Remembering new vocab?

Question

Hi everyone.

I've just been given a list of about 100 new legal words and concepts to try and remember. I usually match a new piece of vocabulary to an image to remember it but I'm struggling with that method at the moment because lots of the concepts and legal terminology I'm learning are quite abstract and have no related imaged.

What other methods do you guys have...?

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!

Gracias as always

Answer 1

I'd be pretty useless at legal terminology even in English Amy! It just switches off some part of my brain.

I'd make flashcards and keep them somewhere where I sometimes have those spare few moments, for me it's normally in the kitchen - waiting for pots to boil etc I just pick them up and go through them, over and over, I also get the situation where I'm in the living room and other people are watching a program I don't want to see - I would pick them up then too.

Or what about putting a whole sentence on the flashcard so you have each one in a context?

Good luck!

Thanks for the idea galsally - I think even this heavy legal stuff might sink in if I look at a list every time I do the dishes! - amy_moreno, Jan 13, 2011

By the time that the pots boil their contents should have become inedible. Ah the oddities of colloquial English! - samdie, Jan 13, 2011

Answer 2

I concur with Vikingo's comments. The "spaced repetition" method has worked tremendously for me.

Gracias! - amy_moreno, Jan 13, 2011

Answer 3

I use a "spaced repetition program" for new vocabulary, and have found that to work out very well. It's basically flashcards where the program decides when it's time to repeat a particular card, based on your success rate over time with that card.

If you have a somewhat advanced mobile phone, chances are that you can find a program for it, and always have your flashcards with you.

Good luck!

I'm afraid my mobile phone is rubbish - but I could maybe try this method out myself. Thanks Vikingo :) - amy_moreno, Jan 13, 2011