, and so on.

The most frequently used words in English are called high frequency. You can take new vocabulary from ready-made lists of such words - then you will quickly master colloquial speech and be able to start applying new knowledge as early as possible.

Learning all the available sets of words is simply pointless. It is unlikely that you will need advanced medical terminology, unless you are going to build a career in the field of medicine. Similarly, if you need special words on a narrow topic, learn them. It is not necessary to know by heart all the terms and special vocabulary if you do not apply it in life.

Where to get new English words

The main source is thematic vocabulary. On the Internet and in teaching aids, you will find enough sets of words for different levels.

There are also special textbooks for increasing vocabulary and dictionaries of the most high-frequency words.

Progress does not stand still: many new words and slang expressions have appeared lately, and some have fallen into disuse. Keep your finger on the pulse and write down new words as you encounter them in TV series, movies, articles, podcasts and the media.

By the way, movies, series, articles and books are a great source of new words. Regular viewing of videos with subtitles is good because unfamiliar words are used in an interesting context for you, which means they are remembered faster. The same rule applies to printed materials: find articles on the topic of your profession or area of ​​interest, and also read your favorite books in the original.

How to quickly learn and memorize English words

Cards

The method of memorizing new words using cards has been used for a long time, but it does not lose its relevance. It is convenient and accessible to everyone. The meaning is simple: on one side of the card you write the word in English, and on the other - the translation. You can make cards yourself with only the vocabulary that you need, or use ready-made thematic sets.

For the best effect, choose cards with pictures. Visually, we remember information much easier, and in the future, the word will quickly come to mind if you just remember the picture.

Today, instead of ordinary paper cards, there are many mobile applications and web-based memorization simulators. It is enough to download the application to your smartphone. So the necessary virtual cards will always be at hand. The application itself will remind you which words you have already learned and which are worth looking at again, and will offer material for repetition.

Notebook

The old-fashioned way, which is still popular. Write down new words in special notebooks in two columns: word-translation.

The trick is that when you write, you remember not only the translation of the word, but also its correct spelling. Write down frequently used phrases with this word or set expressions here. In the future, with repetition, these phrases will be deposited in your head and will be easily remembered as soon as you imagine the word written in the notebook.

mind map

This method is suitable for those who love diagrams and drawing.

Highlight a few words on the topic. For example, house (house). Draw it in the center and make arrows to related words (in our case, rooms in the house). In different parts of the sheet, write: bathroom (bathroom), living room (living room), bedroom (bedroom), dining room (dining room). After, for each of the rooms, write a few words that apply to it. For example, bed (bed), pillow (pillow), sheets (sheets) - to the bedroom, and shower (shower), towel (towel), mirror (mirror) - to the bathroom.

Mentally walking along such a visual scheme, it will be easier for you to remember the words that belong to a particular category.

Rules for easy memorization of new words

Here are some useful tips and principles for those who want to quickly learn English words and not forget anything in a day.

Explore interesting topics

After learning a basic set of words, it is often tempting to learn something "that" in order to shine in a conversation with a foreigner. Yes, there are beautiful words, the use of which in speech can amaze the interlocutor. But, say, why do you need to know the word "lightning" in English if you do not know the word "speed"?

It has been proven that interesting information is better absorbed and remembered much faster. Therefore, learn those words that are in your area of ​​\u200b\u200binterest. Everyone needs a solid vocabulary base, but each of us has our own passions and hobbies, so collect more information on your favorite topic. Do you like sports? Then watch matches, listen to commentators and read articles on this topic. Do you like to photograph nature and travel? Then subscribe to popular bloggers or watch the National Geographic series of programs. Look for new interesting words where they are used.

You should not waste time memorizing those words that you rarely use even in your native language.

Learn words in context

It is not enough just to learn a new word - you also need to be able to apply it. Therefore, immediately look at the examples where it was used, in what context, for what purpose, and so on. Try to make up your sample sentences with a new word and find its use in speech. Imagine when and how you might need to use this word: come up with a situation and play it several times.

The golden rule here is to learn to ignore the words you don't need. When learning new vocabulary, there is a great temptation to learn it “in a crowd”, and this is not quite the right approach. When you encounter a new word, look through all the options for its use, but remember only the most frequently used ones.

Learn set phrases

Many beginners to learn English make the same mistake: first they build a sentence in Russian in their head, and then translate it. But the norms of our languages ​​are very different, and a foreigner may simply not understand what you mean.

Therefore, along with new words, memorize common collocations and their use in speech. So, “take a photo” in English will be “take a picture”, and not “do a photo”, as many would translate, and “break a record” - “break a record”, and not “beat a record”.

Remember opposites

Opposites not only attract, but are also better remembered. This technique is good to use when memorizing adjectives. For example, it is better to learn words in pairs along with antonyms: good-bad (good-bad), big-small (big-small), happy-angry (happy-evil) and so on.

