Methods for memorizing English words. How to learn English words? My five ways to effectively memorize English words

Today, self-development in the form of learning languages and going to the gym is literally considered a trend that everyone is trying to keep up with.

All you can hear from everywhere is “Don’t give up!”, “Be better than yesterday!”, “Work on yourself!”. If you don't have a perfect figure, everything is clear - you need to follow proper nutrition and build muscles. However, is everything so simple in learning English? Let's see.

If you have gaps in English, you should improve your grammar and expand your vocabulary. What to do if your memory is bad and all these words can’t fit in your head? Is it possible to upgrade memory? The answer will pleasantly surprise you - you can.

Of course, some people will be able to quickly learn a number of new English words just by looking at them, while others will have to make an effort. It all depends on your desire.

In order to understand how you can pump up your memory, it’s worth taking into account several of your own characteristics - everything is individual. As you know, there are two types of memory - someone perceives new things auditorily, and others visually. There is one secret technique that we intuitively know at school, but over time we forget.

Remember how during recess, repeating a verse, you walked from corner to corner with a textbook. Indeed, movement helps to remember new things. And of course, memorization is significantly influenced not only by speed, but also by the quality of memorization or the level of attention. It is important to concentrate on what you are learning here and now, and not fly in the clouds.

Understanding what memory is, it becomes obvious that by working on yourself, adding more self-discipline, you can develop your memory and easily learn the required number of new memorizations of English words. All the excuses you've used before, it's time to get your act together and take a leap of learning. in English.

How to quickly learn English words

1. Learn words from context.

It is quite difficult to learn words if they are listed in the dictionary. This method can only be used if you are studying with a teacher who will help you use these words in context, build a dialogue with you using these new words and translate a list of new words from your passive vocabulary to active.

If you are at the stage self-study English, it is best to memorize words in the context of a topic that interests you.

IN this method Learning new words uses two types of memory - visual and auditory. Subtitles are important because they will help you be 100% sure what the word was just said and how it is spelled. Agree, it is difficult to remember something that you are not confident enough in.

If you study English with a teacher, then he will definitely include podcasts in your classes, which are also a magic wand for expanding your vocabulary.

3. Don't grab every new word.

When learning words, you shouldn’t grab every new word and run to write it down in the dictionary. If only because the number of words in the English language is incredible!

To begin with, it is best to memorize the base of words that you need, depending on your age and lifestyle. Of course, an experienced English teacher will be able to point you in the right direction and tell you what to focus on.

However, you can try and independently determine what you should concentrate on and what words you can omit.

4. Read.

You might be surprised, but now we're talking about not even about reading in English, but about reading in your native language. It doesn’t matter whether it’s fiction or quality articles.

Reading helps make your thinking more flexible and develops your memory, thereby improving your memorization of new words in English.

5. Learn words in combination with grammar.

Many people believe that the main basis of English is words, and you don’t have to work too hard on grammar. Perhaps someday in a parallel universe this myth will be dispelled, however, now it still exists.

Just imagine, if you know the conjugation of verbs, how many new words you will immediately recognize. For example, if you do not perceive that all these new words in the text are just the first or second form of an irregular verb, they all seem new to you and confusion arises.

6. Learn English with the help of modern technologies, away with old-fashioned flashcards!

Fortunately the world modern technologies This also helps to learn new words. For example, on our website there is a dictionary in a completely free format that will help you learn new words, memorizing them auditorily and visually. The study takes place more quickly game form, which helps make the process of memorizing new words much more enjoyable.

In order to remember an English word faster, you can draw a certain parallel with it in your mind. It doesn’t matter whether it will make sense to someone else, the main thing is that it carries a certain message for you and, remembering this association, you could remember a new word.

For example, the word "sing" is somewhat similar to the word Singapore. A parallel can be drawn with the phrase “singing in Singapore”. In this method, only your fantasy and imagination are important, add creativity.

8. Pay attention to words of common origin.

Words of common origin in different languages, cognates, seem to have been created to instill the belief that learning a new language is not as unattainable as it might seem at first glance. When learning new words, you will personally see that many English words are similar to Russian ones.

