One of the major limiting factors for the beginner/intermediate learner is memory.
Do you feel you interact with 100+ new words daily but only remember 2-5?
The following post will give you tools for acquiring new words and more importantly to stop forgetting.
The Classic Approach
For me, a classic solution is everything that looks like flashcards, vocabulary notebooks, useful phrase lists, spaced repetition systems, etc. Now, Let me tell you something. I have tried them all and neither of them really works because of 3 main drawbacks:
engagement, activeness, and context.
Engagement - vocabulary lists, flashcards, and "like-minded" tools are just too boring for becoming an effective tool. Working with them requires a lot of energy and very little reward at the end. It's counter-motivational and provides almost zero exposure to your target language.
Activeness - Like in most physical practices, language learning is about being active, and curious about the input you are receiving. The classic approach doesn't facilitate the right sensation and mindset which are necessary for storing new words in our brains.
Context - language is a sequential process filled with interconnected patterns and symbols. We function and think according to context and association. A learning process should be full of context and comprehensible input, and the classic approach provides exactly the opposite of that - a sterile environment with no option for forging new connections and networks.
Finally a small note about SRS (spaced repetition systems) which gained a lot of buzz in recent years. SRS might be an effective system when put to use correctly. However, It's still a very much isolated tool, that provides no exposure to your target language and offers limited context. I believe that SRS can be relevant in the short term and for specific tasks but in the long term, it's tedious work with almost no benefit.
New Developments
The language learning world has been partially affected by techniques and methods from the realm of memorization work. This dimension deserves a different post and so I'll leave it for future examination.
One process that I do want to point out is the method of the polyglot and language coach Luca Lampariello, which I find interesting and somewhat innovative. Luca has recently uploaded a 30 min video explaining his method. Feel free to watch the full video or just use my following summary.
In summary:
Luca a language coach shares his idea of how to build a large vocabulary in any language. He explains the three things you need to get started:
A portable notebook
Authentic target language content.
His process for memorizing new vocabulary:
Mark, highlight or underline what you want to remember: When reading or listening to content, identify important expressions to learn and remember.
Transfer the most important expressions into your notebook: Write down these expressions in your target language to help commit them to memory.
Store just enough expressions to remember the gist of the content: Write down enough information to reconstruct the original piece of content, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming.
Connect stored expressions to the context in which they were learned: Add context, such as a title, source, and date, to help remember where the information came from.
Translate the expressions into your native language: Use a two-page notebook layout to write translations of expressions, allowing for a bird's-eye view of the content in both languages.
Review your notebook regularly: Consistently review the expressions and translations to reinforce memorization and improve recall.
There are 3 powerful aspects of this process:
The activeness when searching and marking new words
The work with context and authentic content
Bio-directional translation
Also and more importantly, Luca's method provides a path for recalling and retrieval which is where our grand crescendo takes place.
The Lingo Franca Protocol
"To retrieve - to call to mind again; to get and bring back; to recover from storage." (Merriam-Webster).
Up until now, we addressed memory as if it was a very clear and simple process. In reality, things are much more complex. The cognitive ability that helps you find the right meaning of a word in a book might be completely different from the neurons' activity that enables you to put to use new words in a face-to-face conversation. In general, I'll identify two main language-learning memory activities:
Generative memory - The ability to use or implement previously learned words, expressions, and grammar structures.
Contextual-based memory - The ability to understand or derive meaning from words located in a space of comprehensible context.
Both types of memories will benefit from content consumption, immersion, and high exposure to the target language. The development of contextual memory should not be based on specific drills. Instead, the most effective, generalist, flexible and sustainable approach will be to focus on active authentic context exposure. This is where one could develop the ability to create meaning and deduct conclusions even with unfamiliar domains or resources.
As for generative memory, this is our main aim for this examination. Most people develop their comprehension abilities faster than their speaking abilities. Also, the range of our "comprehensible vocabulary" will be always bigger than the range of our "speaking vocabulary". Visiting back to the quote above, I believe that the most relevant solution should be retrieving.
retrieving is the "simple" act of digging deep inside our brains while trying to remember, get back, and essentially find and use a word or a phrase that we once saw/learned. Retrieving is done with minimal stimulation or help and requires maximal effort from the learner. Even if you don't remember the word, you are still working on developing your memory in that language. Retrieving is the most potent act to create new connections in the memory (short/long term) and to bring new language from the depths of our cognition to the front line, ready to use.
When talking about reviewing vs. retrieving, it should be clear that reviewing is useless as it provides almost zero possibility for the minimal activeness required for creating new connections in the brain. Retrieving is our superhuman skill for storing and accessing everything we need, and this is how you should use it.
The Protocol:
Consume authentic input daily - we can't retrieve it in a void. Authentic content is your engine for developing your active memory. Make sure to expose yourself to different and relevant input in your target language.
Use extensive/intensive cycles - Intensive consuming involves learners consuming content in detail with specific learning aims and tasks and translation. Extensive consumption involves learners consuming content for enjoyment with a focus on general meaning and flow. The right cycle practice should be:
Find interesting and relevant content (audio, video, reading materials), preferably with translation.
Consume Extensively
Consume Intensvley
Consume Extensively
Retrieve -
Formal Retrieving - Set a timer for 5-10 minutes every day and try to recall as many new words as possible from the last 1-7 days. Identify phrases, full sentences, or expressions you learned or heard that you found useful or interesting. You can enhance that process by combining this process with self-speaking. Most importantly - Don't look up the words you can't remember!
Informal Retrieving - Take advantage of times such as waiting in line, driving, and walking and use it for recall.
Certainly, this protocol should be integrated with a full learning program in order to enable comprehensive language acquisition.
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