How to memorize English words forever: the spaced repetition method. How to learn English words: simple and modern techniques

When learning a foreign language, almost every person has a question about how to memorize foreign words quickly. Currently, there are many methods and techniques that will help expand foreign vocabulary easily and quickly, without resorting to tedious cramming, which is often not useful.

Method of interaction of sensations

This method works most effectively when used in combination with other methods and techniques for memorizing words.

The method of interaction of sensations shows how to better remember foreign words through sensory perception. It is based not on simple mechanical memorization of a word or phrase, but on their presentation and comparison with any sensations. This approach helps you use the words you’ve learned more confidently in conversation and not spend extra time just remembering them. With just the mention of a person, object, action or phenomenon, previously used sensory associations will automatically remind the brain of the necessary word.

An example is the English word cup, translated into Russian as “cup”. When using the method of interaction of sensations, you should not just memorize the “word - translation” pair, but also imagine the cup itself, the manipulations that can be performed with it, as well as the sensations that can be associated with it.

The method of interaction of sensations can be combined with mnemonics, based on searching for consonances in the native language and incorporating sound associations and translation into a common, easily memorized phrase. The English word cup is very similar to the Russian "cap". Based on a consonant association and translation, it is easy to create a phrase like: “Water drips from the tap into the mug: drip-drip-drip.” This combination of techniques perfectly shows how to memorize foreign words quickly and effectively. Mnemonics helps to transfer a word into long-term memory, and the method of interaction of sensations helps to consolidate it in memory and remind the brain of it when necessary to use it.

Cards and stickers method

Based on repeating 10-20 words throughout the day. Small rectangles are cut from thick paper or cardboard. Words in a foreign language are written on one side, and Russian translation on the other. Words are looked up at any free moment: at breakfast, lunch or dinner, in transport, at work, etc. You can view both foreign words and their translation in Russian. The main thing is when viewing, try to remember the translation of the word or its original sound and spelling in a foreign language.

Lessons with cards can be made more effective if carried out in several stages:

1. Familiarization with new words. Pronunciation, search for associations, initial memorization.
2. Memorizing new foreign words. Restoring the translation into Russian in memory, constantly shuffling the cards until all the words are learned.
3. A stage similar to the previous one, but in reverse order - working with words in Russian.
4. Consolidation of learned words. Repeat words as quickly as possible using a stopwatch. The goal of this stage is to recognize words without translation.

An original version of the card method is the use of stickers. With their help, you can learn the names of surrounding objects and the actions that can be performed with them. For example, you can stick the English “door” on the door, and “push” on its handle on the side from which the door needs to be pushed, and “pull” on the side from which the door is pulled.

Another option for working with stickers is to stick them in those places where the student can most often see them. This could be a place near the computer (including the screen), a mirror in the bathroom, kitchen shelves, etc. Any foreign words can be written on stickers. The main condition is that the stickers should often catch your eye.

The use of stickers clearly shows how to memorize words of a foreign language using visual information.

Associations

This is a very interesting and simple way of learning that is suitable even for kids. Methods of lexical or phonetic associations talk about how to memorize foreign words using Russian words consonant with them. At the same time, the foreign word and the Russian word consonant with it must be connected in meaning. If such a semantic connection is not clearly visible, you should come up with it yourself.

For example, the English word palm translated into Russian means “palm” and is consonant with the Russian “palm”. To remember the meaning of the word palm by association, you should think of the leaves of a palm tree as looking like human palms with outstretched fingers.

Don't think that there are exceptions to association methods. For one foreign word it is quite easy to find similar-sounding words in Russian, while another is completely inconsonant with anything. However, for any foreign word you can choose either a consonant variant, or divide it into its component parts and look for a similar phrase in the Russian language.

Or divide one compound word into two simple ones already known to the language learner, and by combining their translations form a single association. For example, the English word butterfly (butterfly) is easily divided into butter (butter) and fly (fly, fly). Thus, butterfly is easily remembered through associations such as “fly on butter” or “butter flies.”

Association methods are described in many works of professional linguists and are widely used in the practice of language schools. Some of the most interesting works and effective methods were proposed by Igor Yuryevich Matyugin, the developer of a special technique that develops attention and memory. To make it easier to understand how to memorize foreign words, I.Yu. Matyugin presented to the world a book containing 2,500 English words with vivid and interesting associations.

Yartsev method

It is best suited for those who perceive information more easily visually. This method will not tell you how to memorize hundreds of foreign words a day, but it will definitely help to significantly expand your vocabulary, consolidating it in long-term memory.