9. Communicate with native speakers.

It's no secret that the easiest way to learn a language is in an environment where it is spoken. However, you don’t have to go to another country to do this. You can find yourself a pen pal or call him on Skype. Communication with a native speaker will be very useful when learning new words.

There are even many websites where people from different countries They offer to improve your English for free, in return by learning something from your native language. However, it is better to use this technique when you already have fairly confident English. At the initial stage, it is better to contact professional teacher so that he can point you in the right direction.

10. Use the S.M.A.R.T goal system.

Set goals when learning new words in English and you will see progress. It's much more enjoyable to learn English by noticing your progress. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound - i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Promise yourself that in the next month you will learn 70 new words that are most in demand in the English language.

11. Speak and think like a native speaker.

When learning new words, pay attention to the accent and intonation with which it is customary to pronounce given word. Try to imitate these elements at the very beginning of learning the language. In the future, this will greatly help you overcome the barrier of communication with native speakers.

12. Don't be afraid to make a mistake.

In order to speak competently, it is not necessary to remember all the words that exist in English. It is enough, for starters, to master the basic base of words, of which there are about 300. Having studied the base, you will be able to express an idea even without knowing any word using the paraphrasing technique.

Learning a language no longer seems so out of reach. Is not it?

By the way! We recommend reading our article on how to quickly learn English. Not everything is so simple :)

How to help your child remember English words easily

What can you do to help your child learn new words?

There are many memory poems that will greatly simplify the process of learning English for children. Can methods for memorizing new words developed for children be used by adults?

Yes! Both children and adults can learn language through nursery rhymes.

For example:

We were given red tomatoes for lunch!(red)
And a lemon, when it is ripe, has a yellow skin!(Yellow)
I love running around the city in blue jeans!(Blue)
Orange means orange, the color is the same, we will eat it.(orange)
Let's call the mouse gray, he will be the gray mouse.(Gray color)
Black - our black master, as always, came alone.(Black)
Green - green grass, it grew on its own.(Green)
Brown - new chocolate, I'm happy with brown.(Brown)
White color- white and snow.(White)

You can help children learn new words by studying the rhyme and demonstrating the objects discussed in the poem. This technique will be useful when working on the following poems:

This is a bear, this is a hare,
This is a dog and this is a frog.
This is a car, this is a star,
This is a ball and this is a doll.

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little finger on the right.

With the help of poems, you can learn not only new words, but also remember temporary structures. For example:

To have
I have a father,
I have a mother,
I have a sister,
I have a brother.
Father, mother, sister, brother -
Hand in hand with one another.

Using this rhyme, you can work out the construction of the question:

How to learn English words for business

Don't be afraid, everything here is the same as in learning general English. The main thing is to choose necessary sources studying. It is worth focusing on videos on a topic that is relevant to you.

When choosing a textbook, you should also consider the business area you need. By studying business English with a teacher, he will help you place all the accents correctly and focus on the topics that you need, be it business, aviation or agriculture.

Do you need a mentor? Of course no one can say, for example, how to learn English words in 5 minutes;) But m We will select the best teacher who will lead you to results. Set goals and achieve them! Nothing is unattainable, the main thing is to set your priorities correctly and understand what to work on.

Good luck on your way to perfection!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

Learning a foreign language (especially new words) is hard, painstaking work, impossible without tedious hours of cramming, isn’t it? Not really. “If you use the capabilities of your brain correctly, learning can become a much faster and more exciting process,” says Inna Maksimenko, founder of the original English language courses.

Why do young children learning their native language, as well as polyglots who easily master several languages at once, not experience any particular difficulties? Inna told us about effective strategies training that these people use. Take advantage of their secrets, and you will also learn to memorize words much easier and faster.

Strategy 1. Use the power of emotions.

Tell me, what comes to your mind when you mention the word honey? Only an English textbook or English-Russian dictionary? But people who memorize English words most quickly and easily are able to associate them with something important to themselves.

