5 Ways to learn English words and remember them

Learn English words much easier than it seems. If you do not agree with, it seems, because in school you are forced to cram columns of words that were remembered with difficulty, and forgotten the next day. Fortunately, with the help of simple techniques, training programs, and readily available materials in English to teach the word - it is a pleasure.

Learn English words and learn the language - not one and the same.

First, we note that learning a language is not just about memorizing words. Yes, from the language of words can not erase, but their interaction in the speech takes place according to the rules of grammar. Besides, lexicon and grammar will not be "revived" without practice in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Some of the methods listed below, memorizing words mean in the context of live speech.

Cards with words

Ordinary cards made of cardboard - a powerful tool to memorize the words. Cut out of cardboard cards convenient size, write on one side of the English word or phrase to another - Russian and repeat.

For greater effectiveness, take the sets of 15-30 cards and learn the words in both directions - Anglo-Russian and Russian-English - in four stages:

1. Familiarity with words. Browse cards, pronouncing the word out loud, trying to imagine they stand for objects, actions, and even abstraction. Do not try to memorize the words thoroughly, just get to know them, pry them to a memory hook. Of the words will be remembered at this stage, but it is unreliable.
2. Repetition English - Russian. Looking at the English side, remember Russian translation. Fingering a deck until you can guess all of the words (usually 2-4 call). Be sure to mix the cards! Memorizing lists of words is inefficient largely because of the fact that the words are stored in a specific order. There is no shortage of cards.
3. Repetition Russian - English. The same thing, but from Russian to English. This task is a bit more difficult, but 2-4 visits suffice.
4. Consolidation. At this stage to pinpoint the time of the stopwatch. Run the deck as quickly as possible, ensuring instant recognition of words without hesitation. Do 2-4 rounds, trying to watch with each round showed less time. Do not forget to shuffle the cards. you can drive in both directions or words to choose from one (best in the Russian-English, since it's harder). At this point you will achieve instant, without translation in mind, word recognition.

Not necessarily make cards out of cardboard, there are convenient tools for creating e-cards, such as Quizlet. With this service you can make voiced card, add pictures to them, to teach in different modes, including games.

spaced repetition method

The method consists in the repetition of words with the cards, but after a certain period of time. It is believed that, following a specific algorithm repetitions, the student consolidates the information into long-term memory. If the information is not repeated, it will be forgotten as unnecessary.

The most popular program for memorizing words by spaced repetition - it Anki. Create a deck of words, and the application will select the forgotten material itself and offer to repeat it with a certain periodicity.

Comfort in the fact that only need to download the word, and the program will tell you when and what to repeat. But sometimes in the interval method is simply no need. If you teach a compilation of commonly used words such as days of the week and months, verbs of motion, vehicles, they need not be repeated on a special algorithm: and so they are very common in the textbook, reading, speech.

Memorizing words when reading in English

Learn words using the card makes sense when the vocabulary is not enough even for more understanding of simple texts. If you do not know the basic vocabulary such as the days of the week, colors, verbs of motion, courtesy of the formula, the foundation vocabulary convenient pawn, memorizing words on cards. According to linguists estimated minimum vocabulary for understanding simple texts and speech - about 2-3 thousand words.

But if you can already read English, Try to write out the words from the text during reading time. It is not just the vocabulary taken from the dictionary, and the living word, surrounded by context associatively tied to the story, the content of the text.

Do not write any unfamiliar words in a row. Write out useful words and phrases as well as words, without understanding that it is impossible to understand even the basic meaning. Write out only a few words on the page to be less distracted from reading. Having read an article or chapter of a book, words can quickly repeat.

By the way, if you just read in English, without writing anything, vocabulary will also replenished, but much more slowly and only if you read a lot and regularly, such as every day half an hour or an hour.

Tutorials can greatly simplify and speed up memorization of words. For example, reading texts online, you can save the word with the translation with a single click and then repeat them with the help of browser extension "Leo translator."

Remembering the words of video and audio recordings

If while reading it is easy to emphasize or to write a word, then with the film or audio recording is more difficult. But listening (listening) for the study of vocabulary is not less interesting than the book. In the living speech of native speakers is less than the book, infrequent words and more popular conversational turns. Besides listening develops not only vocabulary, but also the skill listening comprehension.

The easiest way to learn English for the films and recordings - just watch or listen without being distracted by writing out words. This is the easiest approach, but you're unlikely to learn anything new, only well fix the familiar words (which is also important).

If the write and then repeat new words, you will not only enjoy the film, but also the vocabulary. Of course, while viewing very uncomfortable distracted by pressing pause and writing out the words, but you can take short notes, and then return to them, and discuss the material in detail. As for reading, it is not necessary to write out all unknown words in a row.

It is much easier to deal with for the audio and video via a special website. More suited for this popular online services LinguaLeo and Puzzle English, Which use a special interface for easy viewing of videos with fast (click on a word in the subtitles) Translation and preservation of words.

Memorizing words when writing and speaking

Reading and listening - a passive speech activity, speech perception. Writing and speaking - is the active use of language. When you write or speak, your vocabulary is developing in a different way: you have to train in the use of familiar words, turning them from passive margin (at the level of understanding) to active.

At time of writing, whether it's an essay or an informal chat sessions, constantly have to choose your words and try to clear more precisely express the idea. The situation arises frequently when you have something you want to say but do not know the right word or expression. With the help of a dictionary to find it easy, but do not let this valuable discovery immediately forget - record such small openings and repeat in your spare time. Practice active speech activity of great help to identify such gaps.

During oral conversation in the dictionary, of course, do not look out, but conversational practice makes work already familiar words and designs. Do you have to strain your memory to remember everything that is stored even in the most distant corners of it, to express the idea. Conversational practice for learning the language - it's like training for the body, you strengthen, develop its "linguistic form", translating the words from the passive to the active reserve.

conclusion

The first two methods - cards and spaced repetition - suitable for learning words collections, such as "The City", "Clothing" and so on. The methods of the third to fifth designed for memorizing words during speech practice.

If you want the word is not only memorable, but not forgotten, the regular practice of reading and listening. Faced with a familiar word several times in a live context, you will remember it forever. If you do not want to just have a passive vocabulary, but also to freely express thoughts - communicate in the language. So you will turn dry confident knowledge skills. In the end, we did not learn languages ​​in order to know them, but in order to use it.