The essence of Yartsev’s method lies in the specific writing of words. A regular notebook sheet is divided into 3 columns. In the first the word is written, in the second - its translation. The third column is for synonyms and antonyms, as well as examples of word combinations and phrases in which the word being studied will be present.

The nice thing about using this technique is that there is no cramming. The written words should be re-read from time to time, thus gradually consolidating them in memory. But reading alone will not be enough. Words, in addition to lists, should also appear in articles, films, etc. Thus, they need to be activated in memory.

Grouping Methods

This technique helps you figure out how to quickly memorize foreign words. Combining them into groups can occur:

• Within the meaning of.
• According to grammatical features.

In the case of grouping by meaning, words that are synonyms or antonyms are collected together. The purpose of this grouping is to maximize the enrichment of vocabulary. An example would be the following group of words translated into any foreign language:

good, wonderful, wonderful, great, bad, unimportant, etc.

There can be a lot of options for grouping words based on grammatical features. When composing groups, you can rely on words with the same root, nouns of the same gender, verbs with a certain ending, etc. This grouping helps not only to expand your vocabulary, but also to improve your understanding of the basics of language grammar.

Mnemonic associations

Mnemonics takes a creative approach to the question of how to remember foreign words and put them into long-term memory. According to this method, for each foreign word it is necessary to come up with a consonant Russian word that will be associated with the foreign original. Then the sound association and translation are combined into a phrase or story that needs to be remembered. The repetition algorithm looks like this:

• Foreign word.
• Consonant association in Russian.
• Phrase or story.
• Translation.

As part of the methodology, the algorithm for each word is spoken 4 times a day for two days. The result is the exclusion of the “association” and “story, phrase” stages from the algorithm and the movement of the “foreign word - translation” pair to the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory.

Initially, the story gets into it, but the translation lingers in quick memory for only 30 minutes. In the future, at one glance at a word, a sound association will pop up in memory, a phrase will be remembered with it, and then a translation will be extracted from the phrase. The algorithm will also work in the opposite direction: the translation helps the brain remember the phrase, and from it or the story a sound analogy is extracted that reminds of the original foreign word. Thus, the mnemonic association technique shows how to effectively memorize foreign words, leaving them in memory for a long time.

An example is the English word puddle, translated into Russian meaning “puddle”. The sound association for him would be the Russian “fell”, and a suitable phrase would be: “Nikita fell into a puddle many times.” The word repetition algorithm will look like this:

• Puddle (original foreign word).
• Fell (sound association).
• Nikita fell into a puddle many times (a phrase or story containing a consonant association and translation).
• Puddle (translation).

Using the method of mnemonic associations, in order to easily remember foreign words, it is not necessary to come up with consonances and examples of phrases yourself. Currently, there are a large number of information resources that offer ready-made algorithms for memorizing foreign words and phrases.

Spaced Repetition

The spaced repetition method also suggests learning foreign words using flashcards. Its main difference from the card method is that it suggests how to memorize foreign words. The spaced repetition method requires that the words on the cards be reviewed and spoken at specific intervals. Thanks to this repetition algorithm, the foreign words being studied will be consolidated in the long-term memory department of the brain. But without the absence of repetition, the brain will “remove” unnecessary (in its opinion) information.

The spaced repetition method is not always useful or appropriate. For example, when studying frequently used words (days of the week, frequent actions, etc.), which are constantly heard and regularly used in speech, repetition of words will become a natural process - they will often appear in conversations, when reading and watching videos.

Listening

This method will be an ideal option for those who like to listen to music or any information. It is based on listening to foreign words, which must be pronounced correctly, as well as repeating them. The materials can be either special educational audio recordings or a variety of videos with a detailed analysis of words, phrases and sentences.

Reading

When deciding how to memorize foreign words, books, articles, and other printed materials in the target language can be of great help. Learning words while reading texts in a foreign language is appropriate when a person learning a language already knows about 2-3 thousand words. It is with the presence of such a vocabulary that comes understanding of simple texts.

The best option for memorizing through reading would be to write down unknown words from texts. In this case, you do not need to write out all the incomprehensible phrases in a row. Attention should be paid only to those without which it is impossible to understand the general meaning of the sentences. Surely they will be useful in the future use of a foreign language. Such memorization will be much more effective, since new information is “extracted” from the context, forming more vivid and pronounced associations in memory.

