【策略·方法】native speaker是怎样记单词的？（2）
解读：孟话英语；作者：Svetlana Kandybovich；出处：British Council
原文标题：Ten ways to learn new words as a language learner
网址：https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/ten-ways-learn-new-words-language-learner
英国文化协会（British Council）网站上刊出Svetlana Kandybovich，英语教师，也是英语教师培训师，作为native speaker给出的记单词的10条建议。
孟话英语解读如下：
1. No random words（不要记随机的单词）
所谓不要记随机的单词，就是不要孤立地记单词，要把单词放在语境中。她说，Word lists and index cards are great for revisiting vocabulary you have already learned, but to make a new word stick in your mind, try linking it with something meaningful to you. 即：词汇表和单词卡用于复习非常好，但是要想牢牢记住一个新词，要试着把它和有意义的东西联系起来。
这是一个作为native speaker的英语教学专家明确指出的单词表或单词卡的作用：复习旧词，而不是识记新词。
2. Learn in chunks and scripts（在语块和对话中记单词）
这一条还是说不要孤立地记单词，她给出的方法是把单词放在语块——即搭配——和典型对话中记忆。例如不要记come up with，而要记come up with an idea；不要孤立地记33中说hello的方法，而要像这样：Hello, how are you? – I’m fine, thank you.
3. Use your inner voice（在心里默念）
先听生词，然后在心里默念，接着再大声读出来，还可以把native speaker和non-native speaker的发音做比较。
读，在单词学习中乃至在整个英语学习中起着巨大的作用，但有人因为不会读或读不准而不敢读，有人因为忽视读而不读，错失了这个简单高效的方法。
4. Visualise what the word or phrase looks like（生词图像化）
把生词的含义画成图片，从图像的角度深化记忆，这应该是一种词义具体化的方式，目的在于避免抽象记忆带来的记忆困难。
5. Create mnemonics（巧记）
mnemonics，就是“助记形式，助记符号”，例如，island可以分解为is+land，career就是car+beer（汽车加啤酒，就是生活）。
6. Use spaced repetition（间隔复习）
记单词是持久战，不要试图“毕其功于一役”，而应有间隔地多次复习。一天重复一百遍，不如每天重复几遍，多重复几天。
都知道单词要复习，而有效地复习的复习方式是spaced repetition。
7. Dive deeper into etymology（深入了解词源）
所谓深入了解词源，主要是了解单词的词根。词根是词义的根源所在，了解了词根，对于很多单词可以“见词知义”，对记单词有立竿见影的效果。
但对于初学者，通过了解词源的方式记单词是非常困难的，查找与理解词源，再加上词义变迁过程的梳理，都要花大量的时间，不如先采用常规学习方式，等有了一定的词汇量再来研究词源。
8. Challenge yourself with word games（用词汇游戏挑战自己）
9. Write it down（写下来）
把单词写下来，最后写一个句子。写本身有助于记忆，而句子提供了语境，更有利于记忆。
10. Speak it into reality（把生词用于表达）
这还是“学以致用”的思想，第9条是写，这一条是说，其实这种学以致用的思想贯穿本文的10条建议，“用”而不是“孤立地记”，才是学习单词的正途。
附原文：
Teacher and teacher trainer Svetlana Kandybovich, our latest TeachingEnglish blog award winner, shares her top tips for remembering new words.
As a language learner, you work hard to expand your vocabulary. You plough through new words every day, make long lists of words and practise with flashcards. However, when it comes to speaking, the new words seem to fall out of your head, so you resort to your old friends – words you already know and have used many times – again and again.
Remembering and using new words in speech is often a challenge for language learners. Here are ten strategies to help you make words stick in your mind and use them in conversation.
1. No random words
We remember what is relevant to us. Making lists or index cards with random words is not usually an effective way to remember and use these words later. Word lists and index cards are great for revisiting vocabulary you have already learned, but to make a new word stick in your mind, try linking it with something meaningful to you. You will be more likely to remember a new word if it is used in a context you find interesting or are passionate about. For example, if you are a football fan, there are more chances you will remember the word 'unstoppable' in a sentence, such as 'Messi is unstoppable', rather than just as a single word or in a generic sentence, e.g. 'Some people are unstoppable'.
Tip: The British Council LearnEnglish website features tons of interactive videos, games, and podcasts. No matter what topic interests you, you will always find something there. There are also discussion boards under activities, so you can share your ideas with other learners.
2. Learn in chunks and scripts
We retain words better when we learn them in small ‘chunks’ (i.e. small phrases that combine several words) and ‘scripts’ (i.e. typical dialogues). For example, instead of memorizing the phrasal verb ‘to come up with’, memorize it as part of the phrase ‘to come up with an idea’. This way, you make sure that you know how to actually use this verb in at least one sentence. Similarly, instead of memorizing 33 ways of saying ‘hello’, learn it in a script, such as: ‘Hello, how are you? – I’m fine, thank you’.
