Do you want to know how to learn English words quickly and easily? We'll tell you how many words you need to know, where to get them, what tools to use, and how to learn it all. 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 deal 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?
To test your vocabulary, we recommend that you take the Online English Vocabulary Size Test (immediately click on the Start button) or Test Your Vocab. It will show you your estimated 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: you should not rely entirely on the test results. It can only give a rough estimate of your vocabulary.
2. Special textbooks
Textbooks to increase your vocabulary will help you learn new words and common expressions in which they are used. The good thing about the textbooks is that they provide lists of words along with examples of their use, so words are learned in context. We have presented a detailed one, follow it to choose the best guide.
3. Lists or dictionaries of high-frequency words
How do you know whether it’s worth remembering the next new English word you come across? It may have fallen out of use or is rarely used. You can refer to lists of words that are most often 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 flashcards and tried to learn new vocabulary from them. It's convenient and affordable: you don't need to spend money, because you write them yourself, and you can take the cards with you anywhere.
Before making cards, you need help:
- select a translation;
- become familiar with typical phrases in which the word is used;
- study examples.
Then you need to 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 second - in Russian. We test our knowledge: translate a word from Russian into English and vice versa.
- On one side we write the word in English and paste a picture, on the other - the translation into Russian. This method is well suited for people with associative thinking. In your mind you associate a new English-language concept and the object that it refers to.
- On the one hand, we write a word in English with a Russian context, on the other hand, a word in Russian without context. When repeating vocabulary, try to translate the concept from Russian into English. And the second side of the card with the Russian context will help you with translation in the opposite direction.
- 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 being studied.
- How to learn vocabulary correctly? The best way to memorize English words is in context. Therefore, you can write on a card not just a word, but a sentence in which it is used. Examples of sentences can be found in electronic dictionaries, for example ABBYY Lingvo.
Electronic cards
If you find it difficult to tear yourself away from your 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 you the Quizlet service, which allows you to learn words in different ways: choose the correct translation from four proposed ones, fill in the gaps in sentences and play games with words. Here you can track your progress: which words are harder for you than others, how quickly you learn new vocabulary. There is an application for iOS as well. An alternative resource is Memrise. Its free version has limited functionality, but it will be enough to create cards.
You need to constantly work with cards: review and repeat the learned vocabulary. Periodically change the cards for new ones, and after 1-2 weeks return the old ones again to repeat the words.
2. Notepad-dictionary
This method is good for those who constantly lose something: your cards are unlikely to last long :-)
You can structure your notebook the way you want. Let's give our version. Each page must correspond to a specific day. Write the dates on which the words are repeated at the top. To ensure that the vocabulary you are studying is well fixed in your memory, do not forget to train it. To do this, use the techniques we described in the article “”.
3. Mind map
You can easily learn English words of the same topic if you draw a mind map. This diagram clearly shows what topic the words relate to. And while you are drawing it, the vocabulary will be stored in your memory. A mind map might look like this:
4. Educational sites and applications
On the way to work on the subway or in line at the clinic, use every free moment 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 progress.
1. Combine words by topic
How to easily remember English words? Groups of words related to the same topic are usually well remembered. Therefore, try to divide words into groups of 5-10 pieces and learn them.
There is the so-called Restorff effect, according to which the human brain remembers the most prominent one from a group of objects. Use this effect to your advantage: in the group of words on the same 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, which means “stubborn, like a donkey against a wall.” The word shoot can be remembered as “the jester shoots.” You can make up convenient associations yourself, the main thing is that they are understandable 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 is a dynamic picture with your personal presence: you imagine how the jester next to you shoots someone (with a water pistol, so that the spectacle comes out comical, not tragic). The more vivid the picture, the easier it will be to remember the word.
3. Use the learned vocabulary in speech
How to learn English words correctly and not forget them? Are you familiar with the principle of use it or lose it? In order for knowledge to remain in memory, you need to actively “use” it. It is good practice to write short stories using new words. The vocabulary that is best remembered is expressed in a short, funny text written about yourself or about things dear to your heart.
If you take courses or study with an English teacher, try to insert new words into your conversation as often as possible: the more times you say a word, the better you remember it. Don't 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'll forget. Teach me and I will remember. Make me do it and I'll learn.
Learn new words and immediately use them in your speech with the help.
