DerDrache
2008-11-15, 19:21
Over the past year I've tried several different methods for improving my Russian. I tried "listening-reading" (something I explained in an older thread), the mnemonic technique, immersing myself in Russian TV/movies/radio, rote memorization, and a few other things that I managed to think of.
Recently I realized that the easiest way to learn a new word was to learn it in context. If I saw a word and it's meaning in isolation, I would forget it essentially right after I looked away. Even if I repeated it to myself several times, wrote it down and memorized it, I still wouldn't be able to readily access the word when I needed it (either for speaking or for understanding someone). If, on the other hand, I learned a word in the context of a sentence, the meaning and structure of the word was much easier to recall, and the word became part of my active vocabulary.
So, based on that, I decided to try memorizing texts. It's by far the most successful method I've tried. I basically read through a text first for comprehension (ie. looking up any new words), and then I start copying it down line-by-line while reciting it to myself. For example: After memorizing Sentence 1, I would recite it and then copy down and recite sentence 2. With those memorized, I would recite them both and then go on to sentence 3, and so on. Once you've memorized the entire text (I usually do about 100 words in a "session"), you then just need to recite it several times throughout the day...in the shower, mentally while you're walking to the store, etc.
You'll find yourself using native constructions in the language rather effortlessly, the words you learn really stay with you, and you'll be able to understand the words when you hear them in new contexts (assuming the meaning is the same, of course).
Some things to note:
1) It's best to use dialogues, as they usually have a natural, logical flow to them, and thus it's easier to remember everything. I've tried news reports, articles, etc. and it was easy to omit sentences or even whole paragraphs. FSI courses or movies are good sources for finding dialogues (you can download a subtitles file and open it up in notepad)
2) One person who also memorizes dialogues said that he had more success when he listened to the dialogue, so...although writing it down is essential for me, it might not be as helpful to you. So, try different things if you're having trouble.
3) I haven't figured out a set number of times you need to recite a given dialogue until you've "mastered" all of the words, but you'll definitely notice improvement quickly...I just try to make it a regular part of my day.
4) VERY IMPORTANT: You need to make sure you know what the words sound like. Depending on how good your pronunciation is, you'll likely be able to reproduce the words accurately enough, but it's still ideal to have audio accompanying the text. So, again, if you can't find a course that has good dialogues and audio...just use movies.
Recently I realized that the easiest way to learn a new word was to learn it in context. If I saw a word and it's meaning in isolation, I would forget it essentially right after I looked away. Even if I repeated it to myself several times, wrote it down and memorized it, I still wouldn't be able to readily access the word when I needed it (either for speaking or for understanding someone). If, on the other hand, I learned a word in the context of a sentence, the meaning and structure of the word was much easier to recall, and the word became part of my active vocabulary.
So, based on that, I decided to try memorizing texts. It's by far the most successful method I've tried. I basically read through a text first for comprehension (ie. looking up any new words), and then I start copying it down line-by-line while reciting it to myself. For example: After memorizing Sentence 1, I would recite it and then copy down and recite sentence 2. With those memorized, I would recite them both and then go on to sentence 3, and so on. Once you've memorized the entire text (I usually do about 100 words in a "session"), you then just need to recite it several times throughout the day...in the shower, mentally while you're walking to the store, etc.
You'll find yourself using native constructions in the language rather effortlessly, the words you learn really stay with you, and you'll be able to understand the words when you hear them in new contexts (assuming the meaning is the same, of course).
Some things to note:
1) It's best to use dialogues, as they usually have a natural, logical flow to them, and thus it's easier to remember everything. I've tried news reports, articles, etc. and it was easy to omit sentences or even whole paragraphs. FSI courses or movies are good sources for finding dialogues (you can download a subtitles file and open it up in notepad)
2) One person who also memorizes dialogues said that he had more success when he listened to the dialogue, so...although writing it down is essential for me, it might not be as helpful to you. So, try different things if you're having trouble.
3) I haven't figured out a set number of times you need to recite a given dialogue until you've "mastered" all of the words, but you'll definitely notice improvement quickly...I just try to make it a regular part of my day.
4) VERY IMPORTANT: You need to make sure you know what the words sound like. Depending on how good your pronunciation is, you'll likely be able to reproduce the words accurately enough, but it's still ideal to have audio accompanying the text. So, again, if you can't find a course that has good dialogues and audio...just use movies.