For example, the same word honey can bring to mind the image of the girl you love (after all, this is what Americans call those they love). And if you come across a new word in an interesting story, then it will be associated with the emotions that you experience while reading the story. Having an interesting conversation in English will also help you remember a new word quickly.

Why it works: Any positive emotions activate our ability to learn. After all, they signal that the word refers to something significant for us.

We recommend: Learn English with the help of texts, films, and books that interest you. Chat with people you are interested in. Then the experience of such learning itself will become a positive emotional factor that will help you remember the words.

Strategy 2. “Integrate” a new word into your experience.

“When young children learn their native language,” says Inna Maksimenko, they begin to notice a new word in a variety of situations, environments, and contexts.” For example, when hearing the word "white" for the first time, Small child starts repeating it when he sees it White snow, white paper, white sugar.

And this is what helps him remember the word quickly and easily.

Why it works: Thus, the brain forms associations with various parts of previous experience, the new word is associated with what the child already knows well, becomes more familiar and familiar. And to reproduce it in memory you no longer need to strain, you just need to remember sugar or snow.

We recommend: Use a new word more often in different situations- try to engage him by retelling the text, doing homework, practicing in English speech with fellow students, with native speakers.

Strategy 3. Believe in your abilities.

Tell me, do you have a good memory? Is it easy for you to memorize English words? Whatever your opinion about your own abilities, sooner or later it will turn into reality. People who successfully learned English believed in their ability to do so.

Why it works: Beliefs about yourself often turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. By mentally repeating that languages are difficult for you, you are programming your brain to resist learning. “Why remember these words,” your unconscious is sure, “after all, nothing will work anyway.”

We recommend: If you think that learning languages is not for you, try to understand where this belief came from. “It’s been confirmed by past experience,” you say, “and at school I got a C in my language, and at the institute I passed the exam twice.” In fact, these events have nothing to do with your abilities at all. The reason for failure could be poor health, lack of time to prepare, or the fact that you did not need knowledge of the language at that time. Learn to separate individual failures from your abilities in general, and believe in your strength.

Strategy 4. Remember forever.

“For how long will your English language skills last after your courses?” - many listeners ask. "If I don't use the language, will I forget it a year after I graduate?" The answer to this question also largely depends on the beliefs and motivation of the person himself. People who are successful in learning languages usually believe in their ability to quickly recover knowledge. “When I have such a need, I will quickly remember everything I need,” they say.

Why it works: Our beliefs shape not only our ability to perceive information, but also our ability to store it. We can believe that we have, in principle, a good memory - just a little short. “It goes in one ear and out the other,” we say in such cases - and reality, as always, confirms our expectations.

We recommend: Form in your mind an image of quickly recovering lost skills. Determine the period of time during which your skills will recover. For example: “A week of working on the language will be enough for me to remember everything.” “Two hours of communication with a foreigner is enough for me to start speaking fluently and confidently again.”

Strategy 5: Keep the goal in mind.

Research has shown that people who have a compelling reason to learn a language are able to master it much faster than others. For example, one of the Moscow doctors managed to master English in just a month - knowing that this would allow him to go on an internship abroad. Students who are told that certain words will be needed in the next lesson statistically remember them better than those who are not told.

Why it works: Any undertaking is impossible without a good reason, desire, motivation. Motivation gives strength. People who start learning English because it is fashionable often quit their studies halfway through. And if you have a goal, then your chances of successfully mastering the language are much greater.

We recommend: Remember why you are learning English. Perhaps you dream of going to study in the USA, or watching the famous musical "Cats" in the original version, you want to get a promotion, or you dream of giving lectures in English. When memorizing words, choose, first of all, those that you actively use in Russian.

Strategy 6. Learn unconsciously.

A small child easily masters his native language in the process of playing, communicating, and learning about the world. A person who finds himself in the country of the language he is learning quickly “absorbs” dozens and hundreds of new words, along with the peculiarities of pronunciation and grammar. But they don’t sit over textbooks and don’t memorize words on purpose!

