Tricks of the Trade: How to survive te mountain of vocab

So you're about to go into A Level French? AS? Even GCSE? I bet the phrase "vocab test" isn't new to you, and for some of you it might be hair raising. Well, with seven years of language learning under my belt, I thought I'd share one of my favourite tools for learning vocabulary quickly and efficiently.

Before I introduce you to this nifty gadget, I feel like it's important to say that this won't work unless you work with  it. That means using it often, properly and consistently. When your teacher gives you a vocab list then go straight to this tool - or your own method of learning vocab. At AS and A level you might not get vocab lists anymore, which means that you need to take the responsibility of learning new vocab whenever you move on to a new unit. I can't stress how important it is to stay on top of your vocabulary. In AS Level (for French at least) I thought that it was useless to learn all of the vocab from the units in our course. Only one of them will come up, so what's the point in learning all of this vocab? You can't get by without it, that's the point. This mistake cost me my target grade. I didn't fail, nor get a bad grade per se, but I still had to resit and I was extremely disappointed with myself for not putting in the proper effort. Thankfully, for A Level I got my act together, learnt the vocab and saved myself a lot of pain. Anecdotes aside, it's easier just to learn it.

Alright, down to the help. Without further ado, I introduce to you Quizlet.

 

Quizlet is specifically designed to help you learn vocabulary. It’s not limited to languages - you could use it for anything from Biology terms to Art Historians' Quotes - but it works best for languages. Setting up an account is free, and while you don't have to sign up to use it, it’s a quick and easy way to keep track of your learning and to keep all your vocab in one place. Here's how it works.

Step One: Set it up

Once you've got your account, you can make your first set. A set is like a list - and that's a good way to do it: a set for every vocab list (or unit in a module) that you come across. That way, your learning is on the same pace as your course. It's pretty simple to do, choose which language each side is, then input the vocab into the boxes. Simples.

 

Step Two: Learn it

This is what's so great about Quizlet; there's more than one way to learn your vocab. Chances are you don't like vocab learning because you've tried it once, one way, and it didn't work or it was boring. With Quizlet, there are four different ways to learn your vocab.

 

The first - and probably most standard - is a flashcard system. You see the English word on one side, then you try to come up with the translation, and flip the card to see if you're right. Simple enough.

The second is a simple learning tool. You're given the English word, and you have to type into the bar the correct translation - but you have to get it exactly right. No cheating! This is really good if you are the kind of person who prefers to learn for ten minutes a day, rather than spend one long session learning your vocab.

The third tool is Speller. This tests your listening skills rather than your translation skills. A voice will read a word out in the target language (from your list) and you just have to spell it. It seems simple enough but it's really useful for getting to know the spelling of your vocab inside out.

The final tool is a bit less fun but no less useful. It's a computer generated test using your words. This is really helpful for once you think you've got your vocab down - don't be so sure!

Quizlet also has a couple of games to help you learn your words: Scatter and Space Race. You can read the instructions for the games when you play them, and they're a nice break from hard-core vocab learning.

If you're not sure, let me put down some tips and figures for you.

• The average adult needs to repeat something 3 times to remember it. (Hello Speller - you need to get the spelling right more than thrice to finish)
Memory is anchored better when you use more than one sense to learn. Hearing the word, then spelling it, then seeing your mistakes in front of you is a more effective way of learning than just covering the word, writing it, then looking to see if you were right. This way, both your ears and your eyes will remember the word (you're remembering visually and aurally)
• Learning the same set of words in a few different places is key; this way, when you need the word under pressure, it’s more likely that you'll be able to access it in your memory. Quizlet comes in handy because there are several different ways to learn - and therefore to remember - the words.
• Overkill is key. Ever heard someone say "I really beat that subject to death"? Well do it - you're more likely to remember it.

 

It's completely up to you how you learn, and you should tailor your studies to your personal preferences, but don't give Quizlet a miss - it's invaluable!