3 Excellent Tips for Reviewing Vocabulary
Learning a new language? Discovering a hundred new words every class? Struggling to remember them all? Remembering vocabulary is one of the most difficult things about learning a new language, and forgetting words which you know you’ve seen before can be very frustrating.
- Make a mind map
Connecting new words with words you know is a great way of helping you understand the meaning. It also helps you associate the new word with other words to make them easier to remember.
Follow these easy steps to make a mind map:
- Start off by writing the word you are reviewing on the page
- Draw a line and write a word which is related to the first word
- Continue adding words and connections
You should end up with something like this. The starting word was “vocabulary”:
This is a brilliant way to review and it can be a lot of fun – try it yourself!
- Write sentences using new vocabulary
It is common in a language class to end up with a long list of new words on the board or in your notes. It isn’t always easy to remember what the words mean, or how they are used.
Writing sentences with them is a good way to practice using the words in context. Words are almost always used in sentences and it is very important that you understand the situations they are used in.
Choose some words that you think will be useful to remember from your last language class. Feeling motivated? Choose 10. Feeling a bit lazy? You can easily write 5!
Write full sentences using the words, and ask a friend or teacher to check the sentences for you afterwards.
- Read, listen and watch as much as you can
Learning a language can be very tiring, and sometimes our brains need a break. If you’ve had a long day and don’t feel like writing out sentences with the words you learnt, you can still review.
Reading and listening is a great way to get exposure to new words. You may find that you suddenly notice words you have recently learnt when reading or listening to something in your target language. Of course, this isn’t as effective for learning specific words as the other tips, but it’s a great way to keep getting input when you’re tired!
Choose something that is fun or interesting for you, to make sure it doesn’t feel like a chore.
What words have you learnt recently? Write a few of them in the comment section below, and can you write some example sentences too?-Share this page-