The number of words written out should also be limited. To replenish your vocabulary without interrupting reading, it is enough to write out just a few of them from one read page.

If you wish, you can do without writing it out, since your vocabulary is replenished even in the process of continuous reading. But learning words and consolidating them in long-term memory in this case occurs much more slowly.

Watch video

Learning new words from videos also requires the learner to have certain knowledge of the language. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to understand what foreign word, still unknown to the student, was uttered. Watching a video in a foreign language allows you to achieve two results at once: expand your vocabulary and improve your listening comprehension skills.

The simplest approach in this technique is to watch the video without being distracted by writing out unknown words. But the most positive result will be achieved only if you stop the film while watching, take notes and analyze words and phrases that are new to the language learner.

“To speak another language means to own a second soul”

Charlemagne

The importance of knowing a foreign language in the modern world cannot be overestimated. In order to travel, you must know the language of the country you are going to, or at least English. There are many foreign language resources on the Internet, the key to which is knowledge of the language. Increasingly, when hiring, knowledge of one or even several foreign languages ​​is required. And its study contributes to the formation of new neural connections in the brain.

The main difficulty in mastering a language is words. This article is designed to make this process much more interesting and easier.

If you are not yet familiar with the basic principles of mnemonics,...

Method phonetic associations

This method is based on the consonance of words of a foreign language and a native one. In order to remember a word, you must find a word that sounds similar in your native language.

For example: pillow [ˈpɪloʊ] translated from English is pillow. In pronunciation, this word is very similar to the Russian word “saw”. We imagine how a saw cuts a pillow from above, feathers begin to fall out, etc. (don't forget about the brightness of the image). Or the English word hang - to hang. It reminds me of the word "khan". We imagine how the khan hangs on the horizontal bar.

What to do with the word elephant? It’s difficult to find a consonant word for it. But you can divide it into parts and pick it up some words For example " Ele ktronika" (the one where the wolf catches eggs) and " forfeit ik". We imagine how an elephant with its trunk holds an “Electronics”, half wrapped in a candy wrapper.
Let's consider a more complex example: suggest - to suggest. We imagine Stalin holding a large open jar of jam over his head, a piece of cheese sticking out of it, and Joseph Vissarionovich actively offers buy this. We read the images in order (from top to bottom): sy R, je m, St alin. The result was something very reminiscent of suggest. We immediately remember the translation - to offer.

Important! When repeating words, be sure to pronounce the correct pronunciation of the word. Although you do not remember it exactly, but only approximately, you will still remember it with periodic repetition. You can repeat it as follows: first, read a word in a foreign language, remember the phonetic association and name the translation, and after some time you will no longer need to imagine Stalin selling jam every time, you will be able to name the translation straightaway. If you want to communicate verbally, and not just be able to read and write, then this is the effect you need to achieve. It's not that difficult. With regular reading, automaticity can come even without much effort on your part. But some words will not appear in the text so often, so they will have to be repeated separately (allow time for this in your schedule).

Word formation

Study the word formation of the chosen language. How can you turn a familiar word into the opposite meaning (happy, unhappy), how can you turn a noun into an adjective or adverb (success, successful, successfully, respectively). Pay attention to words with two roots (snowball – snow+ball – snowball or snowball). Be sure to understand formative prefixes and suffixes - this will make the process of learning the language much easier.

As you noticed, to memorize words it is not at all necessary to highlight supporting images. But if you wish, you can do this: create a memory palace with several corridors (one per part of speech) and place images in it. Then you will have a complete dictionary of the language you are learning in your head.

Bonus: remembering new words in your native language
A process similar to memorizing foreign words: we create a phonetic association, find an image for the semantic meaning of the word and connect it.

For example: an epigone is a follower of any artistic, scientific, etc. direction, devoid of creative originality and mechanically repeating someone else’s ideas. Phonetic associations: ep olets, Yoke ry N Ikolaev. We imagine Igor Nikolaev sitting at the table and copying something from one piece of paper to another. He has huge epaulets on his shoulders. Ready.
Now you don’t have to spend hours cramming a couple of dozen words. The rate at which your vocabulary increases will increase, and your desire to learn the language will increase, because rapid success in learning is very motivating. Don’t put it off for too long: learn 10-20 foreign words right now.

Which we are studying, we have known for a long time, but expanding our vocabulary and memorizing a large number of foreign words is problematic for us. Because of this, the speech, although correct, is meager. What to do?

In this article we will tell you how to quickly and easily memorize foreign words to expand your vocabulary and make it richer.

