Hat trick-for learning a language
Hat trick for learning
How do you really learn words in a foreign language? If want to learn vocabulary with a friend or even alone a very good technique is what I call the ‘hat trick’. Everyday fill a hat with the words you learned that day. On each mini flashcard write the vocabulary word or phrase in both your native language and your target language. For example, on a piece of paper or an index card write the word or phrases in English on one side and French on the other. Every day pull out one word and try to recall the meaning. If you see the French side first, say the word in English, if you see the English side first, say the word in French. Do this everyday, and let the words accumulate from the previous days in the hat. This language learning technique it is a systematic and imaginative review of words you have learned.
You can review one or more words a day, but start small. As you learn more your hat will be filled, then you can increase the quantity of words and phrases you pull from your hat a day, once your habit is established. You can do this, as you get ready for work, for example. You can even have several hats for different categories. But it is an effective way review and learn words and phrases in your target language, and it is not as boring as sitting down and studying. One or two words add up, believe me. Can you imagine if you knew five hundred verbs in your target language? Or useful phrases. If it takes time, let it take time.
If you want to do this with a friend, then even better. However, do not name the word, but describe the word to the other person without saying it. Describe it in your target language if possible, and make the other person guess the word. This activates passive vocabulary. The activity of describing, but not saying, the word to the other person, so they have to guess it, brings your off line passive vocabulary into the fore front. Many people complain they use the same words over and over again in speaking; this is a way to break that habit and increase your vocabulary you use in the language you are trying to speak.
Tags: How to learn a language, learn foreign vocabulary words
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March 27, 2007at 8:02 am
It’s truth that passive vocabulary is a large problem. You write about verbs:not words, which you want to learn - it’s also truth -verbs should be first in learning.
Coming back to learning reading-writing -> www is an origin of information and exchange of experiences therefore reading-writing-typing is probably more important than you think.
March 27, 2007at 2:26 pm
This is a good point. I know a few techy “infomatic” guys that learned a lot of English because the language of the tech world is largely English, and reading forums and infomation connected to their work taught them alot of vocabulary. Further if you chat with others online ,you are chat with people all over the world, even on gaming site.
March 28, 2007at 5:46 pm
Techy,especially computers - it’s clear but :
- accurate and in-depth knowledge of foreign countries and people you can acquire not only by conversation (it depends on what kind of people you meet) but when you live in foreign country or:and when you read e.g. web,newspapers,books;
so-> reading-writing foreign language
- watch children as next generation - the first,best,easiest way for information is web (instead books or conversation), and there is only one problem-> reading-writing in foreign language.
Chat works for increasing and activity vocabulary, most of all it requires fast understanding. Sometimes problem is when you don’t know, who are you talking to; when you chat with crazy person even 10.000 words not enough to understand :).
About Polishgrammar, did you create it yourself, I mean grammar not web ?
August 14, 2007at 2:04 pm
[...] Once you learn new words the real trick is to activate the word. To use it, or it will stay in your memory passively. You will say, yes I know it but never, use it. I use the technique of describing the word without saying it to a friend until they guess it. Describing it in your target language. Read more about this technique for learning words [...]