Why it works: It is no secret that the average person uses only a tiny part of the potential of his own brain. But people who successfully master any language were able to use the hidden capabilities of their unconscious. It is known that the unconscious learns several times faster than the conscious. This happens at those moments when consciousness is “loaded” with other activities. For example, while you are watching a movie or talking with a friend, you are focused on the topic of conversation. And at this time, your unconscious remembers new words.

We recommend: Learn English words in practice. For example, read an interesting story, watch movies, listen to audio materials, news, and communicate with people in English more often. Then your consciousness will be occupied with the plot, and the unconscious will be able to easily learn new words and expressions. “In our courses,” says Inna Maksimenko, “we don’t teach words on purpose. And yet, they are easy to remember.”

I hope I have convinced you that it is quite possible to memorize foreign words easily. You just need to set a goal, believe in yourself and start working on your English. And then, one day, the ability to easily communicate or lecture in the language will become a reality for you.

Natalia Eremeeva, englishmax.ru

When learning a foreign language, it is very important to constantly replenish your vocabulary - to memorize new and new words in English. However, not everyone is able to do this successfully. We offer you seven tips to help you remember new words in English more effectively.

Create associative networks

Our brains take what we read and transform it into images, ideas and feelings, and then form connections between the new information and what we already know. This is how memorization occurs - the new is united with the old.

Imagine a tree. Isn’t it easier to see a large spreading tree with many branches and leaves than a small tree with a few branches? The same is true for the brain. When you connect a new word or concept with something you already know, it is easier for your brain to find it and remember it at the right time.

How to do it? Very simple. Draw a network of concepts. Take what you want to remember (a word, an idea, a sentence) and write it in the center of the paper. Then draw lines from it in all directions, like a spider's web.

At the end of each line, write down any English words or even draw pictures that come to mind when you think of the word written in the center. It doesn't matter what the associations are, just write down everything you come up with.

It only takes a couple of minutes and now all the words or concepts will be interconnected in your brain. If you see or hear one of them, it will be easier for you to remember the others.

To make this work even better, pronounce how this or that word in English is connected to others. The more often you do this, the more connections are formed. And the more connections, the easier it is for your brain to “see” the word you want to remember.

Remember phrases (word combinations)

Memorizing a word is important, but English, like any other language, is not just a set of concepts, it is a tool that people use to communicate and express their thoughts. Find examples of how this or that word is used in the text.

Write down not only the word itself, but also the neighboring ones. For example, if you need to remember the English word “arrogant,” you could write “the tall, arrogant man.”

This will help you remember that "arrogant" is an adjective used to describe people. Then try to make three complete sentences to practice using it.

Use pictures

Draw little pictures to remember the meaning of a word. Don't know how to draw? It's not scary, it's even better. Our brain receives so much monotonous information that a strange picture is a kind of surprise, and we always remember surprises.

Our brain reads visual information better. Draw a funny picture to illustrate the meaning of a word and you will remember it much faster.

Make up stories

English learners often complain that there are too many new words and it is difficult to remember them. There is one trick you can use to learn words quickly. Compose any story, even a ridiculous one, that uses all the words in English. Imagine it in detail.

We remember stories easily, especially strange ones, if we can recreate them in our imagination. Feel free to combine words in funny and funny ways different ways. Let's say you need to remember the following 20 English words:

shoes, piano, tree, pencil, bird, bus, books, driver, dog, pizza, flower, door, TV set, spoons, chair, jump, dance, throw, computer, stone

(shoes, piano, tree, pencil, bird, bus, books, driver, dog, pizza, flower, door, TV, spoons, chair, jump, dance, throw, computer, stone)

You can compose them like this incredible story:

There is a piano wearing shoes and sitting in a tree. The tree is strange because someone has stuck a giant pencil through it. On the pencil a bird is sitting and watching a bus full of people reading books.

Even the driver is reading a book which is bad because he isn’t paying attention to driving. So, he hits a dog that is eating a pizza in the middle of the road and kills it. The driver digs a hole and buries the dog in it and then puts a flower on it.

