How not to learn new words: psychological point of view

1. How not to learn new words: psychological point of view

HOW NOT TO LEARN NEW WORDS:
PSYCHOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW
Made by Daria Zubova

2. Memory

MEMORY
What levels of memory do you think exist?
How much time does information store in each level?

3. three-component model of memory

THREE-COMPONENT MODEL OF MEMORY

4. Short term memory test

SHORT TERM MEMORY TEST
You have 1 minute to remember 16 new words. When 1 minute is finished you should
tell your partner the words you’ve learned (with translations!).
Let’s see how many words your short-term memory can hold.

5. Long-term memory

LONG-TERM MEMORY
What do you think are the ways of transferring the information from short-term
memory into long-term memory?

6.

7. From short-term to long-term memory

FROM SHORT-TERM TO LONG-TERM MEMORY
Repetition. Multiple encounters with a word are needed for making the learned item
permanently remembered. Repetition becomes even more effective if it is done in spaced
intervals while gradually increasing the space between these repetitions.
Retrieval. When a learner has to retrieve a word, e.g. use a new word in a written sentence, it
makes the word much easier to recall in the future.
Spacing. Memory advantage is gained if the learning happens in several separate occasions.
Pacing. Better results are obtained if the language learners’ individual learning style and pace
are respected and they are given enough time to carry out the required memory processing.
Use. Using words is the best way of ensuring they are properly added to long-term memory.
This can be called the “Use It or Lose It” principle.
Cognitive depth. Words are better remembered when a learner has to make decisions about
them (e.g. think about the spelling) – the more cognitively demanding these decisions are, the
better the results.

8. Long-term memory test

LONG-TERM MEMORY TEST
Let’s see how successful you are in transferring the words from short-term to long-term
memory without following the tips.
Tell your partner the words you’ve leaned 10 minutes ago. How many of them can
you remember now?

9. How not to learn new words?

HOW NOT TO LEARN NEW WORDS?
! Learn many words over a short period of time
! Learn words only once and never repeat them
! Not to use new words in practice (both written and oral)