IWTYAL 008: How can I make sure I don’t forget a word?

Today's episode features a question from John: “I recently learnt the word for Heathrow in Chinese. How can I make sure I don't forget it?”

In this episode:

• How can I learn a word that I've learnt recently?
• What kind of vocabulary should you prioritise learning?
• The memory techniques that will help you

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Polyglot Gathering, Berlin 2015
• Lang-8.com
• The forgetting curve
• Anki
• Memrise
• Flashcards Deluxe

Principles of memorising vocabulary:

1. See the vocabulary often
2. See and use it in different contexts
3. Personalise it

Practical ideas for memorising vocabulary:

1. Drop it into conversation
2. Write sentences using the vocabulary
3. Have your tutor or a native speaker correct these sentences
4. Put those corrected sentences into your SRS flashcards
5. Put the word on Post-it notes and stick them around the house!
6. Set calendar reminders to bring up the word on your phone/computer

Today's featured resource

• Hacking Chinese: Remembering is a skill you can learn. A fantastic post about the myth of “bad memory” and the fact that you can train your memory.

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Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.