He notices that there is a door in the dog’s grave and opens it. Inside he can see a TV set with 2 spoons for antennas on top of it. No-one is watching the TV set because they are all watching the chair. Why? - Because the chair is jumping and dancing and throwing stones at the computer.

A piano sits on a tree with shoes on. The tree looks strange because someone pierced it with a huge pencil. A bird sits on a pencil and looks at the bus, full of people reading books.

Even the driver is reading a book, which is bad because he is not paying attention to the road. So he hits and kills a dog that was eating pizza in the middle of the road. The driver digs a hole and buries the dog, and then places a flower on top.

He notices that there is a door in the dog's grave and opens it. Inside he sees a TV with two spoons on top that act as antennas. Nobody watches TV because everyone is looking at the chair. Why? Because the chair jumps, dances and throws stones at the computer.

Give it a try. You will surprise yourself!

Remember opposites

Memorize words with opposite meanings (antonyms) and words with similar meanings(synonyms). For example, memorize the pairs angry/happy and angry/cross at the same time. We remember similar and opposite things faster because the brain creates connections between them.

Parse the word according to its composition

Use roots, prefixes and suffixes to guess what a word means.

For example: even if you don't know the word "microbiology", you can guess what it means. First, take a look at the prefix "micro". Micro means something very small. You may know that the "-logy" part means science, the study of something.

So, we can already say that we are talking about learning something small. You may also remember that "bio" means life, living things. Thus, we can come to the conclusion that “microbiology” is the science of microscopic living organisms.

If you make a list of common prefixes (un-, dis-, con-, micro-, etc.) and suffixes (-able, -ly, -ent, -tion, -ive, etc.) and remember what they mean, you will be able to guess the meaning of new words in English.

The main thing is time

Psychologists who study memory processes argue that there is good way remember things quickly and for a long time. Use a new word as soon as you learn it. Then use it after 10 minutes. Then an hour later. Then the next day. Then a week later.

After this, you are unlikely to have to make an effort to remember it - the new vocabulary will remain with you forever.

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In contact with

In the process of learning English, many of us have tried a huge number of ways to memorize words: from colorful cards to making lists of words, from marking phrases in the text to putting stickers over the desktop, etc.

Mnemonics, or mnemonics - these are specially developed methods and techniques for memorizing information without “cramming” and in as soon as possible. Thanks to mnemonics, we can control the memorization of information, accumulate in memory a large number of data and effortlessly recall them over time, without having phenomenal memory or unique abilities.

Numerous studies have shown that the possibilities of memorizing words using mnemonic methods are tens (!) times greater than the capabilities of conventional memory. There are a large number of mnemonic methods: Mark Twain’s method, Lincoln’s method, Napoleon’s method, etc. I will tell you only about the most effective ones that I have tested.

Logical patterns

There are two options: compose a text in your native language using transcription (a), or a monolingual text in English according to a list of words (b). In the first case (a) in the process of writing a mini-story, you remember how words are pronounced and translated, and in the second case (b) - how words are written and the context itself.

a) Words of various subjects:

handicrafts [handycrafts] - things self made
broken family [broukn] - incomplete family
countryside [countryside] - village
vehicle [vikl] - car
tasting [tastin] - tasting

Brothers Handy and Kraft were engaged in making handmade things. They were from a single-parent Brokene family and lived in the village of Countryside. In the summer they loved to travel in their Vikl car among the vineyards, where they tasted Taystin, the magical wine.

A fairly simple technique, suitable for both beginners and advanced levels. It is very convenient because you can come up with text or individual sentences from any words and parts of speech that you learn or repeat.

b) Words of the same topic:

rural poor - rural poor
to smuggle - engage in smuggling
to cross the border - to cross the border
to be deported - to be deported
immigration - immigration

The rural poor were very brave and smuggled day by day. Moreover, they crossed the border at nights and weren't afraid of being deported, because everything they dreamed of was immigration.

A more complex technique. It is very effective because you can watch films, videos, listen to podcasts, read texts, etc., write down words on a certain topic (I gave an example from the documentary “Immigration”), then compose text or individual sentences. As a result, you memorize words in blocks, thematically, which is important. The method is also effective in that you can restore the plot of the text from which you copied words, as if retelling it with your own mini-story.

