How can language learners best memorize vocabulary?

in my experience we need to understand what kind of learners we are.And based technique on that. In general just manually memorising words is not a way. We have to use as many of the senses as possible. For example memorising word raspberry would help us if we can feel taste and smell one.

Use context and associations: Instead of trying to memorize isolated words, learn vocabulary in context. Connect new words to related words, phrases, or sentences to understand their meaning and usage. Creating associations or visual images can also aid in retention.

Memorising vocabulary in a foreign language requires a big effort. Often it is a struggle. Linguists and methodologists have given us much advice. (check the seven articles about this topic). Everything is useful. In my opinion, we should add some personalization, in order to build up one's own vocabulary. Every student, helped by the teacher/ tutor, should be provided with his/her own vocabulary-repository, consisting in storytelling, mindmaps, chunks, drawings and memorising- sentences, communicative elements. All that should be personal/ individual.

Mi profesor particular me dio una lista de palabras (y expresiones) para aprender semanalmente, lo que no funcionó en un principio. Me di cuenta que, en mi caso, son cruciales dos cosas: el contexto y la repetición. Combinar mis clases particulares en las que aclaro dudas sobre el vocabulario, con ejercicios en aplicaciones como Duolingo y, finalmente, con la exposición a producciones naturales de la lengua en recursos como podcast, películas o libros. Así el vocabulario se va conectando, asociando y contextualizando.

I agree with Fabio below when he says, that associating the new vocabulary with images or pictures helps. But that happens when the learner has visual recognition memory. I think different people need different triggers, like sounds, pronunciation or the context too!

Teaching new vocabulary has always been challenging, one method I saw effective was to use the vocabulary in a real life situation. This makes learning the new word something a learner can connect to. A very funny experience was teaching the word constipation and the opposite (diarrhea)to a group of adult CLB 3 students. Learning how to pronounce and clap with syllables was hilarious.One of the students said that because they learned this they were able to describe a child’s symptom properly to the doctor!

I couldn't agree more with these fantastic strategies for memorizing vocabulary. As someone who's been on this language learning journey myself, I've found these techniques to be incredibly effective. I'm a big fan of creating associations/ connections :) By linking new words to something familiar, I give my brain a little hook to hold onto. Whether it's a related word, an image, or a personal experience, these associations make the vocabulary feel more tangible and memorable.

Pictures/Images can help create a connection between a word and its definition/meaning. This is an excellent method for visual learners.

Las conexiones semànticas son claves para el aprendfizaje, siguen el mismo principio del ¨memory palace¨, facilitan el aprendizaje por asociaciòn.

Practice active learning techniques: Engage in active learning techniques such as flashcards, quizzes, or mnemonic devices. Write down the word, its meaning, and example sentences to reinforce memory. Use spaced repetition systems that review vocabulary at increasing intervals to optimize retention.

Connecting with words is the most effective way to remember them! And the best "connection" is undoubtably through using them! From my experience, you can write words and repeat them a 100 times and still not remember them. However, if you use them in a "real life" context, you are FAR more likely to remember them. In order to do that, you might need to plan a bit when and how to use those words.

I like the recommendation to use the words in writing exercises, such as journaling or even as simple as composing sentences. Personally, it helps me to both write and then read aloud the sentences. The contribution of pronouncing and hearing the words in a meaningful context makes a strong contribution to word memory for me.

for people who learn English as a second language, like me, i believe using the words is very important for us to memorize new words because language acquisition is relying on the immersion. If we keep using a new vocab consistently for a period of time, say for example, 3 weeks (21 days), it's highly likely that it would be stored in "long-term memory" that we can always recall without difficulties. Having said that, finding a way to use the word in real life is not so easy for us it's not our mother tongue, so, another thing that is helpful would be the persistency to get it done, even if all people around us speak another language. So, can we use a word easily in real life situation? It depends on how much we determined to do so.

In my experience, you can accelerate this part of the learning process by creating opportunities and situations where you need to use the new words actively. For example: - changing the language on your phone and applications. - swapping the channel/websites you use for news or entertainment for the language you are learning. - choosing to go on holiday to places that are less 'touristy' and you will be forced to use the local language rather than your native language. For example if you learn Spanish you could choose to go on holiday to north Spain, where international languages like English are spoken far less than in the south where almost everywhere speaks English, German or other languages of the tourists who go there.

Use technology and online resources: Leverage technology and language-learning apps that offer vocabulary-building features. These platforms often provide interactive exercises, games, and audio recordings to reinforce vocabulary acquisition. Create a personal vocabulary list: Keep a dedicated vocabulary notebook or digital document to record new words. Review and revise this list regularly, adding new words and removing those you have mastered. Organize the list by topic or category to facilitate recall.

Practice in context: Use vocabulary in meaningful and relevant contexts. Engage in conversations, write short paragraphs or essays using new vocabulary, or participate in language exchange programs to practice using words in real-life situations. Listen and watch authentic content: Watch movies, TV shows, and listen to podcasts or songs in the language you are learning. Pay attention to new words and phrases used in context. Repeat and practice using them in your own speech.