4. Test your knowledge regularly
It is useful to take various tests to determine your vocabulary level from time to time. For example, some excellent picture tests (a joy for visual learners and children) are provided on the Vocabulary for learners of English page. After passing such a test, you will immediately see what is stored in your memory and which topics or words need to be repeated.
5. Follow your daily plan
7. Develop your memory
It is impossible to remember anything unless you have a good memory. Learning a language in itself trains our brain well and helps improve memory. But to make memorization easier, you can use the tips from our article “”.
8. Consider your type of information perception
Not all methods are equally good for you. Don't try to apply everything at once. Try text, video or audio formats and choose those that help you learn new words faster. This is how you will arrive at your own signature mix of techniques.
The main thing is to remember 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 won’t have to rack your brains about how to improve your level of knowledge.
Do you consider cards and notepads with the words “yesterday”? Then try learning words using current British textbooks in online English courses at our school. Our students learn words and phrases in context, use them in a live dialogue with the teacher, and memorize new vocabulary easily and quickly. !
Vocabulary is the alpha and omega of the English language, and memorizing new words is the fastest and most effective way to improve your English.Is it difficult to remember English words?
We know that each person has his own preferred system for receiving and storinginformation: visual (visual), auditory (auditory) or kinesthetic (tactile). It is called the leading representative system. (R. Bandler and D. Grinder “Introductory course of NLP training”)Depending on which system is dominant, people are conventionally divided into visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. These types are rarely found in their pure form; more often they are mixed: visual-kinesthetic or visual-auditory, etc. However, knowing what type you are, you can choose the most effective way for you to memorize new words.
Visuals (35% of the population)These people have a great
visual memory. For successful memorization, they need to see new vocabulary as much as possible.
Auditory learners (25% of the population)
These people perceive the world through sounds. It is advisable for auditory learners to listen to audio and video recordings more often. It is better for them to say out loud what they read or write.
Kinesthetic (40% of the population)
These people perceive information through feelings, emotions, instinctive sensations, and touch. It is very good to write down new words by hand or type on a computer - in order to feel the memorized vocabulary through the movements and texture of tools (notebooks, pens, markers).
So, let's reveal some secrets to memorizing English words:
1. Label all the objects around you.
Do you know the names of the simplest things in your home? They are the most commonly used vocabulary! Take bright green pieces of paper and a thick marker. Stick bright pieces of paper with English words on everything in the apartment: from the socket to the chest of drawers. After a week, you will remember the names of the signed items.If you are not new to learning a language, then the task can be complicated. For example, stick a sticker hint “to fold a chair” on a folding chair (“a chair”), “to pull” on a desk drawer, “to leaf through” on a book, “to watch one’s weight” on a scale. Unlimited field for creativity! Visuals, this is the way for you.
2. Make cards.
For kinesthetic learners, it is important not to see or hear a word, but to “hold it in their hands” and feel it.Buy a block of notes, write the word on one side, and the translation and example of the word on the other. Carry the cards with you, and when you have a free minute, look through them (in transport, in line, etc.). Look at the word and remember its meaning. If you can’t remember, turn the card over and read the translation and example again. This method is also suitable for visual learners.Draw pictures for words and expressions that you don’t want to remember. Are you not an artist? No problem, this is the picture for you.
3. Make mind maps.
Another way for visual learners is using mind maps (Mind Maps) (Tony Buzan “The Mind Map Book”). These are block diagrams that help you learn words by topic. We take a large sheet of paper and write a topic in the center, for example, “Travel.” From this word we draw arrows - smaller topics - transport, hotel, excursions. The next layer is even more specific: plane, breakfast, monument. You can make a fourth and even a fifth layer. As a result, we get a logical and detailed diagram. You will remember some of the words already in the process of drawing the diagram. The rest - reproducing it from memory several times.
4. Use mnemonics to remember.(from the Greek “mnemonikon” - the art of memorization)One of these techniques is the method of direct associations. You associate a new word with some image - funny, bright or unexpected. Mnemonics suggests finding words in your native language that sound similar to English. For example, the word “puddle” means puddle. To remember this word, you can use the mnemonic phrase: “I kept falling and falling into a puddle” (from Wikipedia). Or another example: the word “garden” means garden. The mnemonic phrase will help here: “There are all sorts of nasty things in this garden.” “In this garden...” The main thing is to find a successful association.
