Take as a basis high-frequency words and your area of interest. High-frequency should be understood as the necessary vocabulary that is used by all people without exception. The area of interest is largely determined by the goals of learning the language – profession, hobbies, favorite topics of conversation. Do not strive to learn all words without exception – 50% of them are not used even by the English, you will waste your brain and waste time. Where to find high-frequency vocabulary:

Free online courses have a selection of high-frequency words by topic, such as “clothing,” “food,” “family,” “home,” and so on.
When you feel savvy enough, skip to The Oxford 3000 for the most comprehensive list of high-frequency words.
Read literature and news in an adapted language and compose your own vocabulary. Such sources are aimed at English learners, therefore all unpopular words in them are replaced with simpler and more understandable synonyms.

You should look for words for your area of interest yourself. The easiest way is to watch TV series on a suitable topic in English (you can use Russian subtitles, but then watching will not be a pleasure).

In addition, it is worth looking for articles, reviews and forums related to your profession or related to your hobby. Do not forget about live communication – communicate more with foreigners in chats, this will help to master not only thematic, but also slang words.

Verbs and stable phrases

According to statistics, the vocabulary of most beginners is lacking in verbs, and useful verbs. The useful ones include those that we most often use in speech. It is appropriate here to do the exercise developed by Gina Caro as often as possible. Its essence is as follows: you need to look around as often as possible and describe everything that you see using verbs. The proposal should be structured as follows: “This is a thing that …”. That is, you get something like: “This is the chair on which I sit.” The verb “sit” is useful and important to remember.

It is also worth remembering stable phrases. Take a photo – take a photo, a flat tire – a flat tire and so on. It is difficult to understand the logic of the formation of these expressions in the early stages, it is easier to remember them. To make it easier for yourself, use strong phrases in context. By the way, answering the question of how to quickly memorize English words and expressions, the polyglot Kato Lomb recommended memorizing such phrases in the same form in which you will use them – in the 1st person singular.

Ways to learn words quickly and a lot

The association technique is very simple. For each English word or concept, a similar sounding Russian word is selected: lemon – lemon, nose – nose, mandarin – tangerine or mandarin. Our language even has words borrowed from foreign speech, and they have been familiar to you for a long time: airport – airport, recruit – recruit, recruit, autobus – bus, aviation – aviation. Some neologisms also took English terms as a basis: browser, Internet, monitor, office, printer.

Therefore, you will always find something to associate with those concepts that you have to learn. In addition, a large number of English signs, as in Russian, consist of two bases:

Thunderstorm – thunderstorm: thunder – thunder storm – storm, storm (storm with thunder)
Exchange – exchange: ex – former change – change, change
Watermelon – watermelon: water – water melon – melon (water melon)

You can also associate situations. For example, to memorize the word “fist”, imagine a large pistachio that you smash with your fist.

As for memorization, it is effective in two cases – if the words are classified by consonance, when a group of words is similar in the first or last words. Or teach constructions in the second way – according to thematic classification, which is closer to me personally. The same group includes the most used words and phrases. However, it is better to quickly fix hard-to-remember words in memory by choosing a consonant analogue.

Writing stories

To quickly memorize English words, the “Writing stories” method is also very effective. You just need to come up with a story that will use all the required vocabulary. This story can be anything, even ridiculous, but you need to imagine it in all the details. Imagination will help you easily remember a made-up story, especially if you connect English vocabulary using original and sometimes awkward ways.

For example, you need to remember the following words:

shoes, piano, tree, pencil, bird, bus, books, driver, dog, pizza, flower, door, TV set, spoons, chair, jump, dance, throw, computer, stone

(shoes, piano, wood, pencil, bird, bus, books, driver, dog, pizza, flower, door, TV, spoons, chair, jump, dance, throw, computer, stone).

From these English words such a phantasmagoria can be born:

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.

The piano is sitting 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 a bus full of people reading books.

Even the driver reads a book, which is bad, because he does not pay attention to the road. Therefore, he knocks to death 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, which act as antennas. Nobody watches TV because everyone is looking at the chair. Why? Because the chair jumps and dances and throws stones at the computer.

Practice English as often as possible

If your English classes are limited to two hours a week, then it is hardly worth waiting for the result. Words that you do not use, you forget – this is an axiom. You can use them all together only with regular practice. Write essays and essays more often (participate in competitions), speak English more often (preferably with native speakers).

