[Vocabulary] vocabulary

[jenny.zhou488]

How do I remember vocabulary fast？

 

[Tdol]

Don't try to learn a lot of words at the same time- you'll forget them quickly. Learn a smaller number and recycle them until they are in your long-term memory.

 

[Skrej]

There's a simple secret to remembering new vocabulary. I'll share it with you, and it's easy:

Practice using them in context. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

The more you use them in actual sentences, the faster you'll remember them. Various studies have shown that most of us need about 15 exposures to remember a new word in our native language, and as many as 40 exposures for words in a foreign language. Different studies suggest slightly different numbers and some other factors may raise or lower an individual's numbers, but 15/40 is a general average. Variation is also important - not only seeing a word, but hearing it, speaking it, and writing it. This repetition also needs to continue over extended periods of time, not just in a single practice session.

Russian has a proverb that translates as "Repetition is the mother of all learning". It holds true for pretty much any skill from musical instruments to learning vocabulary.