Tip: If you are into learning with video, TV, and films, try FluentU. There are interactive captions, so if you tap on any word, you will see an image, definition and useful examples. You can also find other interesting resources featuring words in context. For example, this 'SpeakSmart' collection on Instagram has different scenes from popular television series giving examples of particular words and phrases in use. If you love reading, try reading short texts, such as cartoon strips. There are many comics available online, including those for language learners, like Grammarman, which you can also listen to while you read.
3. Use your inner voice
Learning is essentially an internal process. To learn a word, you need to get into the world of your inner voice. Try the following: listen to a word/phrase once, now listen to it inside your head, then say it inside your head, then say it aloud. Record yourself saying it and listen to the recording. Does it sound the way you heard it with your inner ear?
Tip: On Forvo, you can listen to native and non-native speakers from different parts of the world pronouncing different words and phrases. Just type in the word, choose the speaker and practise.
4. Visualise what the word or phrase looks like
Drawing what the word means, either on paper or in your imagination, will help you recall the meaning of the word whenever you hear it. This method works well with idioms, such as 'to keep one’s mouth shut' (informal), meaning, 'to not talk about something'.
Tip: In addition to the image of the word, look at word associations in the visual dictionary and thesaurus Visuwords.
5. Create mnemonics
Try to create a funny phrase or story that will strengthen the connection between the word and its meaning (known as a mnemonic). I find this technique especially effective when I need to recall words that are hard to spell.
Here are a few mnemonics created by my students:
‘career’ – car and beer
‘island’ – is land
‘to lose’ – uh-oh, I’ve lost an ‘o’
Tip: There are a lot of mnemonics available online, such as the ‘mems’ created by users in Memrise, but you will have a better chance of remembering the word if you invent your own.
6. Use spaced repetition
Repetition fixes new words in your memory. However, repeating them a hundred times over the course of one day will not be as effective as repeating them a few times over a period of several days or weeks (i.e., spaced repetition).
Use the new word immediately. Then try to recall it in an hour. Review it shortly before you go to bed. Use it again one day later. Finally, review it in a couple of days after that.
Tip: In addition to 'spaced repetition' platforms and online software (e.g.,Anki, where you can practise with full sentences), you can schedule revision on your own. Make index cards with your words (use it in a sentence on one side and put the definition/translation/image on the other), then set up a schedule for revising them. Flick through the cards and sort them into three categories: ‘green’ – words to revisit less frequently in the future, ‘yellow’ – words to repeat from time to time, and ‘red’ – words for ‘frequent visits’.
7. Dive deeper into etymology
Before you look up the word in the dictionary, try to guess what it means. Look at its root, suffixes and prefixes. If you know a few languages, you will start recognising new words that share roots. Researching the origin of new words may help you retain new words better.
For example, did you know that the word 'tea' comes from Chinese 't'e' (Amoy dialect), which corresponds to Mandarin 'ch'a'? The English word ‘tea’ (just as in French, Spanish or German) derives from the Amoy form (through the Dutch East India Company that introduced the leaves to Europe). Meanwhile, Russian chai (just as in Serbian, Persian, Greek, Arabic and Turkish) all came overland from the Mandarin form. Now, whenever you hear ‘tea’ or ‘chai’, you will see a lovely cup of steaming tea and know how it got to the country.
Tip: Whether you are looking for the origin of idioms or individual words, the Online Etymology Dictionary may be quite helpful.
8. Challenge yourself with word games
The perception of a challenge stimulates the brain. Games that help you discover new meanings and new words are a fun way to expand your vocabulary.
Tip: You can find tons of quizzes and games on Quizlet.com
9. Write it down
Writing down a new word (or, ideally, a sentence using the new word) helps fix both its meaning and spelling in your memory. Make the sentences true about you or someone you know.
Tip: Instead of keeping these sentences to yourself, you can use them in writing games such as the Folding Story. This is an online version of the popular writing game where each player writes one line of a story and passes it on to another player to add to it. In the online version, each player gets just three minutes to write a line and scores points by the number of likes they receive for their lines.
10. Speak it into reality
It is not easy to actively recall a new word or phrase in the moment, even if you have tried hard to memorise it. To change this, record yourself speaking for two to four minutes without stopping. You could describe the world around you, or give your opinion on a particular topic. Next, listen to the recording of your speech and notice which words you used. Did you use any of the new words you’d like to activate? Did you use any familiar words that could be replaced with the new words? Afterwards, make a new recording. Is it any better?
Tip: Join an online community of language learners such as The Polyglot Club, where you can ask questions and practise with native speakers from all over the world.
These are my top ten tips, but you might find that other techniques work better for you. Try to experiment with these tips to see what works for you. Stay positive and enjoy the ride.
Svetlana Kandybovich is a teacher, teacher trainer, and blogger who loves to share her ideas about teaching, learning and professional development. Her blog is ELT-CATION.
