Transcript How to Learn Spanish

Memory Strategies
How to Learn Spanish
Intend to Remember
Attitude has much to do with whether
you remember something or not
Say to yourself, “I am going to
remember everything I hear in class
today.”
Focus on the teacher
Get involved, participate, engage
Selectivity
Determine the most important and
select those parts to study
Take notes from the text book
Writing things down condenses the
amount of material you have to study
Writing things down often helps you
recall the things that you want to
remember
Recitation
Saying ideas aloud is probably the most
powerful tool you have to transfer
knowledge from short-term to long-term
memory
This is why working in a study group is
extremely helpful
Recitation Ideas
Read your notes
aloud
Paraphrase as you
read
Teach each other
Record your voice
Call a friend
Get into a study
group
Basic Background
Your understanding of new material
depends a great deal on how much you
already know
The more you increase basic
knowledge, the easier it is to build new
knowledge on this background
Learning today, makes it easier to learn
a lot tomorrow
Repetition
For Spanish, repetition and drill is
necessary
If you are going to be able to speak
Spanish, you need to practice doing it
Memorization is necessary
Flashcards
Vocabulary notes
Application
Apply what you learn to your own life
Make it real by using Spanish with
family and friends
Go to a Mexican restaurant and try to
speak Spanish with the server
Find a Spanish-speaking neighbor,
friend, parent of a friend and try to
speak Spanish with them
Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices are used for
remembering information that is to be
memorized
As a general rule any type of mnemonic
device must be simple, clear and vivid.
We tend to remember the unusual, the
funny or the personal
Five Mnenomic Devices
Grouping
Rhymes / Songs
Acronyms
Visual Association
Loci
Grouping
Classify lists on the basis of some common
characteristic. Remember the key element of
the group.
Example: Some verbs in Spanish are I GO
VERBS. In the I form of the verb, the
Spanish verb ends in –go.
tengo – I have
salgo – I go out
hago – I do or make
traigo – I bring
Rhymes and Songs
Set what you need to remember to a
common rhyme or song
Example: The vowel song and the
army drill / march chant
Acronyms
Use acronyms to help you remember
lists. The first letter from each word in a
list forms a key word, name or
sentence.
Example: Gender – masculine/feminine
masculine = ma n r o l
n o r ma l
feminine = d umbre cion a
Visual Association
Association involves linking two ideas.
When you are memorizing lists of words
you can link words by using images.
The PEG system allows you to
remember sequences of ten unrelated
items in the appropriate order. It
requires you to remember 10 “peg
words”
PEG System
If you have ten word that you need to
remember, you visualize each word
interacting with the “peg word” that you
already know.
Think of 10 “peg words”
Memorize the 10 “peg words”
Now visualize the Spanish word/object
interacting with your “peg word.”
The PEG System
1 = bun
perro
6 = sticks
lapiz
2 = shoe
calle
7 = lake
cuaderno
3 = tree
boligrafo 8 = gate
libro
4 = door
feo
9 = vine
uvas
5 = hive
libro
10 = hen
papel
Loci
Greek and Roman orators who had to
remember long speeches used the method of
“loci” to trigger their memories
Visualize a room or route that is familiar to
you.
Place each item that you wish to remember in
a location in the room or along the route
“Pick it up” as you take a mental walk
Mnemonic devices
increase your ability to
recall information. They
should be abandoned as
soon as you know the
material so well that
you do not need them.
Notetaking
Preview
Writing
The 5 R’s
Preview
Good note taking begins BEFORE you ever
go to class
Before coming to class you need to preview
the material that will be covered
This includes previewing the chapter in the
book that we are studying and reading over
previous class notes
Formulate questions about the new material
before you come to class
Writing
Copy down everything on the board
Blackboard “scribble” may be a clue to
an exam item
Use the Cornel method for taking notes
(two columns)
Number and title all of your notes,
include the date
Write only on one side of the paper
Record, Reduce, Recite,
(w)Rite, Review
Record main points
Label notes in the left-hand margin to
help organize your notes
Using only labels attempt to recite
information from notes
Write new vocabulary many times until
you know it
Review the recite step every few weeks
Test Taking
Find out what will be covered
Review before the test: daily reviews,
weekly reviews and major reviews
Predict test questions
Develop a study plan
Avoid procrastination
Reduce anxiety by being prepared
Test-taking strategies
Arrive early
Listen carefully to all instructions
Avoid friends and panic-stricken people
Look over the entire exam, paying particular
attention to point values
Read all directions
Do the easy questions first (this builds
confidence)
Use the entire time, look over your answers
before handing in the exam