Thanks to this technique, you will be able to remember not only the desired word, but also its antonym, which will immediately pop up in your memory.

Understand difficult words

Many foreign words consist of several simpler ones. Having met a difficult word, take it apart and see how they are translated separately. This will help you build associative links and make it easier to remember the word.

For example, the word microbiology (microbiology) consists of two words - micro (small) and biology (biology). It turns out that having analyzed this word, you will learn not one, but three new concepts at once.

Often, by analogy, you can guess how similar words will sound in English. To do this, make a list of common prefixes (un-, dis-, con-, micro-, etc.) and suffixes (-able, -ly, -ent, -tion, -ive, etc.) and remember what they mean. In the future, when you meet a new word, you can easily guess its meaning.

Don't Forget Grammar

As soon as you come across a new word, you need to not only parse it thoroughly, but also learn the grammatical rules that correspond to it. So, a new word may be just a different form of a word you already know.

Also, learn more verbs and memorize their situational use. For example, having learned the forms of irregular verbs according to the table of tenses, you will no longer know one word, but three.

Use Associations

Associative memory is a good thing. It helps to “pull out” the right word from the bins of consciousness without special work. Therefore, when studying, it is good to use flashcards with pictures.

This is especially important for abstract concepts, which are abundant in the language. If you learn words without pictures, imagine them in your head. You can mentally draw a word in the air, give it a color or some form.

By the way, the funnier the association, the faster the new word will be remembered. For example, the word clever is translated from English as “smart”, and in Russian it sounds like the name of a clover plant. Building a sentence: You’re so clever! (You are so smart!), and for a funny association in Russian, imagine it as “Well, you are a clover!”.

You can even make up a funny story or phrase with a new word. Choose the most unexpected combinations, and you will be surprised how easy they are to remember.

Use new words in speech

As Benjamin Franklin said: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn ”(Tell me - and I will forget. Teach me - and I will remember. Involve me - and I will learn).

One of the surest ways to quickly remember a new word is to find its use in everyday speech. If you attend courses or study with a teacher individually, use the words you just learned as often as possible. Specially build sentences with new words and do not forget about spelling: use the studied vocabulary in written English.

Make the process fun

Above, we have already talked about mobile applications and games for memorizing new words. Install this on your smartphone, make a selection of words that interest you and complete tasks regularly. These can be quick games with cards with translation in both directions, composing phrases with words, and so on.

Programs will help you identify words that are particularly difficult for you and will focus on learning them.

Do not forget about funny songs or rhymes to remember. Basically, they are used in children's education, but sometimes they help adults. In addition, you can always come up with your own funny rhyme to the word, which activates associative memory.

Consider your type of perception of information

Not everyone is equally well suited for the same ways of memorizing new English words. Choose an approach depending on your type of perception. There are three of them: auditory, visual and kinesthetic.

Audiobooks, music or podcasts are suitable for auditory. In order to memorize new words, auditory learners need to read them aloud, repeat and analyze them several times.

Visuals are best suited for the method with cards, as well as other pictures, tables and visual materials. They are better off watching movies and series with subtitles, and also follow the accompanying text when listening to podcasts.

It is easier for kinesthetic learners to memorize new words by writing them down on paper. Active gestures come to the aid of this type: imagine a situation when you use a new word and repeat the accompanying hand gestures. For example, remembering the word cup (cup) - pretend that you pick up a cup and pour tea into it. Later, the reproduction of these gestures will help to remember the situation and the word itself.

Whatever type of perception you have, during memorization and repetition, try to fully concentrate on the word being studied. This means that at the time of its repetition, you must clearly imagine it in your head, how it sounds and what it means. If you begin to repeat the learned words mechanically, then the likelihood that they will be deposited in memory for a long time is noticeably reduced.

Spaced repetition technique

In order for a new word to forever settle in the head, it is important not so much how to repeat it, but when to repeat it. It's best to do this when you feel like you're about to forget a new word.

Effective memorization and timing of repetition of new information was developed by the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. According to his research, you need to repeat a new word at least 9 times in order to remember it. And it's better to do it like this:

  • 15 minutes after introduction
  • One hour after the last repetition
  • Three hours after the last repetition
  • The next day
  • Two days after the last repetition
  • Four days after the last repetition
  • One week after the last repetition
  • Two weeks after the last repetition
  • One month after the last repetition

When repeating new words, it is also important to use them in context: to compose a phrase or phrase with them.

In conclusion, we will briefly repeat the main points that are necessary for easy and quick memorization of new English words:

  • Learn only the necessary and useful words.

    These are basic sets of high-frequency words and vocabulary from your area of ​​interest. Don't forget about verbs, set phrases and colloquial phrases.

  • Learn words in context

    If you find a new word in an article, song, movie, memorize it right away with the context. If you learn a “lonely” word, then come up with a context for it yourself. Do not try to learn all the meanings of a multi-valued word, take into service only the most used ones. And again, don't forget about context.

