How to Learn Languages

  

Improve your memory with this comprehensive guide to memory techniques - mnemosyne.fluentradical.com

 
 

Applying memory techniques to languages illustrates one of the most dramatic ways that ordinary learning can be improved. The difference between 'normal' methods and more disciplined memory systems is more pronounced here than anywhere else.

'Normal' techniques:

  • based on repetition

  • ineffective

  • SLOW!

  • genders?

If you want to learn to be fluent in a foreign language you are going to need to know a LOT of words. 10 a week isn't going to cut it. 10 a day is more like it, but even that can be improved on with these techniques.

'Artificial' techniques:

  • fast. 20-30 words a day with only minimal effort.

  • effective. you'll remember the words this way.

  • nothing could be simpler than genders. It's so easy!

The example language (which I'm currently learning) is German. Sorry if that's not for you and I hope to put up French and other examples soon. But the techniques are valid for all languages.

The Language Method:

The method is based on IMAGINATION, ASSOCIATION and LOCATION. For each word we will conjure up an imaginative vision that will associate the English word with the German word. The gender will be encoded in the location.

Rather than small sets of locations as in a journey you are going to use an entire town. For your first language you should choose the town you are most familiar with. For me that's Durham, England.

German: 3 genders.

Now we divide the town up into zones. One zone for masculine, one for feminine and one for neuter. One zone for verbs, one zone for adjectives.

For instance, in my town of Durham:

  • The Bailey with the Castle and cathedral is designated masculine.

  • The Market Square and bridge and shopping centre is designated feminine.

  • The outskirts of Durham are neuter.

  • The sports centre is where I put the verbs I learn.

  • The University Science Site is for Adjectives.

Workbook: 
Select one town or city. Divide it up into the zones just described. Make sure that the zones are clearly demarcated. They don't have to rub up bumper to bumper but they must be CLEARLY segregated.

This technique reduces gender from a major headache to one of the easiest parts of learning a language! Each time we memorise a word we place the image we create in the correct location for the gender. So if you were to ask me, say, what gender is "Bank" in German, I would be able to tell you instantly: feminine. Because my image of "Bank" is located in the feminine district of town.

So that's gender. What about words? Observe:

der Knocken - bone (masculine) image: this image is in front of the cathedral as it's masculine.

on a slab outside the front door is a body. Its leg is opened, and inside rather than bone, are door knockers. This tells me that "bone" is "Knocken" in German.
der Rucken - back on the back of this body is painted the chess symbol of a rook, telling me that the word for "back" sounds like rook, and from there I can remember the word.
das Hemd - shirt
(neuter)		 this image is placed in a shop window on the outskirts of town to remind that it's neuter. in the window there is a shirt with a massive hem around the base. that's enough to remind me of the word.
der Flur - corridor
(masculine)		 I place a giant McFlurry ice cream in my corridor on the Bailey (masculine).
schlafen - to sleep this image is in the sports centre since it's a verb. A man is lying asleep on the floor. There are two men watching over, one is laughing at the first being asleep and the other is saying "shhhh" because he's noisy. shhh + laughin = schlafen

I couldn't resist including that last one. It's an example that's used in Dominic O'Brien's book How to Develop a Perfect Memory and it's the example I've always used when explaining all this to people. They always say something like: "that's stupid", but then three months later when the subject comes up again they remember it anyway!

So that's how it works. Don't worry if it seems hard; like all the memory techniques, once you start practicing your imagination improves and recalling becomes much easier.

One problem with this method is finding the vocabulary words in a convenient place to remember. I have two suggestions for this, one: try out www.ielanguages.com for tutorials and vocab listings in six languages. Second try:

  cover cover cover

Which contain vocabulary listings arranged thematically. I'm using this for my German vocab. I aim to do about 2 pages a day, which is around 25 words.