Phonetic associations

The method is to select foreign word the most consonant word (or several words) from your native language. One of the most effective methods. When you remember one word, you automatically remember another. Another huge advantage of the method is the abundance of books and manuals on this method.

abyss [əˈbıs] - abyss
This biscuit fell into the abyss.

mascot [ˈmæskət] - talisman (person, thing, animal that brings happiness)
The local CAT was a mascot for everyone.

addict [əˈdıkt] - drug addict
EDIK-To is a drug addict.

Autobiographical associations

We select the most consonant word (or several words) from our native language for a foreign word, not imagining, but remembering our actually experienced events.

puddle ["pʌdl] - puddle

On a rainy day, I FALLED into a puddle more than once.

creak - creak
I screamed at the creaking of the door.

advice [əd’vais] - advice
DRESS warmly - that's my mom's advice.

Place method

You need to imagine that you are going around your room and hanging up sheets of paper with the words you are learning in different places. Then mentally walk around the room again and remember where each word is.

I practiced this method with adjectives:

absent-minded - absent-minded (mentally hung a piece of paper near the switch [an absent-minded person forgets to turn off the light])
passionate - passionate, hot (mentally hung a leaf near the radiator [passionate people have a warm heart])
grimy - dirty, grimy (mentally hanging a leaf by the sink [washing dirty hands in the sink])

Aivazovsky method

The method is that we need to look at an object or landscape for a few seconds, then close our eyes and ask ourselves questions about the details (shape of the object, color, location, etc.), then open our eyes again, remember the details, and so on repeatedly.

I adjusted this method for myself as follows, and I find it very effective:

1) Decide on a topic that interests you (interior, exterior, colors, animals, etc.).

2) Open Google Images with a keyword (for example, bedroom).

3) Describe verbally what you see in the picture, what color and size the objects are, where they are located, etc. OR make a table or list.

For example:
bed:
- black brown
- double
- modern
- cozy

4) Close your eyes and say all the details.

The method is easy to use and very fun. Pictures on any topic can be found both on the Internet and in magazines; you can come up with your own exercises and alternate them using different parts of speech.

I also advise you to do this exercise in the subway: you need to look at a person for a few seconds, remember what he looks like, what he’s wearing, etc. When he gets out (or you get out) from the car, you can mentally say in detail how you like him remember what caught your attention. You can play the role of a physiognomist: fantasize about what his character is, what positive and negative traits, what profession he might be, etc.

CHOG method

FOCUS: Orientation, Reading, Review, Essentials. This method is suitable for memorizing the text as a whole, however, in the process of memorizing the main idea of the text, you simultaneously memorize individual words on a specific topic. The method is considered ineffective. However, I transformed it for my convenience in my own way, and for me it became another very simple and useful technique.

Read the text slowly, highlight the main idea.
In each paragraph, underline the main sentence or keywords or phrases.
Read the text again, paying attention to the main details.
Retell the text first mentally and then out loud, looking at the underlined (or written out) key words.

For greater memorization efficiency, I combine this method with other methods.

Ritual method

You can learn a huge number of words only through daily training. You should have a kind of ritual: at a certain time you study English. For example, I know that every evening I, listening to relaxing music (which also facilitates the learning process), either read an article, or learn words, or watch documentaries or programs in English, etc. For greater incentive, it is better to make a lesson plan for the week and not be lazy to follow it.

Method of interaction of all sensations

When memorizing a certain word (for example, boots), you must mentally or out loud constantly pronounce this word (but without translation!), imagining in detail what the boots look like, how you put on your shoes, or how you imagine buying these boots, etc. The essence this approach is for you to learn to speak automatically foreign language, understand the interlocutor and at the same time not constantly translate the phrases heard in your mind. There should be vivid associations in your mind with any word you study.

Repetition

To remember the information effectively and for a long time, you need to repeat the material you have covered in 4 stages:

immediately after studying;
after 20-30 minutes;
in a day;
in 2-3 weeks.