Cards

This way of memorizing English words is quite simple both at the stage of preparation and during implementation. Taking small pieces of paper (the denser the better), write down on each of them the word you need to remember and its translation on the back. The size of these cards will allow you to take them with you and return to repetition over and over again in your free time. On the cards, you can also write down the most common expressions, words on various topics, etc. Regular repetition of information using this technique helps to improve memory performance.

This way of memorizing English words is perfect for kinesthetics and visuals. For those who have predominantly kinesthetic memory, this technique will literally “hold in hands” new information, feel it with your fingers. Pictures drawn on cards with those English words and phrases that are difficult to memorize will help visuals to increase the effectiveness of this method. Don't be discouraged if you don't have a talent for drawing. Strange or awkward pictures make the human brain concentrate on them, and this contributes to better assimilation of information.

Cards with English words and phrases should be constantly carried with you, returning to memorizing them at every free minute. In transport, in line, while waiting for a movie in the cinema, watch them, read and remember the meaning. If difficulties arise, you can always peep the translation on the back of the card.

This method of memorizing English words will also be effective for audiences, if you pronounce the words aloud while reading.

Universal algorithm for learning English words in 3 steps

Have you noticed that you often memorize words that you have already learned before? This is not surprising, because you probably did not use them in speech – the brain simply discarded and forgot the unnecessary part of the vocabulary. But often it seems impossible to memorize a certain word itself. It does not cause any associations, it seems difficult to spell and pronounce. Let's talk about how easy it is to memorize English words using the universal ESL technique. It involves studying them in 3 steps:

Look at the word, read it out loud and find out the meaning. The meaning is understood as the semantic load of a given word in a specific sentence – it is no secret that many words have several meanings when translated, so the context comes to the fore. Example: in the sentence “Her head is strange”, “head” will obviously mean not the head, but the boss – another meaning of the word.
Compose and write down a sentence with a word. It is best to keep it simple and short, consisting of words you already know and one new one. In such an environment, the brain quickly grasps the context and remembers the lexical unit being memorized.
Make a sentence with the word verbally. In the third step, it is important not to write down the sentence that has been drawn up, but simply to say it. It should be just as short and simple – the only difference is that you don't need to write anything down, but it is important to pronounce each word clearly, understanding its meaning in this context.

Learning words using this technique is really easy. There is only one difficulty left: how to remember the spelling of English words, especially difficult ones? It is important to work on phonetics here – you must understand the lettering of the sounds spoken. Are you sure you know how certain letters are read in different syllables and situations? Work on phonetics. After that, try to divide the word into its component parts (root, suffixes), pick up the same root words and try to use the association method for accurate memorization.

Frequent repetition

This method of memorization will seem very boring. However, repeating vocabulary over and over is a very effective technique. According to experts, for better memorization, it is necessary to use the word at least 5 times in context. Come up with 5 different phrases that contain the desired word and say them out loud. For consolidation it is recommended to write these sentences down.

Think deeply

The Law of Comprehension: According to Ebbinghaus, meaningful material is remembered 9 times faster. It is not so much the words and sentences that make up the text that are imprinted in the memory, but the thoughts contained in them. They are the first to come to mind when you need to remember the content of the text.

However, learning how to properly organize information at the moment of memorization is not an easy task. You can use key words, diagrams, charts and tables. The forecasting technique is also effective: after starting to read a paragraph, try, after the author has put forward several arguments, to draw a conclusion on your own, to explain to yourself what you read, even if it seems obvious to you. Having formulated the information in your own words, you will remember it for a long time.

Memories

Memos are a great way for kids to memorize English words, which is equally effective for kids and adults alike. It consists in creating small poems in which the necessary vocabulary rhymes with words in Russian. At the same time, the method of artistic association is also involved:

Plum here and plum there,

Plum in English plam.

I prefer watermelon to plums,

Watermelon is aka watermelon.

The price of melons is written in chalk,

Melon in English melon.

A fairy told me in a dream:

Pear in English pear.

Such verses seem at first glance to be meaningless, but their rhythm contributes to the high-quality memorization of English words.

Use mnemonic tricks

Look for associations – consonant words and expressions. They will help create a certain image in your head, which you will no longer be able to refuse. Over time, he will leave, but only when he reaches an advanced level of English, then other associations will come in his place. At the initial stages, however, mnemonic techniques will come in handy.

Favorite movies, TV shows, songs, podcasts, books

This method is good because the words are remembered in a context that is not boring for you. If you already watch films in English, it is worth taking vocabulary from there. It is paid, but worth the money: you can watch new films and TV series in high quality with Russian and English subtitles. As soon as you come across an unfamiliar word, click on it and it will automatically go into your personal dictionary of new words.

