how to learn vocabulary

How to Learn How to Learn Vocabulary Vocabulary

Using Barry Farber’s Using Barry Farber’s Multiple-Track AttackMultiple-Track Attack

The Ground RulesThe Ground Rules

People think that People think that technology can technology can replace study. replace study.

You can’t just be You can’t just be a passive learner.a passive learner.

How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 71) by Barry Farber (page 71)


No “trick” will No “trick” will work unless work unless

YOUYOU do! do!How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 60) by Barry Farber (page 60)

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesSaying a word aloudSaying a word aloud

10 to 20 times 10 to 20 times works better than just works better than just reading the same word reading the same word

50 to 100 times.50 to 100 times.



Harness your Harness your hidden hidden

moments.moments.How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 74) by Barry Farber (page 74)


Don’t forget Don’t forget “unhidden” “unhidden”

moments! moments! PlanPlan time to study!time to study!


What’s a really good way to What’s a really good way to “harness” those “hidden “harness” those “hidden

moments”?moments”?

FLASHCARDSFLASHCARDS


Make your cards Make your cards so that they are so that they are “vertical” with “vertical” with the hole for the the hole for the ring at the top. ring at the top.


FlashcardsFlashcards


List no more List no more than six words than six words per card. Don’t per card. Don’t

clutter the card. clutter the card. How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 66) by Barry Farber (page 66)


Double check that Double check that you have the you have the

words in the same words in the same order on both order on both

sides of the card.sides of the card.How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 66) by Barry Farber (page 66)

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesFlip through the Flip through the cards, saying the cards, saying the words out loud (at words out loud (at least whispering least whispering

them) as you recall them) as you recall the definitions. the definitions.



Try to REMEMBER Try to REMEMBER the definition. the definition.

Don’t flip the card Don’t flip the card until you’re until you’re “defeated.”“defeated.”



But… But… how do I how do I

remember?remember?

Harry Lorayne’s Harry Lorayne’s Magic Memory AidMagic Memory Aid

http://www.linkingpage.com/images/HARRY400.jpg


Lasso and Lasso and RETAINRETAIN a a word by slinging a word by slinging a vivid association vivid association

around it that makes around it that makes it impossible to it impossible to

forget!forget!How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (page 82) by Barry Farber (page 82)


Let’s look at Let’s look at some some

examples.examples.All of the following examples come from All of the following examples come from How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry by Barry Farber (pages 82 - 96).Farber (pages 82 - 96).

What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?

The Spanish WordThe Spanish Wordviejoviejo(vee-a-ho)(vee-a-ho)

MeansMeans““old”old”

From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.

What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?Imagine a Veteran’s Administration Imagine a Veteran’s Administration hospital – a VA hospital – that’s so hospital – a VA hospital – that’s so old and decrepit they have to tear it old and decrepit they have to tear it

down and build a new one. The down and build a new one. The construction foreman wants to use construction foreman wants to use dynamite to demolish the building, dynamite to demolish the building, but the contractor tells him, “We but the contractor tells him, “We don’t have to waste dynamite on don’t have to waste dynamite on this this VAVA hospital. It’s so hospital. It’s so oldold I can I can

knock it down with a knock it down with a hoehoe!”!”



The The VAVA hospital is so hospital is so oldold you can knock it you can knock it

down with a down with a hoehoe..This gives youThis gives you

viejo.viejo.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.


Yeah. Yeah. BUT…that’s a lot of BUT…that’s a lot of work to remember work to remember

just one word!just one word!

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesThink of it like this. Think of it like this.

Would you rather spend three minutes Would you rather spend three minutes coming up a story to LEARN a wordcoming up a story to LEARN a word

(which means remembering it for the (which means remembering it for the long termlong term) )

OR OR spend the same three minutes spend the same three minutes

repeating/reading/writing a word to repeating/reading/writing a word to remember it (MAYBE) just for a test?remember it (MAYBE) just for a test?


Let’s look at Let’s look at some more some more examples.examples.

All of the following examples come fromAll of the following examples come from

How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber (pages 82 - 96). by Barry Farber (pages 82 - 96).


The French WordThe French Wordcolérecolére(cole - AIR)(cole - AIR)

MeansMeans““anger”anger”


What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?When your friend is angry, you could When your friend is angry, you could

say he’s “giving you the cold say he’s “giving you the cold shoulder”. Imagine your angry shoulder”. Imagine your angry

friend radiating his anger, spilling friend radiating his anger, spilling it off in all directions, in the form of it off in all directions, in the form of

coldcold airair. You walk over to your . You walk over to your friend, hoping he’s no longer mad, friend, hoping he’s no longer mad,

but you realize you were wrong but you realize you were wrong when you feel the when you feel the colére, or the colére, or the

“col’ air.”“col’ air.”



You feel his You feel his col’ aircol’ air, , so you know he’s so you know he’s still feeling anger. still feeling anger.

Colére.Colére.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.


The Russian WordThe Russian Worddomdom(dome)(dome)

MeansMeans““house”house”


What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?Imagine your amazement when you Imagine your amazement when you

land in Moscow and see all of the land in Moscow and see all of the houses with houses with domedome-type roofs.-type roofs.


http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/colorful-onion-domes-of-st-basils-in-moscow-r238.jpg


You remember the You remember the houses in Moscow houses in Moscow have have domesdomes which which

gets you gets you dom.dom.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.


