Secrets of memorizing English words. Secrets of memorizing English words Associated English Dictionary

It is known that it is easier to learn English words if you do it with the help of associations. Due to the functionality of our brain, the association method is suitable for learning words as it is as close as possible to natural memorization processes. But this is all theory; it is interesting to see how to apply the association method in practice to study foreign words.

A little about the method

The association method is one of the main methods for memory development. It is necessary to know about it, since it is very useful in itself, and is also an integral part of most memorization methods, including for learning foreign words. It’s hard to imagine any memorization technique at all without this method.

What exactly is an association? Association is an attempt to connect something with something else in the broadest sense. That is, an association is a kind of virtual connection between two or more phenomena. These can be objects, feelings, thoughts, words, and so on, in which remembering one of them entails the appearance of another in our imagination.

For example, you see a man walking around the city with a fishing rod, and you remember the river, green banks, coolness, current - everything that you associate with relaxing on the river bank and fishing. Each person's associations will be very different from each other. If you ask everyone to answer what comes to their mind when the word “yellow” is mentioned, you can get the following answers - “sunflower”, “sun”, “yolk”, etc. This depends on the individual experience of each interviewee. All these associations are formed in the mind and are called free. To master the association method, you just need to practice creating associative connections between any elements. In order to further enhance the effect of the association method, try to come up with the most unusual, non-standard and even incredible associations. Let's look at the methods of associations, which, for example, make it easy to learn various English words.

Types of associations

We should talk in a little more detail about the association method, namely how to choose the right associations for learning words. Indeed, in this case you also need to have some technique. Words can be associated according to several criteria.

First sign of association

Sounds similar to the Russian word. For example, the English word “clever” (smart) can be compared with the Russian word “clover”, the English word “ditch” (pit) - with the Russian word “game”, the English “ship” (ship) - with the Russian word “spike”, etc. .d.

In this case, we are associated by the sound of the Russian word that we know. Firstly, this way you can easily learn pronunciation and spelling. In order to easily remember the translation of the word, it is better to imagine “smart clover”, “game in a hole”, “ship with spikes”, etc. etc. It depends on who has enough imagination. This method is especially suitable for children, since their imagination is fine, and they can also come up with a whole story with such, at first glance, unrealistic phrases. In any case, the word will be remembered more effectively this way, so it’s worth it.

Second sign

Words can also be associated with a situation. For example, the word “embarrassed” can be remembered by remembering a situation when you felt really awkward. This is where emotions also begin to play a role in memorization. You remember emotions and feelings you have experienced in the past and try to put a word on them. Emotionally, our brain remembers words more effectively. Next time it will be much easier to remember the word learned in this way. Another example is the word “demand” (demand, require), I remember this word perfectly, because my English teacher was very demanding. Thus, you can try to attach an emotional connotation to any words that you learn, thereby greatly increasing the chances of remembering them.

Third sign

Associations of a word with a person. This is especially effective when words are studied to describe a person’s appearance or character. For example, we will describe the old woman Shapoklyak. Let's imagine her well. Associatively, it will be possible to quickly learn such words as hat, nose, thin, evil, bad, sly. Any words that relate to such a prominent personality will be learned associatively more easily. This happens because to what we see - namely the translation and the word itself - we add a picture that we reproduce in our visual memory. We pronounce a word, put a picture on it (imagine it), see the spelling of the word itself, as well as its translation. All this together gives a very strong effect - easy memorization of words. Not only that, but these words enter the active vocabulary (memorized subconsciously), which means that the likelihood of us forgetting them is greatly reduced.

Fourth sign

Associations of a word with the sound it denotes. Just try to reproduce the sound in your mind, the sound whose meaning you want to learn. For example, take the English word for knocking - “bang”. In English, as well as in Russian, it turns out that many words denoting sound are even similar to the sound itself, if you imagine it. Imagine, for example, that a monk is banging a huge brass gong, causing you to hear “bang, bang, bang.” This sound association greatly helps to remember the word. The same can be done with the solov “bark” - bark (representing barking dog a huge St. Bernard, for example). The word “mew” (meow) will help you learn the association of a small helpless kitten. And so on.

Fifth sign

Rhyme. Rhymes are often made for children so that they can learn irregular verbs (bring - brought - brought - I’m bringing a sandwich to the brigade). That is, they come up with a rhyme for a number of irregular verbs. Rhyming lines are easy to learn and hard to forget, especially if they are also funny. This method is suitable for both children and adults.