Alternatively, use the search bar in your browser: enter the name of the song and add the word lyrics.

Stickers

Adhesive colored papers are used not only for office notes, but also as a language learning tool. Let's say you are mastering the topic “Kitchen”, which includes words on the following topics:

dishes;
furniture;
Appliances;
plumbing;
food and meals.

How easy is it to memorize so many different English vocabulary? It's very simple. Go to your own kitchen and put stickers with English names on the objects you study. Your gaze will cling to a bright piece of paper and constantly resemble the English word for this subject. The main thing is to look into the kitchen more often.

The same can be done with just about any theme. It is not even necessary that you have a suitable subject. For example, you are learning irregular verbs. Write out some difficult shapes on the sticker and stick it on the monitor. Now, when you decide to work on the computer, your gaze will also catch on to the piece of paper, and you will once again pronounce the forms of irregular verbs. A couple of such mini-lessons – and you yourself will not notice how you memorize the material.

Thus, stickers are an effective method for learning English words quickly and easily in a short period of time. It has practically no drawbacks if you follow the above lesson methodology. Unless, households will object to the abundance of stickers.

Use learned vocabulary in speech

How to learn English words correctly and not forget them? Are you familiar with the use it or lose it principle? For knowledge to remain in memory, you need to actively “use” it. It is good practice to compose short stories using new words. Best remembered vocabulary, set out in a short funny text, which is written about yourself beloved or dear things.

If you take a course or study with an English teacher, try to insert new words into the conversation as often as possible: the more times you say a word, the better you remember it. Don't forget about spelling: try to use new words in writing.

Special textbooks

Vocabulary textbooks will help you learn new words and phrases in which they are used. The great thing about the manuals is that they provide lists of words along with examples of their use, so the words learn in context.

How not to forget a new word?

If you learned a word in accordance with these rules, then it will settle in your head for permanent residence. But! If you don’t use it in speech for a long time, over time the English word will move from an active vocabulary to a passive one. How can you avoid this?

Come up with a vivid association for yourself!

This will especially help with abstract concepts, long and difficult words to write, etc.

For example, our service has a special field for entering an association. For those with associative thinking and developed visual memory, this is just a godsend: you close your eyes and remember this phrase.

Use the spaced repetition technique!

In repetition, the main thing is not the character (HOW to repeat), but the timing of the workout (WHEN to repeat). It is better to do this when you are about to forget what you have learned. These moments of forgetting were established by the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who deduced the so-called “forgetting curve”.

Let's say you've learned a word. Repeat it a few minutes after that, then after a couple of hours, then after a day, then after 2 days, then after 5 days, then after 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 8 months, etc. .d. After a while, the word will sit firmly in my head.

Memory cards

Another way to memorize English words for visuals is with Mind Maps. They are flow charts through which new vocabulary is absorbed by topic. To draw such a flowchart, you need to take a large sheet of paper, write a thematic word in the middle (for example, travel), and from it – a string of arrows in a circle. Each arrow represents a more specific topic: transport, hotel, excursions, etc. Another row of arrows – the next layer – further specifies the chosen topic (plane, breakfast, monument, etc.). Depending on the breadth of the original theme, you can make as many layers as you like. With the help of such a logical and detailed scheme, the process of memorizing English words will begin already at the drawing stage. The rest of the vocabulary is learned through repeated repetitions.

Remember interesting

The traditional approach to learning new words, tested by generations of schoolchildren, is as follows: foreign words are given in lists according to topics, for example, “Acquaintance”, “Letter to a friend”, “My day”. The set of topics is standard and universal, which is not always effective: if the topic does not arouse interest, it is much more difficult to learn new vocabulary. The experience of our school shows: if the choice of the studied words is approached in strict accordance with the specific goals and interests of each student, at the intersection of useful and pleasant, the result is optimal!

For example, if you like the TV series “Game of Thrones”, it will be much more interesting for you to learn words, generate images and concepts that are related to the plot of the film, for example: queen – queen, northern – northern, wall – wall, castle – castle.

Increase your English vocabulary with context

As mentioned earlier, it is better (and easier) to memorize new words in context. One way is to write a sentence with this word. You will not only remember this word, but you can easily use it in conversation.

Another way is to memorize words in groups. If you want to remember the word humongous (very large), it will be easier for you to remember it from the chain of words: getting bigger and bigger — large, huge, humongous. It also makes it possible to memorize more words at a time.

Polyglot

This way to quickly memorize English words will help you master up to 150 new concepts every day. It is based on a system of sequential mental operations and actions, thanks to which the memorization skill is formed.

