What is the best/most effective way to learn new vocabulary? How do you learn new vocab?
As far as I know, the most effective way to learn vocabulary, that science has discovered so far, is spaced repetition.
Using spaced repetition means you take a Korean word or sentence, learn it for the first time, then let short amount of time pass and review it. Then:
if you know the answer you increase the amount of time before you review it again
if you don’t know the answer you shorten the amount of time before you review it again
This way you don’t waste time on Korean vocabulary you know well, and instead review vocabulary you started to forget. It prevents the word from disappearing from your memory and you having to reforge brain connections. Instead, you keep refreshing already existing connections until they become permanent.
You can do this by yourself with paper flashcards, creating piles and keeping track of time - which is way too complicated for my taste because there is software today that does all this for you.
The most popular ones are Anki and Memrise. They have built-in algorithms for spaced repetition.
My process of learning Korean vocabulary is basically this:
get a Korean word I want to learn (I have several self-created courses, one for vocabulary from my Korean textbook, one for a webtoon I am reading, one for honorific versions of words I come across, one for random words I find interesting etc.)
get the definition, Hanja (if it exists), and pronunciation (if it’s complicated) from Naver dictionary
put all of that into Memrise
if the word is abstract or difficult to remember, also add sample sentences. (This helps me see the word more times, and also helps me learn context in which the word is used.)
learn, review, review, review, learn, review, learn, review, review….
This is what my Memrise courses look like
Bonus Vocabulary Learning Tips:
Don’t expect vocabulary learning to be quick and easy. To speak a language you will need to know thousands and thousands of words. It’s not unusual for this to take several years (or longer).
Make sure to learn an even mix of vocabulary from sources that interest you and vocabulary you have to learn. If it’s just beginner vocabulary from textbooks or courses you might get bored. Do you like Korean history? Kpop? Kdrama? Korean movies? Korean games? Makes sure to include that vocabulary as well. It will help keep you reminded why you’re learning Korean and make studying more exciting.
Courses I create myself are way more effective than using premade courses from other people. I learn while creating them, I know why each word is included, and I know the context for each word.
Context is even more important when learning vocabulary for language such as Korean, which is so different (unless you speak Japanese). For example, no use knowing the word for “sorry” in Korean if you don’t know “I am sorry” is not the way to show empathy for someone’s misfortune.
Don’t learn words in logical groups. This one may sound counterintuitive, but I read research that said if you learn, for example, all the synonyms for “cold”, or all vocabulary related to one topic such as weather, that ayou will learn slower, mix up words more often, and forget quicker.
Try choosing shorter sentences if you’re adding sample sentences, especially into apps that require typing like Memrise. One small typo is enough to make you retype that sentence over and over again in short intervals of time, and it gets old real soon.
Learn managable amount of words per day. It might feel exciting, when you have more time, to quickly increase the number of Korean words you know but you will also forget them quickly which means you will have to review them often. When you suddenly have hundreds or even thousand of words to review and you’re busy with life it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and quit.
In short, whatever you do, make sure to keep it as manageable and as fun as possible. The most effective way to learn vocabulary is to keep learning it.
