How to Remember New Words You Learn (And Actually Use Them)

It's so rewarding when you're learning a new language and the word you're looking for pops up in your mind, and equally frustrating when you try to communicate something and you're just unable to locate where the word you need is in your mental library.

This is probably an experience we all share when we know a little bit of one language, but not enough to speak it fluently. In this stage it's particularly important to develop a reliable technique to remember the words you hear and learn, so that next time they're needed they can be recalled and used.

I'm sharing here my own tested method that hopefully can be of help:

Step 1: Encounter the word

You might come across a new word while reading in your room, looking up at a sign on the street, or having a conversation in a foreign country.

Exposure is great when learning a new language, and even though it can be overwhelming at times, especially when your level is still low, it's good practice to ease into it and let yourself be around words you don't understand the meaning of.

Step 2: Ask for its spelling (if spoken) or pronunciation (if written)

Say you're speaking in the language you're trying to learn, and the person you're speaking with says a word you don't know the meaning of. You ask for the meaning, they give it to you, and now you can continue talking.

However, depending on the language at hand, there is a high chance that the pronunciation of that word doesn't give you strong clues as to how it's actually spelled, which means that when you see that word in the written form you won't be able to identify it.

If in that moment you also ask for its spelling, you learn another very important aspect of the word you're learning about.

The same applies when the word appears in writing for the first time, it's very useful to know how it's pronounced in case you hear someone say it in the future or if you want to use it yourself.

Step 3: Repeat it (either in your head or out loud)

A small act of repetition can help drill down the meaning of a new word. I find that just one time is enough, for instance when a word is explained to you and you repeat it back to make yourself familiar with its pronunciation.

The difference between taking that little pause or moving on straight away, can result in being or not being able to remember what the word means next time you come across it.

Step 4: Make yourself use it in a sentence

This is optional, but if the situation allows, it doesn't hurt to try using it in a sentence and see how it fits with other words.

Step 5: If you can attach it to a memory cue, do it

Sometimes it helps to attach your new word to an existing memory, so you can recall it more easily next time. For example, if the word reminds you of another word in your native language, if it's similar to another language you know, or if the moment when you learned it has any special significance.

Step 6: Practice recalling

It's helpful to make a distinction between words you don't know and words you don't remember.

If you have previously learned a certain word before but you just can't remember what it means, there is a chance that taking a little time to try to recall it might do the trick, plus it feels like an accomplishment.

Above all, remember to not be hard on yourself

Cut yourself some slack if you can't remember what a word means. There might be some words that even after looking them up many times, you still won't remember them (been there).

However, if you follow the practice of both retaining what you've learned and taking time to try to recall what you've forgotten, you'll find it easier to learn a language and eventually become fluent.

You've got this!