Memorization scheme according to the “Polyglot” system:

Translation of the English word.
Selection of a Russian word consonant in pronunciation.
Combining the image of the translation and the image of the consonant word.
Fixation of the English word.
Writing the word on paper.
Checking the quality of memorization.
Fixation on the card (corresponding record).

Example:

Look – look [luk].
Onion.
“I can't watch when they cut onions.”
Using red cards, cover all the free space around the English word “look”, which should be in the center. Imagine that you photograph this word with your memory so that its graphic image remains in it, and read it out loud several times.
Write the word.
To check the quality of memorization, you need to write an English word from right to left, reproducing one letter at a time:… k ..ok .ook look.
Write an English word on a card to review.

How much do you need to repeat to learn?

Pimsler advised repeating the phrase 11 times. You can make it easier and get by with nine approaches: read, repeat after 30 minutes, then the next morning, then after three days, a week, a month, three months, six months and a year later.
If you repeat the phrase for 10 seconds (two dubbing for five seconds), then you will need one and a half minutes a year.
To avoid confusion, write the date of the next repetition on the word card and put everything in folders or boxes.

External verification

Bring in a relative or friend for additional verification. This method does not imply grading, but with the help of external control, the process of memorizing English words will be very effective.

Test your knowledge regularly

It is helpful to take various vocabulary tests from time to time. For example, great tests with pictures (a joy for visuals and children) are provided on the Vocabulary for learners of English page. After passing such a test, you will immediately see what is memorized and which topics or words need to be repeated.

Own dictionary

Almost all people who have learned English remember their notebook with the words written out. You may ask why in the modern world there is such a relic of the past when you can take any list of words from the Internet. Well, we will answer: just to make it easier and better to memorize English words.

For effective memorization of information, one must be able not only to perceive correctly, but also to process it “for oneself”. This is the law of any activity. Our own thoughts, ideas and actions are processed by our brain much better than copying, let alone memorizing, other people's ideas.

Therefore, get in the habit of keeping your own vocabulary of words in English. Write down the most difficult expressions to memorize in it and repeat them when you have a free minute. For even greater efficiency, after each page covered with writing, conduct a test dictation in English.

After a few sessions, you will feel your progress and see for yourself that a seemingly simple “notebook” is a necessary and irreplaceable thing when learning a foreign language.

How to combine the two ways to learn words quickly and easily?

If your level allows you to read simple texts, you can expand your vocabulary by combining the “hard” and “easy” methods:

Read the text in English,
Write out unfamiliar words
Make up sets of flashcards with these words and memorize them.

A few tips:

Read only what you are really interested in,
Write out not all unfamiliar words in a row (so you will quickly lose interest in reading), but only words that are important for understanding the text or words that seem useful.
Write out not only words, but also phrases, phrases-speech patterns, such as formulas of politeness, greetings, etc., are especially useful.

Personally, I did this: if I read a paper book or on my phone, I wrote out words with a pen in a notebook or saved them to notes on my phone, then I created sets of cards and repeated the words. Sometimes it was lazy, and I didn't make cards, but just looked through the notes, repeating the written words – even this way helps to remember them. If I read it in a browser, I saved the words with the help of “LeoTranslator” and then repeated them with the help of cards in Lingvaleo or just looking through the list.

Prescribing

You need to write down new vocabulary over and over again. This tried and tested way of memorizing English words can be pretty boring, but that doesn't make it less effective.

Audio, video, writing, logic circuits and maps

This is not really a technique, but rather a tip: if you want to learn words in English as quickly as possible, include your individual qualities in the work.

Do you understand better by ear? Listen to special audio recordings or record your own audio lessons.
Prefer visual design? Watch videos with popular vocabulary, study words with pictures, independently compose images for the studied expressions.
Are you accustomed to trusting feelings more? Learn vocabulary in writing or on the move. Manually rewrite thematic collections of words, animate words with gestures and movements, tap out the rhythm of syllables.
Is it all your logic and strict ordering of the studied material? Make thematic diagrams or mind maps (smart maps). For example, words are studied on the topic “apartment”. Logical nodes of the scheme: room-kitchen-bathroom-corridor. From these bases there are ramifications into objects typical for the interior: bathroom – shower, washbasin, tiles; corridor – hanger, mirror, bedside table, etc.

How to stop forgetting English words

Method 1 – “Vivid associations”. If a word refuses to get into memory, it is worth choosing a vivid association for it. It is worth visualizing or fixing it in the mind – it can be a vivid picture or image that will be tied to the selected meaning of the lexical unit. At the same time, the connection does not have to be logical – the association should be clear to you, this is quite enough. Remember that images are remembered much better, use associative thinking.