English-Russian rhymes are another great mnemonic device for children and adults:
“One eccentric was looking for the treasure
A whole month of dig-dug-dug
Find-found-found at last
Metal casket"
(A.A. Pyltsyn “English in the family circle”)
Or:
“The claw is sharp as glass, claw in English is claw.”
Mnemonic devices are suitable for any type. Visual learners draw a picture before their eyes, auditory learners remember by sound associations (garden-bastards), and kinesthetic learners will be able to feel words, emotionally passing through one or another meaning.
5. Sing new words.
Yes Yes! Choose your favorite tune and sing the words you want to learn to it. You will be surprised. Words will be remembered much faster. Are you not a professional singer? Voice and hearing are not required. You just want to remember the words. This method is good for auditory learners.
6. Make an accordion.
Take a piece of paper and write in a column 10 English words that you want to remember (in the singular, verbs in the infinitive), draw a line and write the Russian translation. Then you bend the sheet so that the English version is not visible and write these words in English from memory. And so on until the sheet runs out. Don't peek. If you don’t remember everything firmly, make another “accordion”.
7. Make up short stories.
One of the most interesting techniques. Take ten new words, write them down on a piece of paper, and make up a funny story in English from them. Helps you remember new words and translate words from your passive vocabulary into an active one. The funnier and more unexpected your story, the better the words will be remembered.
8. Solve crossword puzzles.
Another fun way to memorize words. It’s better to start with educational crossword puzzles, which are designed specifically for language learning. Crossword puzzles can become increasingly difficult over time.
9. Learn the most common words that suit your level.
In the English language there is a so-called frequency vocabulary, that is, the most commonly used vocabulary. You should start by studying it.Don't be tempted to immediately learn words like "relatively", "skilfully" or "to justify" in order to impress others with the beauty of your English speech. Do this when your level gets higher. Is it worth learning the words “huge” (huge) and “tiny” (tiny) if you don’t already know such simple words as “big” (large) and “small” (small)?
10. Learn words in context.
Remember the specific, narrow meaning of the word. If you come across, for example, the word “fine”, you find that it means “beautiful” and it fits the context, then stop there. There is no need to memorize all the meanings of this word in the dictionary. At the moment, it doesn’t matter to you that it is also “fine”, “very thin or narrow”, “refined, elegant” and so on. And if you ever come across “fine” in another text and with a different meaning, learn this word as if it were completely new.
11. Remember: the unit of memorized information should be as long as possible (a block of words or a phrase).
Always learn a word with the words surrounding it: a verb with its inherent preposition: “to listen to”, an adjective with a noun: “a fluffy cat”, an entire expression: “You are kidding!”For each new word, try to remember a synonym or antonym in order to link the word to the one that you successfully memorized before. For example, “reduce” means to reduce, and “increase” means to increase. It will be easier for you to retrieve them from memory when you need one of them.
12. Memorizing words should not be the goal.
Memorization should only be an action leading to the achievement of some goal.When starting to learn new words, tell yourself that you are learning a language to remember for the rest of your life. Inspire yourself: “I will remember these words for a long time.” This setup will allow you to remember words more firmly.
13. Repeat new words rationally.
Transfer new vocabulary from short-term memory to long-term memory. The likelihood of information loss is greatest in the early stages of imprinting. The time intervals between repetitions should be gradually increased. Repeat each portion of words on the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th day. The information will be remembered much better than if all five repetitions are completed during the first day. (Franz Loeser "Memory Training").
Try as many methods of memorizing words as possible, experiment and determine which methods are right for you. Go for it!
Veselova Natalia Stepanovna
Methodist of the ALIBRA network of foreign language schools SCHOOL
For many English language learners, a big stumbling block is remembering words. In this review of memorization methods, we will introduce you to the basic and most effective ways to memorize words.
Method 1. Just remember
The very first and least effective way to learn words is simple memorization. The learner is faced with a word that needs to be remembered, for example take, finds it in the dictionary and simply tries to memorize it. Take - take.
Unfortunately, after a while the translation is forgotten and the student looks at the translation of this word again and again until he remembers it.
Method 2. Good old cards
In Soviet times, cards were often used to learn foreign languages. The effectiveness was obvious. The speed of learning words using cards was significantly faster than learning words with a list. The principle of operation of cards is the division of the studied material into “ I know" And " Don't know” and further focusing on those words that are remembered less well.