Foreign words

Set goals

The first step to learning a new language is setting goals. Many people treat this point superficially, but it is the main one in this matter. By working on it, you can ultimately determine whether you have truly achieved everything you wanted. When you are faced with the desire or need to learn a new language, many questions, problems and small details come to mind: too many words, they are difficult to learn, the learning methods are different.

When you set a goal for yourself, work out what you want to achieve in the end, you focus on narrower areas. Research shows that people who work to set goals are more likely to succeed than those who simply start teaching without knowing what they want to achieve. Use the following tips to successfully set a goal and achieve it:

Focus on a specific outcome. Work out the details and determine what exactly you want to learn, not how much time you want to spend on it. For example, tell yourself: “This week I want to learn 30 English words related to shopping.”

Set short-term goals. Of course, having a serious goal is good, but if it is too broad and requires a huge investment of time, it will not be enough to motivate you to work every day. Break your big goal into smaller ones, and successfully complete small weekly or monthly tasks.

Challenge yourself. Goals are always achieved much faster if they force you to make an effort. The main thing is that you do not feel burdened or pressured. This method can work if you set yourself one goal, but with different possible outcomes. For example, say: “I will learn 30-50 English words this week.” The smallest number allows you to start working with the knowledge that the goal is not that difficult to achieve. The highest number will force you to put in effort to show the best result.

Write down your goals. This obvious method really works because keeping your paper organized allows you to focus on what you're writing fully. In fact, you can use some other means for this: notes on your phone, notes on the refrigerator, a marker on the wall, or your finger on the mirror.

Read also: 5 most unusual languages ​​people speak

The most common foreign words

Make a schedule

Have you ever wondered how musicians memorize so many songs and remember them for a long time? It's all about daily practice, because for this they rehearse over and over again. This process takes time, but is rewarded later.

When learning new words, you may think that it takes too much time and that what you already know is enough for you. However, you will be able to speak beautifully, correctly and interestingly only when you enrich your vocabulary. In fact, it doesn't take much time. Just make a schedule and you will see it.

If you are a person who prefers to get up early, study words for half an hour - in the morning. Teach them while you choose clothes, wash and dress, while you make tea. In addition, you can treat yourself to small prizes for a job well done - allow yourself a new thing or a trip to a restaurant, for example, after a week of working with new words. Remember that this will only work if you actually learn the words every day.

Group words by topic

Many people, when expanding their vocabulary, make one common mistake - they start learning all the words in a row. To make it easier to remember foreign words, you should not study everything by simply remembering and translating them. Create a list of words grouped by topic or category. For example, write down all the words for colors, food, animals, verbs of motion, and others.

This method allows you to divide the entire huge vocabulary into small parts that are much easier to learn. In addition, associations with a topic will help you remember both the words themselves and the area in which they are used. Small lists of words will motivate you to study them, because you will not feel overwhelmed or pressured, but the result will not be long in coming.

Look for opportunities

“Learn a word” and “memorize” are completely different concepts. A person who truly learns new words always knows how and in what situation they need to be applied, otherwise all efforts become meaningless. Otherwise, they are simply erased from memory, and you have to start over.

In order for the learned word to firmly settle in your memory, use it as often as possible. If the word is rare or unusual, find out when it is appropriate to use it. If the word is completely ordinary and the situation allows it, start a topic that would require the use of learned words. For example, if you are currently studying a list of animals that live in the forest, interest your interlocutor and tell him some surprising facts about wildlife.

How to memorize foreign words

Video and audio

If you really want to enrich your vocabulary, but notice that you have poor visual memory, and you are tired of constantly repeating words out loud, use various educational videos and audio recordings with the pronunciation of words. This will help you relax, go about your business, while listening to someone repeat words that are new to you.

You can turn them on as background to your daily activities and listen while getting ready for work or taking a bath. This way, you will not only remember words, but also know how to pronounce them correctly - this is a very important point in expanding your vocabulary and when communicating with native speakers.

Own words

In order to understand which words are most often used in everyday life, and which ones are practically not used anymore, highlight the most popular ones in your speech and the speech of your loved ones. If you notice that you often use a certain word, or it often appears in the speech of your friends, write it down.

Over time, you will collect a list of words that you can translate and learn, because the words that you are given to study in old books and textbooks are not always used in everyday life. They are important for overall development, but you should first find out how often and in what situations native speakers use them - otherwise you may end up in an awkward position or simply not being understood.

