Learning by Association

Have you ever had a hard time remembering the name of a person whom you’ve just met??The person just told you his or her name, but as the saying goes, “it went in one ear and came out the other ear.”?In other words, you could not retain that new piece of information.?Why does that happen??It’s because we primarily learn by adding new information to already existing knowledge.?What was just learned needs to attach itself to something we already know.?For instance, if the name you just heard when meeting someone was the same as your best friend’s name, well that new information would stick.?You would have a reference in which to remember the new person’s name.??

Another example of a reference is that names often call to mind a feeling or an impression.??Some names sound distinguished.?Other names sound old and out-dated.?When we associate a name with an impression, then it’s also easier to remember.?Furthermore, it’s a lot easier to remember a name that is in our own language.?If you have ever met foreigners and tried to recall their unfamiliar names, you probably had hard time.?That’s because there was no reference to associate them with.?It was just a series of different sounds.??

Learning a foreign language has similar challenges.?If there is no reference for the new words or expressions that we are learning, then they may sound like just a series of syllables that are difficult to make sense out of.??That’s where learning by association comes in handy.?This method of learning is a proven psychological process that produces results.?Let’s look at a couple of examples.

First, there’s the Linkword technique.?This method connects a word in one language with a word in another language.??When you come across a new English word think of what other words it may sound like in your language.??Next, picture an image associated with the word in your language and then recall the new English word with that word and image from your own native vocabulary.?The result??You just created a reference and associated the new word with existing knowledge.?If you have a moment, find a new English word and try it now!

Then, there’s the Visualization technique.?This is done by matching a word or a concept with an image.?For example, do you know what an “elevator pitch” is??Simply put, it’s short a sales presentation.??A person is trying to convince another person in the amount of time it would take to ride an elevator.?There’s not a lot of time to waste, so the presentation has to be concise and succinct.?How would you remember that term??A “pitch” is reference to throwing a baseball, so you can picture a baseball player in his uniform throwing a baseball inside an elevator!?Usually, the stranger and more impossible the scenario, the easier it is to remember.?

So what did we learn??Well, by referencing an experience you probably already had in trying to remember the name of a person you just met, you just learned lesson by association!?The key point is always add new information to existing knowledge.?Just keep in mind that linking and visualizing are important in this learning process, so the next time you need to learn more English terms, reference this article and practice these techniques!