Thus, we examined the signs of associative learning of English words. The association method is considered one of the most effective and is actively used in English classes via Skype. We recommend using it so that you never have any difficulties while learning words, and the learning itself becomes easy, fun and enjoyable.

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

When studying foreign language It is very important to constantly replenish your vocabulary - to remember new and new words in the English language. 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)

Remembering the word is important, but English language, like any other, 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 writing 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 awkward 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 make up this incredible story from them:

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) in pairs. 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.

Hi all! Today we have the fifteenth set of English words in the form of association cards with an addition.

Everyone knows that everything bright and unusual is remembered faster and better. This feature is the basis of our cards.

So. Let me briefly remind you what this is about.

English words with associations

We learn English words using the association method. This method, I’ll say right away, is not for those who like to cram, but quite the opposite.

If you or your child are great at learning English words through repeated repetitions, then fine! Why do you need anything else?

Well, if you taught and taught, but while you were walking to school you lost everything out of your head, or got everything mixed up, then - come to us!

My eldest daughter is probably one of the latter (and so am I, to be honest). If you show her the card, she remembers everything. No, my head is a terrible mess.

What is the essence of the associative technique? For each word we come up with an association rhyme (not always a rhyme, sometimes it’s just an association) funnier and draw a picture. That's how we remember. You can print cards in in paper form, or you can teach right here.

My plans are to make an online simulator and the ability to collect a set of cards for printing. How do you like this idea?

well and detailed description ours, and this is with the ability to download and print cards.

Now let's move on to today's association words.

You can download and print the cards at the end of the article.

Page 15 Clown, climb, circus, shelf, our, friend, teddy bear, swing, soldier, lovely, under, toy + magician, funny, can, your

Klava says to the guys:

“The main thing in the circus is CLOWN!”

Klava got into this story for a reason. But because the beginning of her name sounds the same as clown. This helps you quickly remember the word.

to climb, climb, clamber

Klava loves lime very much

And follow him along the CLIMB branches!

Here about Klava - everything is the same

Showed a cool trick

Syoma in the circus, that is, in CIRCUS

And here we have SYOMA - for the same purposes

The elf folds his hats

Everything is on the shelf, that is SHELF

Here our clue is the first letter of the word Caps + elf.

our, ours, ours, ours

The kids shout: “YAY!

Mom is OUR – OUR”!

Frosya does not spare ribbons -

Anya Frose is the best FRIEND!

We pay attention to Frosya. She's here because of her "Fr."

teddy bear

Teddy bear

I give it to you!

He is a good TEDDY BEAR!

[ˈtedɪˈbɛə]

swing, swing

Daddy Pig on a swing

SWING all day long

soldier, little soldier

The nightingale whistled to me proudly when he found the SOLDIER

The nightingale is here (have you guessed it already?) for a reason. The story here is that he found a tin soldier in the forest and tells everyone about it. On his own, on the nightingale's.

beautiful

Ain't the man right

The one that life considers LOVELY

Yes, this, they say, is a very profitable position in life. This kind of life immediately makes you lovely.

I don't always succeed, but I try. I wish you success in this too!

Bobik learned the command:

“Climb UNDER the chair quickly! – UNDER!”

Mother! Just don't stand there

Better buy me a TOY!

Iron Association! Is it true? Did all the children and mothers immediately remember how this word would be in English?

And – addition. So far there are only four words. Perhaps I'll add the missing ones here later.

magician, magician

Our rabbit is small and cute

And already a big MAGICIAN!

funny, cheerful

Fairies swam in sour cream

They had FUN – FUNNY!

It seems to me that such associations are the most productive. It's fun when fairies are in sour cream! Funny... Yes! I remind you. Fairies because they start with "f".

be able to, be able to

Why are you standing there like a mannequin?!

You CAN! That is – CAN!

You can do it! Yeah.

yours, yours, yours, yours

Hang all the laundry yourself!

It’s not mine, but YOURS!

Well... In general, to some extent she is right... Honestly? He soiled a full basin, and she means hang it up))). And, perhaps, in the meantime, great things await her?!

This is where the words of the fifteenth block ended, and the promised links for downloading and printing remained. And here they are:

Download and print cards Page 15 + addition

Page 15 (12 cards) in Word 97-2003 format,

Page 15 (12 cards) in pdf format,

Page 15 Addition (4 cards) in Word 97-2003 format,

Page 15 Addition (4 cards) in pdf format

(Image quality is better in Word!)