Synonyms and antonyms

As in the Russian language, many foreign words have synonyms and antonyms. This point will help you enrich your vocabulary and make your speech richer and more beautiful, because using the same word in a sentence several times in a row will not add beauty to it.

If you find a word that you use often, try to find a replacement for it. Learn a few synonyms - you will know what it means, and the associations will do their job. You won't have to spend a long time searching and remembering the area in which this word is used, because synonyms have the same meaning.

The most difficult thing for most of us in learning a new language is not just memorizing new vocabulary, but also using it at the right time. That is, each word needs to be made “yours” so much that its use is habitual.

I offer eight simple, working ways that will help you not only remember the words you need, but also truly master them and create an active vocabulary.

Just let's agree right away - "I know the word" equals the following combination:

• I know its meaning in a foreign language (meaning).
• I can pronounce it completely correctly (phonetics).
• I can write it without errors (spelling).
• I know what words it can be combined with and what style of communication it is appropriate for (meaning).
• I know how translate it into your native language.

If at least one component is missing, you have done a bad job, return the pie to the shelf and start over. For those who are not afraid of the villain and are ready to fight lexical monsters, here are some simple and effective tips.

1. Keep your own “dictionary”

We are all familiar with these notebooks from school: word-transcription-translation. To memorize effectively, the scheme will have to be changed a little. In addition to the word and transcription, use not a translation, but a synonym or explanation in a foreign language.

For beginners whose vocabulary is poor and for whom a synonym will only complicate life, it is good to use a conventional image instead of a translation. You can draw something yourself, or use ready-made pictures for other objects and concepts - for example, stickers. This way you will remove the “interference” of your native language, and it will be easier to restructure your thinking to perceive a foreign language.

Lifehack: graphic symbols are good at any stage - they become an excellent reinforcement for memorization. It has been tested: if you draw even a very conventional image next to a word on the board, students remember it much faster in the next class.

2. Look - say - close - write

This is exactly the chain of actions you will have to do when you come across a new word: carefully study its spelling; say out loud - loudly and clearly; then cover it with your hand and write from memory. After this, be sure to check yourself and make sure that you reproduced the word on paper correctly.

To begin with, learn five words in this way, gradually their number can be increased to ten. Having memorized the next group, write all the words together to consolidate the result.

Lifehack: It is worth pronouncing words as varied as possible - in different tones of voice, with different volumes, sing some, “mint” others. The brain remembers anything unusual faster, and in this way you will help it absorb the information.

3. Group words to learn them

Trying to remember individual words is an irrational activity. Create groups and chains from them according to the principle that is most convenient for you. These can be several words of one part of speech, a group of synonyms, several words of the same topic, words of different parts of speech that are usually used together.

For example, for English, combinations such as verb and preposition, participle and preposition, adjective and noun are very relevant.

Lifehack: write each group on a separate sheet of paper and draw it up according to the principle of a mind map or using scribing elements. The resulting masterpiece can be placed in a prominent place - just like stickers with words, which are discussed below.

4. Write spelling dictations

For those who learn a language in a group, such an exercise is among the usual ones. If it is not included, ask the teacher why. It is irrational to devote too much time to such tasks, but at least a couple of minutes during each lesson is quite justified.

If we are talking about learning a language on your own, it is also not difficult to arrange a similar test for yourself. Simply use a voice recorder to write down 10-15 words, pausing after each, and then play the recording back, trying to write the words you dictated to yourself.

Lifehack: Dictate words in your native and foreign languages ​​alternately, this way you will train your brain to quickly switch from one language to another.

5. Make sentences using new vocabulary

Once you have a list of new words (or have made one yourself), immediately use them to write a few sentences. Try to use 2-3 words in each of them at once to make memorization easier. Those sentences that you were especially successful and liked can be printed out or written larger and attached in a visible place to better remember.

Lifehack: You can complete the design of your canvases on which you have grouped words with a sentence or story. The more stupid the story, the better it is remembered. It’s also useful and interesting to try to cram as many words as possible into one sentence.

6. Play games

There are a lot of games with words for every taste. Scrabble and its analogues are perfect for group activities, and crossword puzzles for individual reinforcement. In addition, there are a huge number of computer games built on the same principle as Scrabble - use them to learn vocabulary while waiting in lines or on public transport.

Lifehack: Don't limit yourself to the classics. Chatting in an RPG is also good vocabulary practice if your partners speak a foreign language. But in this case, set the goal to use all the words from the list of active vocabulary in one game session. You will probably remember for a long time the attempt to introduce the word “spiritual” or “parsnip” into a discussion of game strategy.

