More on vocabulary learning

To hear me read and talk about this subject please click here.

I want to continue on this subject here. I checked out the links provided by Art with regard to the Curve of  Forgetting and related subjects. Learning a language is not the same as learning facts. The accumulation of vocabulary in language learning is one part of an integrated process of training or getting used to how a language works, how words come together in different contexts and how a new language becomes a new part of our personality. We are developing skills and we are experiencing varying degrees of emotional commitment to the process of integrating a new language into our behaviour.

Of course the vocabulary learning part of the process should be as efficient as possible. Spaced repetition is a good practice. The use of flash cards is a good practice. These and other efficient practices are built into The Linguist system and will be considerably enhanced in the new system.

The University of Waterloo link says that we forget most of what we hear in a lecture by the next day, and suggests that we need to repeat this information soon again in order to remember more of it. I have a somewhat different perspective on this. Let us assume that the lecture was on history. If I was stimulated by the lecture to read more books on the same subject and if I encounter some of the same facts in a different book, and a different setting, I will learn better than if I just review my notes from the lecture. The reason is that I will be interested in the subject and will focus on the facts from different perspectives. This will reinforce my recollection, improve my understanding and keep me motivated. This is particularly the case for adult learners who are not obligated by an exam to cram information into their heads for a short term purpose.

The same is even more true in language learning. While it is important to review saved words and phrases, it is essential to read and listen more and enjoy using the language. The emotional state of the learner, his or her level of interest and confidence, are the keys to continued activity and success. Furthermore, the full meaning of a word, and a good sense of how to use it, cannot be grasped until that word has been seen in many contexts. So, while we are working to make our vocabulary learning systems better, the main thing is to focus on full context based language input. Keep reading and listening.

For a beginner or lower intermediate the listening and reading needs to be on a repetitive basis. More advanced learners need to be selecting new content to read and listen to.

I would be interested in your views on this subject.