This method also has a psychological effect. The student sees the results of his study and is inspired. “Oh, I learned 200 words last month! Now I already have 1200 words in my “piggy bank”. We need to speed up and learn 300 next month.”
Method 3. Associative method
This method, when used correctly, gives very good results. Our memory works according to the principle binding» old and new information, i.e. New material is well remembered if it has a connection with the old one. For example, you want to learn the word tolerance- patience. There is a borrowed word in Russian tolerance, which means patience. By establishing a connection between the word tolerance And tolerance, you can easily remember it.
Associations may not be as direct as in the example above. For example, you want to remember the word carpet- carpet. Word carpet in tune with the word carp(type of fish). You can imagine a large carp lying on the carpet. Having created associative connective carpet and fish, you will easily remember this word.
Method 4: Use all your senses
Man has 5 senses. This sight, taste, hearing, touch, smell.
fish- fish. You can:
1. draw it with a yellow marker in your imagination (see it)
2. try it on taste
3. smell and remember the smell of fish (olfaction)
4. listen to the sound of this word
5. touch it and imagine what it should be like (cold, hot, rough, etc.)
You can also come up with a Russian word that would be consonant with the word you are studying, for example chip(chip). To enhance the memorization effect, methods can be combined.
Method 5. Use synonyms
Synonyms are words that differ in sound and spelling, but have similar lexical meanings.
If you want to remember, for example, a word gain- receive, we recommend that you find a synonym for it that you know, for example get. By connecting these two words in your memory, the word you want to learn and its synonym, you will easily remember the new word.
And if you also choose an antonym - a word with the opposite meaning, then the effect will be much greater. In our case it will be lose- lose.
The principle of this process is simple. The more connections you make, the stronger the material will stick in your memory.
Method 6. Phrases to help
As you know, the stingy pays twice, and the lazy pays three times. This principle also applies to learning words. If you simply memorize words and translations, then, unfortunately, such connections do not last long in memory. Take - take. You may no longer remember the translation after 20 minutes. The meaning will fly somewhere far away and hang somewhere in oblivion. But if you try to remember the whole phrase He took 5 books and went home – He took 5 books and went home. That word take will be remembered much better, since you can see the whole picture in motion. Phrases help us see with our inner vision, create images that stay in our memory for a long time.
Method 7. Better than the phrases of a tall tale
To memorize words even more effectively, you can make up stories.
You need to remember the following words: take, map, hide, umbrella
You can come up with some kind of story.
My mom took a map and decided to hide it under umbrella. – My mother took the card and decided to hide it under the umbrella.
Such sometimes illogical stories can be very funny and are good for remembering. Everything, that unusual memorable, much better than perfectly verified texts.
Method 8. Two languages are good, but 3 are better
There is an opinion that learning several languages is easier than learning one. At first glance this is absurd. Someone may say: “After all, you will have to study three times more!” But if you understand the essence of how the associative method works, then everything becomes quite understandable. Having memorized the same word in several languages, you will be able to recall the meaning of one word in another. For example, you learned the word take- take, in English. In Spanish it would sound like coger and in Portuguese tomar.
If you forget this word in English, you can easily restore it to its Spanish meaning.
You can also learn phrases. I love you - I love you. In Spanish it will be -Tequiero and in Portuguese - Euteamo.
As they say, the first 5 languages are difficult, then it will become easier.
Method 9. Repetition is the mother of learning
Whatever associations you come up with, if the information is not repeated regularly, it will be erased from your memory as unnecessary. Memory is rational and does not store useless information. Usefulness is determined by frequency of repetition. Therefore, it is necessary to find for yourself a certain cycle of repeating the words you have learned. One option is described in the “Three by Three” method.
You can choose for yourself comfortable repetition cycles that will work ideally for you.
All the above methods of memorizing words will definitely help you learn words faster and more efficiently. But the most important thing is to make using these methods part of your character. By regularly using these methods, you will bring them to the point of automatism and, memorizing new words, you will no longer be aware that you are using some kind of technique. Analyzing information and breaking it down into components will become a habit of your thinking and perception of the world.
Memory, like the muscles of the body, has the ability to be trained and weakened. Therefore, those who complain of weak memory should begin to train it intensively and then it will become stronger. You can easily and quickly learn everything you need.
You need to quickly memorize a large number of English words. And as you have been told or read online yourself, they are very easy to learn. But no matter how hard you tried to quickly memorize at least the necessary minimum, nothing worked for you? Perhaps you chose the wrong methods or memory techniques? We'll deal with this today.