7. Post new words in plain sight

The good old technique of writing words on sticky notes or regular pieces of paper and then hanging them on walls and other surfaces can be quite effective. The main thing is that the word is written clearly and large, that is, catches the eye. So it will definitely be remembered, albeit unconsciously, and at the right moment it will emerge in memory.

Lifehack: use stickers of different colors, sizes, shapes and change their location every two days. Otherwise, the words will become familiar and you will not remember them. Better yet, involve children in this activity and let them swap your securities without warning.

8. Review what you learn regularly

Whatever technology you use, constant repetition is essential. How you organize it is up to you, the main thing is to determine the frequency. One of the best periods is two weeks. During this time, too many new words will not accumulate, and the previous ones will not have time to be forgotten.

Lifehack: repeat what you have learned each time in new conditions. Today go to the park, in two weeks settle down in the living room, and in another two weeks read notes on the subway. A change of environment improves memorization and the brain works more efficiently.

The most important thing is not to turn the learning process into a routine and enjoy every action, be it pronouncing a new word in a funny voice or trying to draw the corresponding picture next to the word “efficiency”. Combine different methods described above or use them all - and success will certainly be on your side.

From the editor

Do you believe in express methods of learning foreign languages? The question of whether it is possible to learn a new language in a couple of months is quite controversial. However, why not test it in practice? We recommend the book by Benny Lewis “Speak a foreign language fluently in 3 months”: .

In order to be physically able to memorize foreign vocabulary well, it is important to devote time to developing your mental abilities. What is a cognitive base and how to develop it, explains a teacher and expert in the field of effective learning technologies Nina Shevchuk: .

When you need to learn words, but you constantly put it off until later and find excuses so as not to learn anything, this is nothing more than self-sabotage. How to get rid of it, says a psychologist Oksana Yusupova: .

The method of phonetic (sound) associations (PPA) arose because in the most diverse languages ​​of the world there are words or parts of words that sound the same, but have different meanings. In addition, in different languages ​​there are words that have a common origin, but over time have acquired different meanings. Often people use this method without realizing that they are using it.

The first mentions of the effectiveness of using methods similar to MFA can be found in the literature of the end of the last century. In the 70s of our century, Stanford University professor R. Atkinson conducted a detailed study of the use of associations in the process of language acquisition. He and his colleagues had a group of Russian language students memorize words using the "Keyword method" while a control group memorized the same words using traditional methods. Atkinson’s “key words” are nothing more than words that are phonetic (sound) associations to memorized words, consonant words. Numerous experiments by Atkinson and his colleagues have proven the high effectiveness of this method of memorizing foreign words. The method of phonetic associations as a method of memorizing foreign words is becoming more and more popular in the world.

Now let’s take a closer look at what exactly the sound association method is. In order to remember a foreign word, you need to choose a consonant word for it, that is, a word that sounds similar in your native or well-known language. Then you need to compose a short plot from the consonant word and translation. For example, a consonant word for the English word look (onion) “to look” will be the Russian word “onion”. The plot could be like this: “I can’t WATCH when I cut “ONION.” The plot must be compiled so that the approximate sound of the word and its translation appear as if in one connection, and are not torn off from each other, that is, actually for memorization. A consonant word does not have to completely coincide with a foreign one, a consonant part is enough. For example: MESH (mesh) LOOP, CELL (network). The words “bag”, or “to interfere”, or “to linger” can be considered consonant - as you prefer . Depending on the chosen consonance, the plots can be as follows: “A LOOP prevents you from getting out” or “The bag was tied with a LOOP” or “Stuck in a LOOP.” It is important that the remaining (auxiliary) words in the plot are as neutral as possible, not evoking vivid images. there should be as few words as possible. This is necessary so that when remembering, you do not confuse them with the necessary ones, that is, with the words that you memorized. The necessary words (consonant word and translation word), on the contrary, must be highlighted in every possible way , focus on them. If you can’t make a semantic emphasis, then at least an intonation one.

