http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage
This article talks about they common myths surrounding learning new material.
- Vary the setting. Learn the same material in two different places.
- Vary your learning activities. When learning a language, for example, move between vocabulary, reading and speaking. A little bit of each seems to work better than all of one thing.
- Space out your study of a particular item. Study something one day, then a few days later, then maybe a week later. (there’s actually a guy who sells a computer program (SuperMemo) for this (http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak)).
- Testing, even self-testing helps to remember material.
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I knew all this! (^-^) Did that sound arrogant enough?
I used to hold small conferences in my office and shake things up by sitting on the guest side of my desk, standing in the corner, or (only once) standing on the desk. It was amazing to see how the minds involved immediately started working in different ways.
In Japanese, just the vocab part can be split up into the ‘readings’ and the words in kanji and the individual kanji characters. I feel it is a juggling act, figuring out which part needs more study next.
Reinforcement and review in different places is so valuable. My ideal is, when I study new grammar or usage, is to go out into the real world that week and purposely use that language. I observe people’s reactions to know if it is natural or odd or incomprehensible. The next week I ask my teacher about the odd bits and then it is something I own. If I don’t do this, I end out understanding when I hear, but rarely incorporating it into my own speaking.
Nice post!!!
Comment by びっくり — 2010.09.13 @ 11:00 pm