I give out this handout to my adult language students to help them develop good study habits and prepare them for their English language tests. Perhaps, you might like to share some or all of the material with your language students. Good-luck to you!
Strategies For Remembering
1. Decide to Remember - your ATTITUDE is crucial to effective memorization.
2. Organize Material to be Learned - divide material into chunks i.e grammar points, vocabulary, writing,; categorize; organize under headings; use numbers, tables, diagrams, idea maps.
3. Use Memory Techniques (Mnemonics)
a) Use your Senses
Repeat vocabulary out loud so you HEAR it.
Write it down so you SEE it and, as it were, TOUCH it
b) Use Recitation
This involves silent, oral or written repetition of material to be learned. It is useful to repeat answers to study questions, either those provided to you or those you make up.
c) Use Visualization
Make pictures in your mind of what you are trying to remember.
4. Application
Apply what you have learned. You are learning a language so then speak it; new words, use them in conversation.
5. Spaced Study
This consists of alternating short study sessions with breaks. Set study goals by time (for example 30 minutes) or task (for example 3 pages of textbook) limits. After reaching your goal give yourself a break - Phone a friend, have a soft drink. This provides time for information to be absorbed into the long-term memory.
6. Study Before Going to Bed
Study thoroughly material to be learned, then, go straight to sleep without allowing other activities to interfere with your new learning. Set your clock a half hour earlier than usual, so that when you get up earlier you have time to review the material studied the night before. The morning review will fix material in your memory.
7. Recall and Review
Test yourself repeatedly on material to be learned. One way is to "over-learn" the material. After you study each new section go back and recite all the previous grammar rules, sentence patterns you have studied.