Using MFA, you can memorize many words in one sitting. And most importantly, this method will help you get rid of endless repetitions of memorized words - you just need to select a sound association for the word once and create a plot. Specific examples will tell you more about the nuances of using this method. DIVONA means "FOOL" in Dari (the language spoken in Afghanistan). The closest sounding Russian word to the word "divona" is "sofa". The consonant word does not have to completely coincide with the foreign word being remembered, the main thing is that it can serve as a kind of key with the help of which we could find the necessary word in our memory. But it can serve as a key only if we compose a plot from these two words, so that the actualization of one word from the plot entails the recall of another. At the same time, as you already know, the more unusual and vivid the plot, the better it is remembered. For the words “sofa” and “fool” the plot could be like this: “The fool fell from the SOFA.” It is important to pronounce out loud both the memorized word and the consonant word. First of all, this must be done so that your memory, in its natural course, captures how the consonant word is similar to the one you remember and how it is different. As a rule, it is enough to say both words 2-3 times.

Here's another example: ARRESTO - STOP in Italian. The consonant word “arrest” (this is exactly the case when the memorized word and the consonant word have a common origin, but over time the meanings of these words have diverged). The simplest plot is this: At a STOP, someone was ARRESTED. Here it is better not to specify who specifically, so that during reproduction you do not confuse the memorized word with this extra word. In such cases, you can use pronouns, and when reviving the plot, imagine that the matter happened with some friend of yours, or even better with yourself. At the same time, if you make up a story about yourself: “I was arrested at a traffic stop,” then it will be easy to apply the co-sensation method to it to increase the efficiency of memorization.

Surely you will record the words, consonances and plots you remember on paper. In this case, do not be lazy to highlight on the letter the memorized word, the translation, and that part of the consonant word that resembles the memorized one. To do this, you can use different sizes, italics, underlining, etc. It also promotes better memory (due to the interaction of visual and auditory memory).

In general, the best effect in memorizing foreign words is achieved with the simultaneous use of MVVO and MFA.

Often, to memorize a foreign word, you have to select not one, but two consonant words. This is necessary when the word is quite long, and there is no similar word in the native language. In this case, the foreign word must be divided into two parts and a consonant word must be selected for each of its parts (words should be short if possible and contain as many common sounds as possible with the one being memorized). For example, for the English word NAPKIN (napkin) - NAPKIN, we select two consonant words: “NEPTUNE” (or “Fidget” or “N.E.P.”) and KINul. All that remains is to create a plot, for example, “NEPTUNE THROWN A NAPKIN at me.” Moreover, in the plot, the first and second consonant words must necessarily follow one after the other, and there should be no words between them. It's good if, when reviving the plot and presenting it as a still from a film, you use exaggeration of associations. For example, imagine that they threw a huge napkin at you, so huge that it covered your head. Do not forget to also use the method of co-sensations.

Some people, when choosing an association for this word, will prefer a longer, but also more phonetically accurate association made up of two words: FOUNTAIN and GETRAS. And the corresponding plot: “I forgot my leggings in the Fountain.” Another part of people will prefer the less phonetically accurate, but shorter association “bassoon” (here “a” is unstressed and almost “o” is heard) and the corresponding plot, made up of the words “forget” and “bassoon”.

It should be noted that this method is not without reason called phonetic or sound associations. It is necessary to select an association specifically for the sound, and not the spelling of the word (after all, in many languages ​​the sound and spelling of words are very different). Therefore, first of all, even before selecting the consonance, make sure that you pronounce the word correctly. There are other methods for remembering the spelling of words.

It is also impossible not to say that due to purely anatomical differences in the pronunciation of sounds in different languages, the memorized word and the consonant word will never sound exactly the same, even if they seem to completely coincide, as is the case with the English word " look "and its Russian consonance "bow". It is enough to note that the sound “l” in Russian and English is pronounced completely differently. Therefore, pronunciation, strictly speaking, must be learned separately. The method of phonetic associations perfectly helps to remember the meanings of words. The method of phonetic associations is indispensable in conditions of lack of time: when preparing for an exam, for a tourist trip or business trip, that is, in any situation where you need to remember a large number of words in a short period of time. With its help, it is not difficult to memorize 30-50 words a day, which, you see, is not bad at all (that’s at least 11 thousand words a year). The most important thing is that this method allows you to avoid tedious cramming (which is simply impossible with traditional methods of learning foreign words) and can even turn memorizing foreign words into an exciting, creative process.

If you like this method and want to practice its application, you can try the following exercise. I hope you can appreciate the benefits of the association method. A little further you will find a variant of associations for the words from this exercise, as well as some comments on them.

Exercise: Here are words in different languages. Select sound associations for them and create stories to remember.

a) Here are 8 Italian words. They are read the same way as they are written.

