In the two weeks since I’ve last written, I’ve been learning Hebrew. At this point, I think the goals in my previous post are reasonable – I can achieve tourist level in the month I have left. However, I am doubtful that I can progress much beyond that, because of a lack of time.
I can ask simple questions (like what time is dinner?) and understand simple responses (7). I’m still at the point where any response I’m not expecting will throw me off, and I’ll have to ask them to speak slower, or revert to English. On Saturday night I went to a language meet-up hosted by Fluent TLV at the Abraham Hostel downtown. By the end of the night, I was able to have a 3 to 4 response exchange about where I’m from, how long I’m in Israel, and what I’m doing here.
Biking in the Golan Heights
I use whatever Hebrew words I know given the chance (I once asked for mushroom on a salad just because I was proud to have known the word for mushroom – pi-tri-yot). People on the program have also commented on my progress, saying I must be good at languages.
I don’t think I’m particularly ‘good’ at learning languages, truth is I’m actually pretty terrible at memorization. What I am is very good at is being interested in things, and I am interested in language learning. That translates into a lot of time spent reading about how to learn languages and techniques and methods that have worked for other people. One of those techniques is using mnemonics.
A Mnemonic is defined as something “assisting or intended to assist the memory.” To me, it’s anything that provides a “why” for the connection between two things that otherwise have no logical connection. This can be a made up “origin story” of the word, an image connecting a sound to a letter, or even the actual etymology of the word.
The method I think most people know for learning foreign language vocabulary is rote memorization. Put English words on one side of a flashcard, write the translation on the other side, and keep doing cards until you know the connection by heart. This method works, but it’s inefficient and boring. Furthermore, the connection you form between the English word and the word in your target language is weak. There is only one path linking the neuron for “pare” and “stop”, and I wouldn’t risk missing your bus stop based on it.
The advantage to mnemonics is that they form multiple “paths” that you can use in case one is blocked or weak. (The way I’m using these terms is probably inaccurate, but they suffice for explanation).
Let’s use an example. The Hebrew word for “outside” is ba-khuts. If I was learning this by rote, I would say outside followed by bakhuts 10 times until I think I got it. But if I ended up forgetting it later, I wouldn’t really have anything to go off to try to remember it.
Using a mnemonic, I might notice that ba-khuts sounds kind of like ba huts. Huts are outside, so we have that part of the mnemonic covered. How do we incorporate ba? I solved that by thinking about Benedict Cumberpatch outside, surrounded by a bunch of huts covered in straw with mud walls against a backdrop of an endless savannah. If I forget that outside is bakhuts, I can make the connection between ‘outside’ and the mental picture I’ve painted. Once there, I notice the huts and remember that the word has ‘huts’ in it. If I can remember Benedict Cumberpatch, then I have the word.
This method is far more effective, because instead of making one connection between the two words, you’re making a web of connections that include both words. If the one connection is weak, you can use other paths to find the word. You also don’t need to be a superhuman to use this this technique. Anyone can picture the scene I wrote about in their head, and chances are once they do, they won’t forget it. This method does require more time per word, but the advantage is that you learn each word better. Plus, it’s more fun.
(You may notice that I’m still missing the ‘kh’ sound in my fake origin story. Mnemonics aren’t perfect, but after using the word a few times with this method you’ll remember it well enough where you won’t need the mnemonic anymore. A good mnemonic is one that you need the least!)
This technique isn’t just limited to languages. Anytime you need to form a connection between two arbitrarily related concepts, you can spice up the connection by invoking imagery. The more detailed and vivid the imagery is, the stronger the connection.
I hope you enjoyed this foray into memory. If you have any requests or want further explanation, reach out to me on twitter @NithinVejendla.