The feeling of a lack of words to express thoughts visits us even when communicating in our native language. What can we say about .

A large vocabulary is the key to successful communication, which is why it needs to be constantly replenished. The most difficult thing for beginners to learn English is to speak the most simple themes, you need to know at least 1,500 words.

To the question “How many words do you need to know for full communication? “Scientists and English teachers give different numbers. They agree on one thing: the more, the better.

The easiest and most effective way to memorize new words is through associations. We offer three techniques that can help you significantly expand your vocabulary.

1. Reception Vladislav - Baby don’t hurt me

In scientific circles it is known as the phonetic association technique. Foreigners who are eager to learn Russian take full advantage of it. The essence of the method is to choose a word from your native language that is consonant with a foreign word, which needs to be learned. How to remember the words of a song What is love - Baby don’t hurt me? Replace the English phrase with the familiar and native “Vladislav”.

With this method, kids remember difficult words in early childhood. For example, how can a young man of seven years of age fix in his memory the name of the great fighter against the mills (assuming that such a need arose for him)? “Don Quixote” doesn’t mean anything to him, but “thin cat” is a familiar and funny phrase.

  • True Bar- pipe.
  • Serve Coffee- church.
  • Horror Show- Fine.
  • Our device is Korea- get dressed quickly.
  • Pale Man- dumpling.
  • Meaty or eat- meteorite.

The method of phonetic associations helps not only but also to learn the rules of pronunciation. English-speaking inventors even came up with an association for the pronunciation of the most romantic words on the planet yellow blue tea bear.

What prevents you from making associations with English words?

  • Keep it- boils.
  • Afraid- uh, Freud!
  • Necessary- carries a sari.
  • What can i do- I'll find some vodka.

The pronunciation of the word “pedestrian” in English is not difficult to remember, although the associative series is on the verge of a foul (pedestrian - pedestrian). And the associations, in addition to sound ones, are also semantic. By the way necessary It’s also easy to connect a lexical (semantic) association: necessary(necessary, necessary) - “carries a sari”, because a sari is a necessary thing in India.

2. Brad Pitt's move

This technique can also be called the technique of lexical associations. To memorize, you select a word that is similar in pronunciation and at least remotely related to the word being studied in meaning. If there is no even distant connection, then you can try to create it.

Let's look at an example. To remember a word heel- “heel”, you just need to remember the name of the hero, famous for his death because of this part of the body. That's right, we're talking about Achilles. Now just repeat several times: “ Heel- “heel”, because Achilles.” For better memory, you can also imagine Brad Pitt in the movie “Troy”.

In the same way, it is easy to draw parallels with other words:

  • Palm- “palm” (think of a palm tree and its leaves open like a palm).
  • Skull- “skull” (you can represent the Indians, whose favorite pastime was scalping).
  • To look- “watch” (think about how difficult it is to watch someone cut an onion).

You can choose an association for the most different words- you just need to use a little imagination.

3. Technique of falling into a puddle

This technique is also known as the “technique of autobiographical associations.” To remember a word, you need to associate it with some event in life. For example, have you ever fallen into a puddle? Remembered discomfort? Now repeat the word several times puddle- “dirt”, “puddle”. It won't be difficult for you to remember it.

Word court, meaning "court", is easy to remember by imagining a tennis court. Have you played tennis? Did you imagine yourself going onto the court? Now think about the fact that trials used to be held in wide squares where a crowd of onlookers could accommodate, and the word will be remembered.

Word inception- “beginning” is easy to remember, because you most likely watched the film of the same name with Leo DiCaprio. To memorize new words, you just need to pay attention to original titles films.

Many words are easy to remember because they have already become part of your professional slang. For example, the slang of IT specialists is almost 90% filled with words English origin:

  • Fix - from to fix(fix, mend).
  • Bug (debug) - from bug(error).
  • Connect - from to connect(unite).
  • Use - from to use(use).

In many professions and in everyday life, we often use a huge number of words of English origin. It is enough for us to remember (or) the words from which they came:

  • Shake- “shake” (here you just need to think about a bartender with a shaker).
  • Roll- “roll”, “roll” (all thoughts about sushi and Japanese cuisine).
  • Escape- “run away” (remember the Esc button on the keyboard and how often you had to press it).

To increase the efficiency of learning, all techniques can be actively combined. The main rule of learning English: do not torment yourself with memorization.