I just came across this article on my DELF French book. It mentions how numerous studies have shown that associating a word with its translation is not the most efficient way to learn it. It then gives us alternative ways to learn vocab. Since I think these tips can be helpful for all languages, here’s a small summary of them:
We can learn words better if we organize them into sets.
-Associate words with scenarios already existing in your memory.
-Some words are parts of descriptive sets such as ‘shower’ is a part of the set ‘bathroom’.
-Words can also have synonyms or antonyms.
Different words of the same meaning are often used in certain scenarios such as a different version for professional and informal settings. They may also vary from culture to culture. The more we are able to associate words with strong images and ideas, the easier it is to learn them.
