I have a hard time remembering foreign language vocabulary, any suggestions on what I should try?

Question

Great answers so far! Thanks. The language I'm learning is Spanish.

Answer 1

notecards notecards notecards. also try to speak the language as often as you can.

Answer 2

Here are some of my tips (I muddle through five languages...Spanish, German, french, Italian, and Russian...other than English).

First, study your vocabulary regularly each day. Without meaning to gross anyone out, I study my vocabulary each time I sit down to do number two. It passes the time and I pick up two-three new words each time. And, as I am regular, my studies are regular as well.

Second, use the foreign language to name every day items you come into contact with. I am here sitting at my escritorio typing away at my computadora...for example.

Third, put your vocabulary into context; use your words in real or imagined scenarios. The Defense Language Institute calls this "total immersion" where the DLI students eat, sleep, and act in whatever language they are learning.

Fourth, look for similarities between your native language (English?) and the language you are trying to learn. For example, almost every English word ending in *tion (like situation) has a *cion counterpart in Spanish (like situacion).

Fifth, take advantage of the many foreign language shows on TV. You not only hear how things are pronounced and inflected, but you also see what they are talking about. I like "French in Action" on PBS to improve my understanding of spoken French.

Answer 3

It depends on what language you are learning. If you are learning an Indo-European language, then learn Grimm's Law and whatever other laws apply to the language you are studying. Grimm's Law is simple, if the word in English is an old word (not Greek or Latin), then if it starts with p, t, k, b, d, g, f, th, h, in most other non-Germanic Indo-European languages it starts with b, d, g, _, _, _, p, t, k. The underlines in Latin are f, f, h; in Greek ph, th, kh; in Sanskrit bh, dh, gh. There are a lot of these sound change rules that work really well in terms of learning vocabulary in other Indo-European languages.

Answer 4

I found the best way to do that is to browse through a spanish/english distionary and look at the words. Sounds boring but believe me it is not. Know the spanish word for ice? it is yellow. Know what tonto means. Nope, no the indian. It means stupid. The book is full of that stuff and is really interesting.

Answer 5

grimm's law is not without exceptions, but it's a start, and a good tip, as well. it may be a little bit technically worded, however.

funnily, it's been shown that a (ONE) glass of wine (any similar amount of alcohol would work, in a pinch) helps people recall vocab, whilst studying, and increases the fluidity of their speach and understanding. mostly, it makes you less nervous about making mistakes.

bonne chance!

Answer 6

Buy some 3x5 index cards, cut them into thirds, then write the english word on one side and the foreign word on the other side. Then, study study study them!

Answer 7

The best way to memorize ANYTHING is to write it over and over. The best TIME to do it is right before you go to sleep. Try not to do a lot of words at one time or your brain will get them mixed up.

Answer 8

try reading more