The Italian WordThe Italian Wordpollopollo

(PO-lo)(PO-lo)

MeansMeans““chicken”chicken”


What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?Imagine a friend inviting you to an Imagine a friend inviting you to an unbelievable spectacle. An Italian unbelievable spectacle. An Italian “animal whisperer” has staged the “animal whisperer” has staged the world’s first polo match between world’s first polo match between

two teams of chickens!two teams of chickens!


You can go back You can go back home and tell your home and tell your

friends you saw friends you saw chickens chickens playing playing

pollo.pollo.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesSkeptics say, “But I don’t want Skeptics say, “But I don’t want

to walk around with a head to walk around with a head full of images of wives with full of images of wives with pet moles, chickens playing pet moles, chickens playing polo, angry people emitting polo, angry people emitting

cold air, and VA hospitals you cold air, and VA hospitals you can knock over with a hoe!”can knock over with a hoe!”


You’ won’t!You’ won’t!The beauty of this system is The beauty of this system is

that the association helps that the association helps you CAPTURE the word and you CAPTURE the word and

then it falls away and then it falls away and disintegrates.disintegrates.

DO YOU REMEMBER?DO YOU REMEMBER?

The Spanish word The Spanish word for for OLDOLD??

VIEJO VIEJO (VA - hoe)(VA - hoe)


The French word The French word for for ANGERANGER??

COLÉRE COLÉRE (col’ air)(col’ air)


The Italian word for The Italian word for CHICKENCHICKEN??

POLLO POLLO (polo)(polo)


Did I ask you to Did I ask you to “memorize” the “memorize” the words I gave as words I gave as

examples?examples?


How much better would How much better would it be if you it be if you activelyactively

and and repeatedlyrepeatedly used used ““lassoslassos” to LEARN ” to LEARN your vocabulary?your vocabulary?

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesAgain, skeptics say, “But all Again, skeptics say, “But all of your examples ‘work’ way of your examples ‘work’ way

too neatly! It’s got to be a too neatly! It’s got to be a set-up. You’ve only shown set-up. You’ve only shown us words that will fit. This us words that will fit. This

won’t work in the ‘real won’t work in the ‘real world!”world!”

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesWell…that’s sort of true.Well…that’s sort of true.

The example words areThe example words areAUTOMATICS. They fall right AUTOMATICS. They fall right

into your lap with self-into your lap with self-suggesting images.suggesting images.


Many, many, many Many, many, many words will fall in the words will fall in the

AUTOMATIC category, AUTOMATIC category, but it’s true that not all but it’s true that not all

of them will work so of them will work so easily.easily.

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesThere are four groups of There are four groups of

words in any language:words in any language:• AutomaticsAutomatics• AlmostersAlmosters• ToughiesToughies

• ImpossiblesImpossibles

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesWhich category makes up the Which category makes up the

biggest single category by biggest single category by far?far?

THE ALMOSTERSTHE ALMOSTERS

The Ground RulesThe Ground RulesFor “ALMOSTERS” we can For “ALMOSTERS” we can

use words close to the use words close to the target word that will target word that will

“almost” get us there. “almost” get us there. Then, our true memory Then, our true memory

will fill in the gaps. will fill in the gaps.


Let’s look at Let’s look at some some

examples.examples.All of the following examples come from All of the following examples come from How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry by Barry Farber (pages 82 - 96).Farber (pages 82 - 96).


The Chinese WordThe Chinese Wordloong-shahloong-shah

(LOW-shah)(LOW-shah)

MeansMeans““lobster”lobster”


What’s your lasso?What’s your lasso?Low-shahLow-shah

is pronounced a lot like is pronounced a lot like LOAN-shark. LOAN-shark.

If you imagine that lobster is so If you imagine that lobster is so expensive that you need a expensive that you need a loan sharkloan shark in in

order to afford a order to afford a lobsterlobster lunch, your lunch, your true memory can pull out the word true memory can pull out the word low-low-

shah.shah.


Make it a good lasso!Make it a good lasso!

The more vivid, loony, or The more vivid, loony, or even off-color your even off-color your

associations are, the associations are, the more readily they will more readily they will

probably come to mind.probably come to mind.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.

Make it a good lasso!Make it a good lasso!If you can relate a word to If you can relate a word to

a friend, a family a friend, a family member, or other member, or other

acquaintance, acquaintance, USE THEM USE THEM somehow in somehow in

your lasso.your lasso.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.


Relate words to things Relate words to things you already know.you already know.

PeoplePeoplePlacesPlacesThingsThings



Don’t fight to forge a Don’t fight to forge a winning association. If winning association. If

at first you don’t at first you don’t succeed, try again. succeed, try again.

Then….Then….From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.


GIVE UP!GIVE UP!

Not all words can be Not all words can be forced into the system forced into the system

and you’re better off not and you’re better off not wasting any more time. wasting any more time.


Make it a good lasso!Make it a good lasso!Don’t forget: make your Don’t forget: make your associations vivid, even associations vivid, even

if that means making if that means making them a bit off-color. You them a bit off-color. You don’t have to share them don’t have to share them

if you don’t want to.if you don’t want to.From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.

Make it a good lasso!Make it a good lasso!As you make your lassos, you’ll As you make your lassos, you’ll

find that so many comical or find that so many comical or slightly off-color images will slightly off-color images will come to mind, you’ll have to come to mind, you’ll have to explain “What’s so funny?” to explain “What’s so funny?” to

people who wonder why people who wonder why you’re grinning at some you’re grinning at some

“boring” word in Spanish!“boring” word in Spanish!From From How to Learn Any LanguageHow to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber. by Barry Farber.

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