take a photo of words you want to understand

a very simple drawing of a person or animal, composed of a few lines, curves and dotsĬontext - n.This rule helps you take eye-catching pictures by using one of the most effective rules of composition. a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures to gather together and confine a group of people or thingsĬoral - n. to cause something to start or happenĬorral - v. arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet relating to seeing or to the eyesĪlphabetical - adj. a feeling, memory, or thought that is connected to a person, place or thing to change words from one language into another languageĪssociation - n. But the maps can help you visualize and create a method that works for you.Īlice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Galvão says not every student will learn through a word map. So, the more meaningful it is, the easier it is for the student to absorb.” “Vocabulary is a big part of language learning. Otherwise, she says, you are just reading and memorizing words, which is a bad idea. This makes the words meaningful before putting them into map form. She uses word maps in the classroom only after she has already discussed a subject and shown pictures. So, she learned words that she needed for her recent dental visit.Ĭristiane Galvão also says that context is important. For instance, one of her French students has an English-speaking dentist. Zelin says words are much easier to remember when they have meaning in your own life. This helps to build mental associations between related ideas.ĭanielle Zelin gives the example of the word “sharp.” If you center that word, you can connect it to words of things that are sharp, such as knife, paper and scissors. In a word map, you write a central word or idea in the middle and connect it with lines to related words. One final method for today is word maps, also known as semantic maps or word webs. This sample word map from Cristiane Galvão shows one way to organize information into groups. But Mullen’s drawing demonstrates the idea of connecting a mental image of the target word with its keyword. In real life, you would probably make a mental image rather than a drawing. He draws a group of stick figures trapped - or corralled – in a coral. In his video on mnemonics keywords, he talks about remembering the target word “ corral” by joining its imagery with an image of a sea coral. Mullen calls the mnemonics keywords tool “the art of memory” because your mind makes a kind of picture stories. The next time you try to recall “bald,” it will be easier because of the keyword and connected imagery.Īlex Mullen is a biomedical engineer and one of the world’s top memory competitors. Keep this image in your mind for maybe 15 seconds. Then, picture it with no hair on top, maybe a little on the sides. In your mind, make a mental picture of a ball with a face on it. The word “ball” sounds like “bald” and can help us remember the target word. This involves making a mental image that ties two similar-sounding words together. Some of you have probably already done this without realizing there is a name for it. Most mnemonics tools involve creating mental imagery to trigger your memory. These are mental tools you can use to recall information better. But if the goal is to write a sentence using each new word, then you probably do not need to put the words into groups. If the goal is to reinforce what you already learned about, put the words in alphabetical order.

Before you make the dictionary, think about your goals, she says. This would involve writing an English word next to its image. She suggests learners make visual dictionaries with pictures from the internet, for example.

Galvão, who is based in California, has taught English for 20 years, including in the United States and Brazil. She uses pictures or images with her beginning students and some of her mid-level students.Ĭristiane Galvão has used pictures to teach vocabulary to students of every level, from grade school to the university level. You will not see the sentence in written form.” Like ‘Yesterday, I went to the beach.’ If I tell you that, you will see me on the beach. somebody is talking to us, we see the pictures. Zelin says visual aids are important for language learners because humans think in images. She has taught for nearly 25 years, including in South Africa, Latvia and Mauritius, her homeland. This image by Cristiana Galvão shows one simple way to organize pictures and information in a visual dictionary.įirst, let’s discuss the most straightforward method: Using pictures as visual aids.ĭanielle Zelin is an English teacher and teacher trainer.

Take a photo of words you want to understand