Believe me, these methods really work, so spare no effort and time, experiment - the results will not keep you waiting. Try to alternate the above methods of mnemonics, taking into account your personal characteristics, for example, if you are visual, practice the method of phonetic associations more often.

The main thing is not to be lazy and try all the time various ways, expand your horizons. And regarding mnemonics, I advise you to read various literature, there are very interesting and effective methods, which really help people remember large amounts of information with ease and for a long time. It will also be educational to read the stories (and learn from experience) famous people(such as Cicero, Caesar, Bonaparte, Mozart, Roosevelt, Reagan, etc.), who, by practicing various mnemonics, developed unique abilities your memory.

Do you want to know how to learn English words quickly and easily? We'll tell you how many words you need to know, where to get them, what tools to use, and how to learn it all. Use at least a few tips and you can expand your vocabulary.

All students are interested in the question: “How to learn English words?” The more vocabulary we know, the better we understand what the characters in our favorite English films are talking about, what is written on the Tate Modern museum plaques and how profitable terms deals are offered by our partners from the USA. Today we will give some recommendations that will help you effectively learn new vocabulary.

How many English words do you need to know?

To test your vocabulary, we recommend that you take the Online English Vocabulary Size Test (immediately click on the Start button) or Test Your Vocab. It will show you your estimated vocabulary, which you can compare with the average scores of native speakers and English learners. On average, 3,000 - 4,000 words will be enough to communicate on most topics.

However, we want to warn you: you should not rely entirely on the test results. It can only give a rough estimate of your vocabulary.

2. Special textbooks

Vocabulary building books will help you learn new words and set expressions in which they are used. The good thing about the textbooks is that they provide lists of words along with examples of their use, so words are learned in context. We have presented a detailed one, follow it to choose the best guide.

3. Lists or dictionaries of high-frequency words

How do you know whether it’s worth remembering the next new English word you come across? It may have fallen out of use or is rarely used. You can refer to lists of words that are most often used by native speakers. We recommend you lists from the Oxford Dictionary - The Oxford 3000 British Dictionary and The Oxford 3000 American Dictionary. This is 3,000 most meaningful words that every English learner should know. They have been carefully selected by linguists and experienced teachers. You can recognize these words in the Oxford dictionary itself by the key icon.

Tools for learning new words

1. Cards with words

This technique may seem old-fashioned, but it is still effective. All students at least once in their lives started flashcards and tried to learn new vocabulary from them. It's convenient and affordable: you don't need to spend money, because you write them yourself, and you can take the cards with you anywhere.

Before making cards, you need help:

select a translation;
become familiar with typical phrases in which the word is used;
study examples.

Then you need to decide whether you will make paper vocabulary cards or electronic ones.

On one side of the piece of paper we write the word in English, on the second - in Russian. We test our knowledge: translate a word from Russian into English and vice versa.
On one side we write the word in English and paste a picture, on the other - the translation into Russian. This method works well for people with associative thinking. In your mind you associate a new English-language concept and the object that it refers to.
On the one hand, we write a word in English with a Russian context, on the other hand, a word in Russian without context. When repeating vocabulary, try to translate the concept from Russian into English. And the second side of the card with the Russian context will help you with translation in the opposite direction.
More experienced students are advised to use English-English dictionaries, such as Macmillan Dictionary. On one side we write the word in English, on the other - its definition in English. You can also write synonyms and antonyms of the concept being studied.
How to learn vocabulary correctly? The best way to memorize English words is in context. Therefore, you can write on a card not just a word, but a sentence in which it is used. Example sentences can be found in electronic dictionaries, for example ABBYY Lingvo.

Electronic cards

If you find it difficult to tear yourself away from your computer, use your affection for good: create virtual stickers with words on your desktop and in a few days you will remember them well.

To create electronic vocabulary cards, we recommend you the Quizlet service, which allows you to learn words in different ways: choose the correct translation from four proposed ones, fill in the gaps in sentences and play games with words. Here you can track your progress: which words are harder for you than others, how quickly you learn new vocabulary. There is an application for iOS as well. An alternative resource is Memrise. His free version has limited functionality, but it will be enough to create cards.