  • Use the word in conversation

    If there is no opportunity for conversational practice yet, come up with your own examples and situations when you would need to use this word. For effective memorization, it is desirable to meet the word in 7-9 different situations.

  • Use bright associations

    It doesn't matter what association comes to your mind when you meet a new word. The main thing is that it should be bright and memorable. And also to match your type of thinking and “work” for you.

  • Memorize words using the interval method

    It is better to repeat the learned words after a certain period of time than to cram every day: this way the word will be deposited in long-term memory and will easily “pop up” in the right situation.

By memorizing 10 new words a day, in a month you will expand your vocabulary by 300 words, and by the end of the year - by more than 3000 words. This is enough to confidently speak English in everyday life.

There are many different techniques and techniques for memorizing English words. Someone cramms the words, repeating them before going to bed, someone uses cards with words, and someone pastes over the apartment with stickers with the names of objects.

Despite this, many often face the problem when learned words fly out of their heads in a day, week or month. We spend a lot of effort and time expanding our vocabulary, but the words are never remembered. As a result, you have to learn them all over again.

About, how to memorize english words fast I will tell you in this article. This technique is used on the course by our students, thanks to which they not only easily and in a short time memorize many words forever, but can also use them in speech.

How easy is it to learn English words?

Let's first clarify the meaning of the word "word". In the dictionary, "word" -it is a sound or symbol that serves to designate concepts, objects, persons, states, etc.. Simply put, when we say a word, it is a sound, and when we write a word, it is a symbol, by which we mean some kind of meaning.

Accordingly, in order to easily learn a word, you need to:

  • know how it is spelled and pronounced;
  • understand the meaning of the word, and not just know the translation.

Attention: Can't remember English words? Learn on how to learn words using the ESL methodnot to forget them.

How to learn English words so that they are remembered?

Method "how to remember English words"

This method will allow you to learn words with minimal effort, so that they remain in your memory and so that you can use them later.

It consists of three simple steps:

STEP 1. Look in the dictionary for the meaning and translation of the word

Translation of a word is how we translate a word into Russian. As a rule, this is one word (buy - buy, cat - cat).

Meaning is the meaning that this word means (buy - to get something by paying money for it).

English words tend to have multiple meanings, but we only want the one that fits the context (sentence or thought). The remaining values ​​do not need to be learned - it will be difficult to learn 3-5-10 values ​​​​at once.

I want to note that it is very important to know not only the translation, but also the meaning itself. Since sometimes in English words have the same translation, but different meanings and can be used in different situations.

STEP 2. We write our own sentences with the word

In this step, we need to learn how to use the word in practice in order to fix it in memory. For this we need write sentences with words that you want to remember.

All offers should be simple and light. The essence of the step is to learn how to use the word in writing.

How many proposals to make? From 3 to 7 sentences. For easy words, 3 may be enough, and for complex ones, all 10. It is important that you do not write sentences automatically, but imagine what you are writing.

STEP 3. Orally compose our own sentences with the word

In the last step, we need to develop oral skill use the word and learn how to pronounce it correctly. After all, we are not only going to read and write, but also to speak.

To do this, it is also necessary to make sentences, but this time orally. Once again, the sentences should be simple and short. The purpose of this is to consolidate the word in practice, and not to show their literary abilities in compiling beautiful and long exercises. The number of sentences is the same as in step 2.

Now you know the best way to learn English words.

let's consider use case.

Situation:
You are reading a book and come across a sentence: "My head is strict (My head is strict)".

STEP 1. We look at the meaning and translation of the word

You know that the word "Head" is a head. Looking at the meaning in the dictionary, we will see that “head” also means “boss, leader” (the person who manages something, someone).

STEP 2. We make sentences in writing with this word, while representing the situation in the head (consciousness).

My head is a good man.
My boss is a good person.

Do you know my head?
Do you know my boss?

STEP 3. We make sentences orally and be sure to pronounce them out loud!

She likes her head.
She likes her boss.

She is a new head of the company.
She is the new boss in the office.

You may think that this method of learning English words will take a long time, but in fact it is not. By clarifying the word like this, you spend everything 2-3 minutes per word, but in this case you will not forget it either in a day, or in a week, or in a month. You won't have to relearn words, which will save you a lot of time and expand your vocabulary quickly.

Why is this method of learning an English word effective?

It is known that a person cannot apply what he does not understand. If a person does not understand which pedals to press in a car, he will not be able to drive. Everything is exactly the same here.

This method just allows you to first understand the meaning of the word. After that, it is easy to use it in practice in the future. Here is a little secret of memorizing English words.

Our students, using this technique of memorizing English words, clarify about 40 words in one lesson, without cramming. Now imagine how many words you can learn using this method.

Try to use this method yourself, and you will no longer ask yourself the question: "how to learn English words quickly."

Summing up, I will say that English is not a dry theory. English is a practical skill. Only practice will help you master a foreign language like a native. And you can learn a language much faster than you think.

Loading...Loading...