Memorization Techniques for Learning Foreign Words and Phrases

This is my brain after 3 cups of Italian coffee!

All the right tools can't help if we don't know how to use them rightly. Today, I'd like to give you a quick lesson on working with words and complete phrases in the memorization stage. We've talked about making word and phrase lists in other posts, and if you've tried it I am quite sure you have found it to be a great way to get a working knowledge of a language quickly.

But what about how to memorize word lists and whole phrases? One of my private English students likes to use flash cards, and that seems to work for him. The reason I don't use them, and never did, is that they become bulky and you can't "comfortably" carry 50 to 100 words in your pocket. That's why I like using a simple sheet of notebook paper that you can fold up. If it's loose-leaf, you can take it out of the binder when you are on the go, and put it back when you are done. It's also good to keep an archive of what you have learned anyway, so this is an effective way of doing that. Just put all the sheets back into the binder.

So how do I suggest memorizing words and phrases? Here is a list of my top 3 ingredients that I resolutely stand by:

1. Memorize your words and phrases in the morning. 

You can spend 10-15 minutes before work or school, going through your words list or new phrase while sipping a nice cup of coffee. Remember, if you follow my earlier posts, your list of "new" words wont be that big any way. And I don't recommend learning more than one or two phrases at a time. You can't effectively do more than that. The only time you should do more is when you review old lists for a refresher.

Why study in the morning? Our minds are sharpest in the first few hours of our day. They are not during our later hours. And by evening, my brain can do little more than a bowl of fat and sugar can. I do all my major studying in the morning. Occasionally I have to study through the afternoon and evening, but there's no comparison to the quality of morning study!

2. Repeat your words or phrase until you have gone through all of them without a mistake.

My memorizing technique when learning Serbian, Italian and Greek was always the same. And now with Hebrew I plan to do the same. Let's say that while going through my list I get through the first three words fine, but can't remember the 4th. I need to relearn it, then go through all four words again, starting from number one. When I can remember them all, I am ready to move on to number 5, 6, 7 and so on.

3. Use your word or phrase in an imaginary situation.

As soon as you have memorized a word or phrase, use it immediately in your mind while imagining yourself in a conversation that requires it. If you are by yourself, speak it out loud in a mock conversation. This does two things. Firstly, it employs an additional sense, namely your hearing. Secondly, it also exercises your tongue and mouth formation to sound off the words or phrases.

So there you go, my top three ingredients for successful memorization. There are others, but these are the best in my arsenal.

In my next post, I'll upload a PDF of one of my old, original word and phrase lists from 1993 when I was studying Serbian. You'll see how simple it can be, yet so effective.

Happy language learning!