Just imagine how wonderful it would be if you could look at a word in a foreign language once and remember it forever, right? Unfortunately, if you don’t have an eidetic memory (which is very rare), remembering like that is next to impossible. So how to learn German, English or Spanish effectively? What to do to be able to memorise new useful expressions for a long time? There is an answer to that: it’s repetition. Find out, why.
Have you ever tried to learn for a test at the last possible moment? We’ve all been there and done that. So it’s safe to assume that you know pretty well that learning this way let you remember the necessary data only for a short period of time. Using this method, you might be able to answer the questions during your exam, but a few days or even hours later all the information will disappear from your memory.
Why does it happen like that? The reason is simple enough. Each moment your brain is exposed to an abundance of different stimuli. It has to deal with them somehow. So it decides what’s worth to memorise, and what should be erased. If some information appears only once, it’s a clear signal for your brain, that it’s not important. Therefore, it can be removed. On the other hand, if some German or Spanish conversation phrases keep coming back, they stay in your memory longer. That’s why repeating is so important in effective language learning!
How to learn languages effectively using repetition?
Are you wondering how to repeat Italian or Spanish conversational phrases to see the difference? Just follow the rules below.
- The frequency of repeating is important
Looking at the forgetting curve, you can notice that each time you repeat the things you need to learn you memorise it for a longer period of time. That’s why the more frequently you repeat your English or Polish conversational phrases, the easier they become to recall. It’s plain and simple.
That’s why using recordings of useful foreign-language expressions, like those on Language Freak YouTube channel, comes in handy. You can listen to the recording on a whim – any time that it’s convenient for you, like when you’re getting ready in the morning, commuting to work or just before falling asleep. Just try it!
2. Listen actively
Idle, passive listening to the recordings may bring some results but be aware that memorising things is the most efficient when your brain does some work while you put the recording on. What to do, then? If you’re using the materials provided on our YouTube channel, at first you can hear the English version of expression, followed by its translation. That’s where you can put your brain to work. Try to translate the phrase on your own before you hear the Spanish, German or Polish version. It’s a good way to self-check your knowledge, too!
3. Say it out loud!
To make your brain remember better, say the phrases you hear out loud. Repeating them verbally will not only help you to remember the meaning of the expressions, but also the way they are pronounced. That way you’ll polish up your accent and, therefore, become more communicative. On top of that, you’ll enhance your speaking fluency.
4. Repeat the whole phrases instead of isolated words
Learn whole expressions to familiarise yourself with their linguistic context and automatise the grammar rules before checking them out in your language textbook. As a result, you’ll speak more correctly, and you’ll understand better how German, Italian or Spanish works.
5. Try to use the English or German conversational phrases in practice
You’ve already learnt the top Spanish verbs (or those in any other language)? You’ve repeated your conversational phrases a few times and remember them more or less? Now take it one step further: use them in practice. How? Why don’t you write a short text that includes them? Or maybe you could find a conversation partner, like another person that wants to learn Italian for beginners or a native speaker? The more often you use the phrases you’ve learnt, the easier it’ll become to recall them in the future.
And last but not least: don’t give up even if at the beginning you won’t seem to notice the expected results of repeating. Just work regularly and wait. In the end, it will work like a charm!
Also read Language learning while sleeping 🙂
