Tips to Memorizing Spanish Vocabulary

The biggest issue with learning another language is the massive task of memorizing thousands of words, phrases, and grammar terms. Over time, most students will learn tips to make memorizing Spanish vocabulary go faster. For those who have not figured out how to handle the gargantuan task of second language acquisition, here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

Practice Daily

Although this should be obvious to most people, practicing Spanish vocabulary daily is the best thing you can do to make sure that all of your language learning really sticks in your mind. Cramming for a test will not leave you with a well-built foundation for future Spanish studies. Study a little every day and you will gradually be able to work your way up to knowing all of the words. It also makes the task of learning languages seem simpler.

Write it Out

This step may change depending on the manner that you learn best. You can try repeating the word over and over or listening to it on a tape. If you learn best by writing and reading, try doing exactly that. While you are in other classes or busy with daily activities, write out the vocabulary words you plan on learning. Although this can be a tedious task, doing it while you would otherwise be waiting or bored can make it less arduous.

Cover up the Spanish Translation

Write the words you plan on learning in two columns. One column should list the Spanish word, the other column should list the English word. Try covering up the English word and work your way through the list. Say the Spanish word if you can, but if you are having trouble recalling it, you can take a peek. Once you are confident that you can recall the corresponding English word, switch and work on trying to remember Spanish vocabulary. Doing this can help you learn to recall the word on its own.

Label Your Life

Matching up English and Spanish translations of a word has one major drawback. Although it helps you to learn the language, it causes you to always remember Spanish words and associate the Spanish word with the English counterpart. Rather than speaking Spanish, you end up constantly translating in your head. In order to fix this dilemma, try labeling things in your house if you can or using pictures to match up with the vocabulary word. If you are studying household objects, labeling should be easy. As you go about your morning routine, you will unintentionally be studying for your Spanish test.

Get Music

Although not every vocabulary word list can be done with a song, there are times when you can speed up your language learning by singing a song that accompanies the target vocabulary. The theme song from Gilligan’s Island is actually well suited for learning the question words. Several resources can be found online for various Spanish language songs.

Memorizing Spanish vocabulary can be a fun and engaging part of your day. Find time to fit in your language studies on a daily basis and studying will be a breeze. You can remember Spanish vocabulary provided you take steps early on to create a plan of study.