ARIA - AIR
FAGOTTO - KNOT
BURRO - OIL
FRONTE - FOREIGN
GALERA - PRISON
GARBATO - POLITE
LAMPO - LIGHTNING
PANINO - BUN

b) Here are 8 English words with approximate transcription and translation.

BULL (bul) - BULL
CONCEAL (consil) - HIDE, CONCEAL
NUZZLE (mazzle) - MUZZLE
LIP (linden) - LIP
DESERT (desert) - DESERT
HILL (hill) - HILL
SMASH (smash) - BREAK (to pieces)
PIGEON (pidgin) - DOVE.

If, for some reason, you have not yet been able to find sound associations for foreign words or have difficulties composing a plot, look at how this could be done.

a) Italian words:

ARIA- AIR. “When you sing ARIA you take in a lot of air.”
FAGOTTO- KNOT. "BASSON tied in a knot." (Such a plot must be imagined.)
BURRO- OIL. “BURATino gives oil.”/ “BURATino slipped on oil.” “Oil is BROWN.” You can choose any of the proposed plots. Each has its own advantages. The first one is good because it is close to the “butter” theme. The second is the most dynamic and funny. The third is faceless, does not evoke vivid images and is unmemorable, in my opinion, but some may like it for its brevity.
FRONTE- FOREHEAD. “At the FRONT I was wounded in the forehead.” (Of course, in the Russian language there is also a similar word - “frontal”, but not everyone understands its meaning, especially since it means “front”, “frontal” (in medicine), but still not “forehead”.)
GALERA- JAIL. “They sailed away from prison on GALLERKA,” or “On GALLERKA it was (scary, uncomfortable...) like in prison.” The word "galley" contains more identical sounds in a row with the one being remembered. But an avid theatergoer will probably like it, and therefore will remember the second plot better.
GARBATO- POLITE. The key word is “Humpbacked” (we actually pronounce it “gArbaty”). It’s difficult to come up with a vivid story with these words. However, such moralizing statements are possible: “We must be polite to HUMPBACKS.” Or: “All HUMPBACKS are polite.” And someone will not be lazy and compose a whole story so that the plot becomes brighter and better remembered: “The boy is tired of being polite and give up seats in transport. Then he pretended to be HUMPBACK, and now the place is being given up to him." Of course, there are too many unnecessary words, but the significant words are clearly highlighted.
LAMPO- LIGHTNING. "The lamp flashed like lightning." Or “The lightning shone for a very long time, like a LAMP.” I like the second plot better, because it is more unusual and unrealistic, which means it will be better remembered.
PANINO- BUN. The consonant word is "PIANINO". There can be many plot options. The main thing is not to forget about the rules when compiling them. And DO NOT make up stories like: “The bun was lying on PiANINO.” It's much better if you imagine how she fell from him. And, of course, it’s very good if you learn to come up with more original stories to memorize foreign words, for example, this one: “PIANINO had to be fed buns from time to time.”

b) English words:

BULL- BULL. There can be several consonant words: BULL, COBBLE, PIN, BULL TERRIER, BOULEVARD, BULT, etc. It is better to use the word that first came to mind, taking into account, of course, that it should be bright. Accordingly, there may be even more plots, and I leave the choice of plot to your discretion.
CONCEAL- HIDE. "The CONSUL hid important facts." You can break the memorized word into two parts and come up with a consonance for each of them: “HORSE” and “STRONG”. "The Horse hid that it was STRONG."
MUZZLE- MUZZLE. "I smeared my whole face." Here it would be good to use your real memories of how some animal you know got smeared on its face; remember how it looked. In general, when the plot is intertwined with personal experience, it is remembered especially well, since not imaginary, but real sensations are actualized.
LIP- LIP. "Sticky lip" "lips stuck together." I think the second option is a little better because it has some action. You can use the co-sensation method: imagine that you are trying to open your lips and cannot.
DESERT- DESERT. "The deserter fled into the desert." The word “dessert” also suggests itself as an associative word; it, of course, can also be used if you remember that in English the word “desert” is pronounced with the sound “Z” and not “S”, so it is still better as a sound association use "deserter" to avoid mispronunciation. The stress in this and many other words should be memorized separately, since it is not always possible to select a consonant word in which the stress falls on the desired syllable.
HILL- HILL. "The frail one has difficulty climbing the hill."
SMASH- BREAK (to pieces). “He crashed into pieces, but everything is FUNNY for him.” / “He smashed everything into pieces and now it’s FUNNY for him.”
PIGEON- PIGEON. "Dove DRINK GIN."