Remembering words

Question

Hi,I have a problem when reading an English book. I always want to remember as many new words as possible, but after a week or two I always forget them. Could anyone help me with this, please? How to memorize words without forgetting them?Thank you in advance!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Write the words (or phrases in which they occur) on little cards and write the translations on the back.
Go through the cards several times a day.

Use the words in sentences as much as possible.

Memorize a few full sentences in which these words occur.

You're bound to forget quite a few words in the short term (over a week or two), but if you keep at it, and keep reading and writing, speaking and listening, you will remember them in the long run (over a year or so).

CJ

MrPedantic · Answer

You might also want to be selective in the words you try to remember from your reading.

Thus "material", "cotton" and "silk" may be worth remembering; but "jute", "kersey" and "nainsook" can be conveniently forgotten.

Best wishes,

MrP

CalifJim · Answer

Good point, but don't forget "denim".

The same goes for any list of elements in long sets -- names of trees, flowers, animals, kings and queens of England, presidents of the United States, kitchen gadgets, parts of cars, trucks, planes, parts of bodies (human or animal), building materials, brands of dog food, countries, rivers, and lakes of the world, pieces of furniture, etc. Two or three of the most frequently used in conversation are good for a start -- up to ten or twelve later when you've mastered the use of the rest of the language.

CJ

MrPedantic · Answer

CalifJim parts of cars, trucks, planes, parts of bodies (human or animal), building materials

Yes; that's my main reservation about those little books of vocab lists for different languages. The verb "to be" always seems to have equal standing with double-clutching, lesser covert, and grout.

Remembering words

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