There are many ways to learn and remember new vocabulary words. Repetition is a common method, and writing out a word over and over and saying it out loud several times will definitely help that word stick in your mind. You can also increase your chances of remembering and later recalling a new word by using a mnemonic device.
Mnemonic (pronounced neh-MAH-nik) is an adjective that means “related to helping improve memory.” It’s also used as a noun, with the same pronunciation, and the meaning of “something that helps in remembering.” Here’s how the word is used in a sentence, first as an adjective and then as a noun:
Some memory-improvement courses focus solely on teaching you mnemonic tricks and ignore the importance of a healthy diet and adequate sleep.
The mnemonic HOMES is frequently used to help students remember the names of the five Great Lakes in North America (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
The word mnemonic comes from the name of the ancient Greek goddess Mnemosyne, ruler of memory and mother of the nine Muses. A good memory has been a vital element of personal and professional success for thousands of years; in fact, at one time all information had to be memorized and recalled as part of the oral tradition that early humans had before the art of writing was invented and widely used. Even today, many traditional storytellers and poets keep hundreds of works in their memories to relate to the next generation. People have been working on mnemonic tricks such as linking, visualization, and abbreviation since at least the 4th century BCE.
So how can you use mnemonic devices to learn new English vocabulary words? You have several methods to choose from, but we’ll focus on two that will help with most words: visualization and linking.
Visualization is a good way to remember nouns, action verbs, and most adjectives and adverbs. By involving your imagination and your visual cortex, you’ll trigger activity in more parts of your brain, which will help solidify the memory and make it easier to recall the word later. If you draw a quick sketch illustrating the word, that will make an even stronger connection; using your hands brings in yet more parts of the brain and its neural energy. To practice this technique, think about how you might create visual images for the words memorabilia and commemorate.
Linking is a useful way to remember words that can’t be easily expressed in visual format. For example, the word remember might be illustrated by a picture of a head with a “thought bubble” over it with something inside, but how would you know that’s supposed to be remember and not visualize or imagine or think, or even the name of the object in the bubble? Instead of trying to create a complicated picture, link the word to another word or concept. Learning synonyms is a good way to create these linked groups, because it’s easier to think of a set of three or four related words than one alone. Link remember to recall, remind, recollect, and retain. This way, you’ll be able to call to mind several words, expanding your vocabulary and training your memory at the same time.
Cross-posted at the Ultimate Memory blog.
