German Language Words: The Fast Formula for Memorizing New Vocabulary

Learning the vocabulary of a foreign language can be difficult if you rely on old-school repetitive techniques. There are thousands upon thousands of new words to learn, and this is especially challenging when you have many similar-sounding words with vastly different meanings. So, is there an easier way to do it?

You would have heard of speed reading before. This is a technique for reading where you basically force your eyes to skim quickly across the page. The reason it works so well is because our brains actually work better at that speed! When you read at a slow pace, your brain gets bored, and thinks about other things in between. (Not to mention switching off completely and falling asleep!)

When you learn vocabulary in a slow repetitive manner, your brain also finds it boring, and again, falling asleep is a common side-effect! This is why language teachers have become such strong advocates for memory techniques that allow our brains to work at the high levels they are programmed for.

The best memory technique for learning vocabulary is where you link a new word with a visual image in your mind. Some language companies have actually produced software programs that provide this visual image for you. To do this yourself, however, is just as effective. All you need to do is take a new word and think of an image that it reminds you of. Usually, this is in relation to the sound of the word. For example, the German word for table is 'tisch'. This sounds a little bit like 'tissue', so you might try visualizing a tissue on top of a table. The mental image must give you a clear idea of the real meaning of the word, which is why we need to have the table in this particular mental image.

What works really well for this is humour. If you can visualize something funny, you are much more likely to remember that image. The best thing about this technique is that it doesn't take very long at all. Personally, it takes me a little bit longer than 10 or 20 seconds to think of an image, but not much more than that.

I remember when I was at school, we were introduced to this memory trick by a consultant that the school had hired. I was absolutely amazed at what he was able to do. Each of the students in our class said their name, one at a time, until we had gone around the whole class. When we had finished, this guy recalled every single student's name perfectly! It was amazing.

The other great thing about this technique is that absolutely anyone can do it. Your mind holds onto these visual images (the funnier the better) and you can easily recall them later on. Try it yourself! You'll be amazed at how well it works, and how much quicker you are able to learn and memorize German vocabulary.

Steve Galvin is a language teacher and owner of leading German site http://www.easygermanlanguage.com, which is packed with free resources for anyone wanting to speak German the fun, fast and easy way. To ensure you get off to the right start, visit our website for all of our detailed tutorials on learning German language words.