Can't agree more, review and revise is absolutely necessary, not only listening but reading aloud helps a lot to memorize it and to master the pronunciation. Sharing this from my own experience of learning French these days.

In my experience, language learner must always review the words but through contexts. They must read at least one reading passage containing both the old words and new ones. Meanwhile, they must used the words while speaking or writing. This activity must be performed everyday.

Familiarise yourself with frequently using & highlighting any unfamiliar words in a Dictionary & Thesaurus -to develop vocabulary- Imcorporate the 'new words' and synonyms into your language .. continually add to your language skills to fully master language at a greater depth -remember -'The pen is mightier than rhe sword..'

Being a bilingual translator for almost four decades, I have enriched my vocabulary through reading and exposing myself to different types of texts, no matter how difficult the text is. It’s my utmost joy to challenge the texts and delve into their complexities. The goal is to finally succeed in deciphering such complexities and learn new vocabs. More exposure to texts yields more language ammunition when it comes to words, wordings, writing styles and idiomatic expressions.

I like to create sentences with my learners using the new vocabulary. By creating a scenario, I first verify they understand the meaning. Writing also gives the learner another tool to incorporate the new word into a more active vocabulary pull.

Methods that I have used in the past that almost always worked with any eager student wanting to extend their vocabulary: -related and interesting real life context where new vocabulary has been introduced -use visuals such as photos, diagrams and apply during class time -having a personalised vocabulary notebook with handwritten/typed vocabulary (whichever works best for the student) definition of the word or phrase, its type (grammatically) and an example sentence where the vocabulary has been correctly used. Students should have access to online dictionaries such as macmillan learners dictionary. Students, in general, where very happy to see that they were able to remember how and when to use their newly acquired vocabulary:-)

Context is an important aspect about language learning that is often overlooked. Context provides insightful information about a particular topic. For example, the field of science invokes specific vocabularies that are quickly recognisable. When we see words such as gravity, planets, stars, moons, solar, asteroids, etc, we become aware that the context directs us to physics but specifically astrophysics. Using these words would make more sense in the context of astrophysics. Using these words in the context of law would be confusing, hence learning from context helps understand how words are used in the respective context.

Engage in conversation: Actively engage in conversations with native speakers or language exchange partners. Use newly learned vocabulary in discussions to reinforce memory and gain confidence in using the words. Utilize mnemonic techniques: Employ mnemonic techniques such as acronyms, visualization, or creating memorable associations to aid in vocabulary retention. These techniques provide mental hooks that make it easier to recall words when needed.

Since Kahoot! came on the scene, a little before the Covid crisis, I have started using it as a tool in most of my classes so young addults have loads of fun too, in class :)!

The rule of thumb is - in order for a new word to become part of your default lexicon, it is recommended to use the word in different contexts and sentences at least 36 times. This allows you to see the word in different scenarios, understand its different connotations, and gain a deeper understanding of its meaning. By incorporating new words into your everyday language, you can gradually expand your vocabulary and improve your communication skills. And the more you practice using new words, the easier it will become to recall them and use them effortlessly in conversation.

The article focuses on 'words', but there's so much more to vocabulary learning than words. Some of the most useful lexis our students should learn consists of multiword items, including longer phrases and formulaic language.

I agree with @Luiz Otávio Barros. Vocabulary does not = words. Language consists of word combinations like verb + preposition (to focus on, not focus at) or collocations like "to hold a meeting" (not celebrate) or just phrases that are commonly used like "on the other hand" or "as I was saying before I was interrupted" or thousands of others. Vocabulary needs to be studied out of the classroom by the learner as much as possible, but in context and by using it in meaningful ways which could include writing sentences, sending audio and written messages through WhatsApp or similar, writing emails...

Don't memorize, but 'material'ize Disjoint singular mental entries in a language user's repertoire are ineffective and not retainable in the long run. Every new lexical, phrasal, idiomatic or proverbial entry has to be tied with an already known idea, thing, memory or story in the language user's repertoire. Plus, a good self-practice strategy is to try to speak on or write about the same thing using the newly picked up words, phrases, idioms or proverbial expressions. The aim is to create and nurture the newly formed associations. Until and unless these associations transition to the domain of practice from the domain of simple mental acquisition, the vocabulary expansion objective will not be pragmatically met.

Though this article provides useful tips on acquiring English language. In my view, immersing oneself in the environment of the target language is essential for acquiring new language, and this applies beyond just learning English. To effectively learn a language, immerse yourself in an environment where the target language surrounds you, akin to a child learning his first language. Children start by listening, then imitating, and progress to constructing more complex language structures. Immersion in the environment, like exposure to quality language and literature, is crucial for language learning. I believe this holistic approach, beyond a narrow focus on words and vocabulary retention, is the key to successful language acquisition.