Method 2 – “Spaced repetition technique”. The spaced repetition method is largely based on the “forgetting curve” created by the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. In accordance with it, it is necessary to repeat the word 2 minutes after studying, then after 2 days, then after 4, then after 8. Then it should be repeated after 5 weeks, 4 months and 8 months. After that, the word will forever remain in your memory. However, it is very difficult to calculate the time for repetition yourself – it is worth using a special application.

Reading

For those who have a fairly high level of knowledge of a foreign language, the most suitable way to memorize English words is reading. With the help of books, you can expand your vocabulary by marking and writing out vocabulary that you are not already familiar with. As you read, you comprehend the meaning from the context, and English words themselves become your passive stock. But to fix them in memory, you need to use additional methods of memorization.

Mnemonics

The method of artistic association as a way of memorizing English words contributes to their assimilation by creating vivid images in the head. The more original the image, the more successful the process.

For instance:

“Spoon” – a baby gnome named Spoon falls asleep in a bed-spoon;
“Chess” (chess) – the chess king scratches the back of a chess knight;
“Turnip” (turnip) – turnip holds the horizontal bar with its leaves-hands and performs exercises;
“Ship” (ship) – a ship, which instead of cannon barrels stick out huge sharp spikes.

Mnemonics can be classified as a quick way to memorize English words, the main thing is to find a suitable artistic image.

Mobile apps and games

With modern gadgets and Internet access, you can quickly study any information.

So, for different mobile platforms, many applications for learning English words have been developed. They are small electronic collections on everyday and most popular topics for communication. As a rule, the study of words is checked in several aspects at once:

spelling;
listening comprehension;
self-pronunciation.

And this is a big plus of this learning method. But, he has several significant disadvantages.

The most important drawbacks of mobile language learning apps are the small volume of vocabulary and the ease of guessing words. Often, expressions are in one sequence, or the desired word is logically guessed from the picture. This method does not help the brain to work at full capacity, and accordingly, memory is not turned on at full strength. And this is true, more likely just a game than a complete training.

Slightly more serious are specialized sites that help users learn words. Here the lesson has a similar format, but the thematic selections are richer and the control over the mastering of information is more strict. But, we would also recommend them only as an additional source of information or a way to conduct an English lesson outside the box. After all, it is also not a secret for anyone that it is impossible to carry out the same lessons from day to day. Diversity is the key to successful language acquisition. And here interactive applications will come in handy.

Let's summarize. How to learn English words every day – program

Learn only the words you need! This is the base + specific vocabulary for your area of interest. Also learn more verbs, combinations and whole phrases. You can find all this in special sets, dictionaries and materials in English (adapted – for the base, thematic – for special lexicon).
Learn words only in context! If you “get” a word from an article, song, etc. – then keep it in mind with this context. You take the “lonely” word – look for a context for it. And in no case try to immediately learn all the meanings of a polysemantic word! You will only get confused and lose touch with the main thing – with the context.
Immediately try to apply the word in life! If there are no communication situations in English yet, then invent your own examples: act out a scene with this word, remember a real life situation associated with it. Remember that for a strong memorization, you need to meet the word 7-9 times in different situations, and preferably in those that relate to experiences close to you.
So that the word is not forgotten, come up with a vivid association for it: graphic, auditory, funny, stupid – it doesn't matter. The main thing is that it matches your type of thinking (are you an auditor? A visual? A kinesthetic?) And work for you.
Keep repetition rates to a minimum by using spaced repetition techniques.

Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://info-profi.net/zapominat-anglijskie-slova/ https://EnglishFull.ru/znat/vyuchit-mnogo-slov.html https://www.englishpatient.org / articles / sposoby-zapominaniya-anglijskih-slov https://skyeng.ru/articles/kak-uchit-angliyskie-slova https://englex.ru/10-useful-advice-on-how-to-increase-your -vocabulary / https://speakenglishwell.ru/kak-bystro-vyuchit-anglijskie-slova-metodiki-leksika/ https://corp.lingualeo.com/ru/2017/04/11/kak-uchit-angliyskie-slova -8-pravil-ot-6-ekspertov / https://ienglish.ru/blog/interesno-ob-angliiskom/kak-viuchit-angliiskiy-bistro-samomu/kak-bistro-vyuchit-mnogo-angliskikh-slov-tekhniki -zapominania https://habr.com/ru/company/puzzleenglish/blog/408921/ https://langformula.ru/learn-words/

Post source: lastici.ru