First, let's try to figure out why memorizing English words is so difficult? The fact is that a new concept is accurate information, the translation and pronunciation of which you need to know 100%. Try to pronounce a foreign word. Native speakers will not understand you, so it is important to remember the word as accurately as possible.
Any new information is poorly remembered. As a rule, even with grueling “cramming”, only 20% is absorbed. But if you choose the right technique, which will allow you to quickly learn words, then this indicator will increase significantly. Start learning basic English words right now!
Let's take a look at the best methods for memorizing new English words:
Memorization of English words is a convenient and interesting style of presenting educational material in small rhymes or songs. Memorizing words by heart will be effective if they themselves rhyme or are included in rhyme structures. This technique also contains elements of artistic association:
- A plum here and a plum there
Plum in English plam - I prefer watermelon to plums
Watermelon - otherwise watermelon - The price of melons is written in chalk
Melon in English melon - A fairy told me in a dream:
Pear in English pear
These are such meaningless, but very effective lines.
Mnemonics
The same method of artistic association that allows you to remember concepts through creating vivid images in your head. Moreover, the more ridiculous the image created, the better the word or phrase will be remembered.
Let's try?!
- "Spoon" (spoon), imagine that funny little gnome Spoon is sleeping sweetly in a spoon
- “chess” (chess) - chess pieces come to life on the chessboard, run up to each other and start scratching each other’s backs
- “turnip” (turnip) - having grabbed the horizontal bar with its leaves, the turnip spins on it like a gymnast
- "ship" (ship), imagine a ship with huge spikes sticking out
Thanks to this technique, words are remembered very easily.
Cards
A popular simple technique for memorizing new vocabulary. Cut thin cardboard into small rectangles. Take a stack of these cards and write a word or phrase in English on one side and its translation on the other. Carry these cheat sheets with you at all times and repeat them at every opportunity.
Cards can be divided according to the topic of phrases or according to the phonetic sound of words. After examining one stack, you can move on to the next stack. After some time, you return to the material you covered and repeat it. You will be able to transform your passive vocabulary and phrases into active ones, that is, remember and freely use speech structures.
Marking
The technique involves the following: take a pack of sticky notes and write words from your home or work environment or everyday life on them. Then you glue these tags to the corresponding items, thus tagging a huge number of things. For example, put a “Salt” tag on a salt shaker, “Dining table” on a dining table, “Journal table” on a coffee table, “Door in a bathroom” on a bathroom door, etc.
The disadvantage of this technique is that you can only label specific concepts, but sticking a sticker on such abstract concepts as Love, Pleasure, Happiness will not work. Therefore, it is better to memorize this lexical composition by other known methods.
Polyglot
This technique will allow you to easily and quickly memorize 100-150 new words every day. The method represents sequential mental operations and actions that form memorization skills.
Memorization scheme using the “Polyglot” system:
- A translation of a word
- Find a consonant Russian word for pronunciation
- Connect the image of the translation with the image of the consonant word
- “Photograph” foreign word
- Write a word
- Check the quality of memorization
- Write to card
- look
- “I can’t watch when they cut onions”
- Highlight the word on all sides with yellow cards, so that only “look” is in the center. Try to mentally photograph the word and remember the graphic image, read aloud several times
- Write the word
- To check the quality of memorization means writing the word from right to left... k .ok .ook look
- Write the word on a card for repetition
Synonymous series
This technique allows you to quickly memorize words, thanks to the expansion of the synonymous range. It is better to keep a special notebook in which you need to write new words as you learn the language. Select new synonyms as often as possible and repeat those you have already learned.
Memorizing vocabulary, thus, allows the student to express his thoughts accurately and richly in English, and increases the speed of speech.
- Energy - force - power
- little - small - tiny
- pretty - handsome - beautiful
Regardless of which method you choose, it is better to memorize words according to this scheme: “ Writing - pronunciation - translation" Memorizing in this sequence is called “recognition.”
And finally, classes should be regular. It is better to learn 10 words every day than 100 words once a week.
Do you know any other effective techniques? Subscribe in the comments.