You need to constantly work with cards: review and repeat the learned vocabulary. Periodically change the cards for new ones, and after 1-2 weeks return the old ones again to repeat the words.

2. Notepad-dictionary

This method is good for those who constantly lose something: your cards are unlikely to last long :-)

You can structure your notebook the way you want. Let's give our version. Each page must correspond to a specific day. Write the dates on which the words are repeated at the top. To ensure that the vocabulary you are studying is well fixed in your memory, do not forget to train it. To do this, use the techniques we described in the article “”.

3. Mind map

You can easily learn English words of the same topic if you draw a mind map. This diagram clearly shows what topic the words relate to. And while you are drawing it, the vocabulary will be stored in your memory. A mind map might look like this:

4. Educational sites and applications

On the way to work on the subway or in line at the clinic, use every free moment to learn new words. You will find useful programs for your gadget in the article “”.

It is enough to practice 10-20 minutes daily to feel progress.

1. Combine words by topic

How to easily remember English words? Groups of words related to the same topic are usually well remembered. Therefore, try to divide words into groups of 5-10 pieces and learn them.

There is the so-called Restorff effect, according to which the human brain remembers the most prominent one from a group of objects. Use this effect to your advantage: in the group of words on the same topic “introduce a stranger” - enter a word from a completely different topic. For example, when studying words on the topic “Fruits”, add one word from the topic “Transport” to them, in this way your studies will become even more effective.

2. Use associations and personalization

Many students love this method: to learn a word, you need to come up with an association in Russian. For example, you need to remember the word obstinacy (stubbornness). Break it down into three syllables: ob-stin-acy, which means “stubborn, like a donkey against a wall.” The word shoot can be remembered as “the jester shoots.” You can make up convenient associations yourself, the main thing is that they are understandable to you and easy to remember. This will make it easier for you to increase your English vocabulary.

Training will be effective if you not only make a verbal association, but also visualize it: when pronouncing the word shoot, imagine this shooting jester, let the image turn out to be as funny and memorable as possible. Even better is a dynamic picture with your personal presence: you imagine how the jester next to you shoots someone (with a water pistol, so that the spectacle comes out comical, not tragic). The more vivid the picture, the easier it will be to remember the word.

3. Use the learned vocabulary in speech

How to learn English words correctly and not forget them? Are you familiar with the principle of use it or lose it? In order for knowledge to remain in memory, you need to actively “use” it. It's good practice to compile short stories using new words. The vocabulary that is best remembered is expressed in a short, funny text written about yourself or things dear to your heart.

If you take courses or study with an English teacher, try to insert new words into your conversation as often as possible: the more times you say a word, the better you remember it. Don't forget about spelling: try to use new words in writing.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

Tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I will remember. Make me do it and I'll learn.

Learn new words and immediately use them in your speech with the help.

4. Test your knowledge regularly

It's good to go through from time to time various tests to determine the level of vocabulary. For example, some excellent picture tests (a joy for visual learners and children) are provided on the Vocabulary for learners of English page. After passing such a test, you will immediately see what is stored in your memory and which topics or words need to be repeated.

5. Follow your daily plan

7. Develop your memory

It is impossible to remember anything unless you have a good memory. Learning a language in itself trains our brain well and helps improve memory. But to make memorization easier, you can use the tips from our article “”.

8. Consider your type of information perception

Not all methods are equally good for you. Don't try to apply everything at once. Try text, video or audio formats and choose those that help you learn new words faster. This is how you will arrive at your own signature mix of techniques.

The main thing is to remember to move from theory to practice. Don't just read useful tips about how to memorize English words quickly and easily, but also actively use them in Everyday life, then you won’t have to rack your brains about how to improve your level of knowledge.

Do you consider cards and notepads with the words “yesterday”? Then try learning words using current British textbooks in online English courses at our school. Our students learn words and phrases in context, use them in a live dialogue with the teacher, and memorize new vocabulary easily and quickly. !