When studying a foreign language is it psychically possible to learn 100 new words per day?

Question

If not, what do you think is the approximate upper limit?

Answer 1

It's possible to remember much more than that; however, it requires a lot of discipline and training. Our educational system doesn't really stress techniques for memorization, but in other cultures that do, people can perform seemingly impossible acts of memorization (I personally think that it's a good thing that we don't stress memorization, but I would like to see just a bit more attention paid to it).

Here's an example - Seneca the Elder, in his Controversiae, wrote to his sons that when he was a young man he could hear a list of a thousand or so names and immediately upon it's finish repeat it back in exact order it was given. And remember that literature was memorized and recited orally long before it was written down (the Iliad and the Odyssey are both oral traditions that people were memorizing long before and long after they had become actual books).

Anyway, I mean to say that even though 100 words a day seems tough, if you're willing to work on your retention, you can most definitely do that and more. But like a muscle, memory has to be trained before it can do any major work. Once you've worked that particular muscle out, though, you'll be surprised at how much it can lift (figuratively).

Answer 2

only if you are very advanced and is studying topics of your interest in the target language.

Using a language learning approach this would be very difficult.

Working with language textbooks, I can work dialogues worth some 7 new words in an hour (roughly estimated average),
but they must be reviewed in the following days lest they be forgotten quickly.

When tackling English literature, I may come across some 20 new words in an hour (if the text is very hard) , and if I bother to write down the sentences where they had appeared, and review them the following days I´d learn them all.

So I guess I could keep up with learning 100 words a day, If I studied difficult texts for some 5 hours a day, and gave some other 3 hours to review what I have studied the previous days.

Answer 3

Yes it is possible, we definitely tried to do it at DLI (Defense Language Institute). If you do not completely learn the new words, study allot so you con be familiar with them. Through repetition and homework and as the words come up in the future they will be a little more easily recalled. Also you can break the word down to the word origin and find similar words and increase your vocab that way.

Answer 4

I am taking Spanish II at my college and I think it is almost impossible to learn 100 new foreign words a day. Unless you have a mind that rivals Einstein's. I think if you want to actually remember these words and be able to recall them in the future, then maybe a 20 word limit; if you work at it. Good luck

Answer 5

yes I think it is possible, but hard. Approximate upper limit? I really don't think anyone could go higher than that. I bet even at 100 you would only retain 80% (max) the next day.

Answer 6

Yes I learn 500 words a day I study for 18 hours straight every day.

Answer 7

Yes, it is possible, Yet everyone has its own tempo and it requires a personal approach. For somebody 100 new words per day could be easy, for else an impossible task..

Choose you!!
Wish you luck!

Answer 8

If you spend 10 hours a day, that's only 10 words per hour.

Answer 9

Be realistic. Even if you learn ONE new word a day, and learn it thoroughly, you're doing well!

Answer 10

I find 10-20 a comfortable number, getting them pretty well down, oddities and all.