Learning English words is much easier than it seems. If you don’t agree with this, it’s probably because at school you were forced to cram columns of words that were difficult to remember and forgotten the next day. Fortunately, with the help of simple techniques, tutorials and easily accessible materials in English, learning words is now 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 just about memorizing words. Yes, you cannot remove words from the language, but their interaction in speech occurs according to the rules of grammar. Moreover, grammar will not be “brought to life” without practice in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Some of the techniques listed below involve memorizing words specifically in the context of live speech.
Cards with words
Ordinary cards made of cardboard 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:
- Getting to know words. Look through the cards, saying the words out loud, trying to imagine the objects, actions, and even abstractions they represent. Don't try to memorize the words thoroughly, just get to know them, hook them on your memory hook. Some words will be remembered already at this stage, but unreliably.
- Repetition 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 passes). Be sure to shuffle the cards! Learning words with a list is ineffective largely due to the fact that words are memorized in a certain order. Cards do not have this drawback.
- Repetition Russian - English. The same thing, but from Russian to English. This task is a little more difficult, but 2-4 passes will be enough.
- Consolidation. At this stage, note the time with a stopwatch. Run the deck as quickly as possible, achieving instant recognition of the word without thinking. Do 2-4 rounds, trying to get the stopwatch to show a shorter time with each round. Don't forget to shuffle the cards. Words can be run in both directions or optionally in one (preferably in Russian-English, as it is more difficult). At this stage, you will achieve instant recognition of the word, without mental translation.
It is not necessary to make cards from cardboard; there are convenient programs for creating electronic cards, for example Quizlet. Using this service, you can make voiced cards, add pictures to them, and teach them in different modes, including games.
Spaced repetition method
The method is to repeat words using cards, but at certain intervals. It is believed that by following a certain repetition algorithm, the student consolidates information in long-term memory. If information is not repeated, it will be forgotten as unnecessary.
The most popular program for memorizing words using spaced repetition is Anki. Create a deck of words, and the application itself will select 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 the interval method. If you are learning a selection of common words such 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 appear very often in the textbook, when reading, in speech.
Remembering words when 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 your vocabulary by memorizing words using 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 down words from the text while reading. This will not just be vocabulary taken from the dictionary, but living words, surrounded by context, associatively tied to the plot and 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 basic meaning. Write down only a few words per page to reduce distractions while reading. After finishing an article or chapter of a book, you can quickly repeat the words.
They can significantly simplify and speed up the memorization of words. For example, when reading texts online, you can save words with translation with one click and then repeat them using the Leo Translator browser extension.
Memorizing words from video and audio recordings
If while reading it is not difficult 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, rarely used words and more popular colloquial expressions. In addition, listening develops not only vocabulary, but also the skill of understanding speech by ear.
The easiest way to learn English from films 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 anything new, just reinforce the words you already know well (which is also important).
If you write out and then repeat new words, you will not only enjoy the film, but also expand your vocabulary. Of course, while watching, it is very inconvenient to be distracted by pressing pause and writing down words, but you can take short notes, and then return to them and analyze the material in more detail. Just like when reading, you don’t need to write down all the words you don’t understand in a row.
It is much easier to study audio and video using special sites. The most suitable for this are the popular online services LinguaLeo and Puzzle English, which use a special interface for convenient viewing of videos with the ability to quickly (by clicking on a word in the subtitles) translate and save words.
Remembering 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 words you already know, moving them from passive (at the level of understanding) to active.
When writing, be it an essay or informal correspondence in a chat, you have to constantly select words and try to express your thoughts more clearly and accurately. Often a situation arises when you want to say something, but do not know the appropriate word or expression. It’s not difficult to find it with the help of a dictionary, but don’t let this valuable find be forgotten right away - write down such small discoveries and repeat them in your free time. Practicing active speech activity is a great way to identify such gaps.
During an oral conversation, of course, you won’t be able to look into the dictionary, but conversational practice forces you to 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. Conversation practice for learning a language is like training for the body: you strengthen and develop your “language form”, translating words from a passive stock into an active one.
Conclusion
The first two methods - cards and spaced repetition - are suitable for memorizing collections of words, for example, “In the city,” “Clothing,” and so on. Methods three to five are designed to memorize words during speech practice.
If you want to ensure that words are not only remembered, but also not forgotten, regularly practice reading and listening. Having encountered a familiar word several times in a living context, you will remember it forever. If you want not only to have a passive vocabulary, but also to express your thoughts freely - . This way you will turn dry knowledge into confident skills. After all, we learn languages not in order to know them, but in order to use them.
