4 Slick Ways to Have a Memory Like an Elephant When Learning a Language

4 Slick Ways to Have a Memory Like an Elephant When Learning a Language 4 Slick Ways to Have a Memory Like an Elephant When  Learning a Language There is an elephant named Butterfly.But you have the hardest time remembering her name.So lets try a little exercise: Picture the elephant in your mind. Now make her ears spread out wide, as if they were wings.In fact, make her ears  big monarch butterfly wings in your imagination. Take it a step further and make them as colorful and crazy as you like.Now whenever you see your elephant, call up that image with the butterfly wing ears, and you should instantly remember her name: Butterfly. Memory problem solved!What does this have to do with language learning?Our memories are essential tools for learning a new language. Yet at times, it may seem impossible to  retain all of the thousands of words we try to absorb  (or even to remember someones name)!We’ve all come across those polyglots who can switch from Spanish, to French, to Portuguese, to Russian, to German  without even batting an eye. I’m sure most of us assume that their brains are just wired differentlyâ€"that they were born with a special ability to absorb new languages that we will never have.Maybe.Or, much more likely, they just have great memories.The good news is: so can you.Just like  we can strengthen  our physical bodies, we have the ability to grow and enhance both our short-term and long-term memories.With four simple tricksâ€"including the one used aboveâ€"youll  be able to  retaining new information better than before, and have  the extra space you need  in your brain  when learning a new language. 4 Slick Ways to Have a Memory Like an Elephant When  Learning a Language1. ExerciseYes, the dreaded work out. If you already work out consistently, then you’re in great shape (no pun intended). Turns out though, that working out isn’t just good for our bodies. It also does wonders for our brain function.  Certain physical activitiesâ€"like racquetball or choreographed dancingâ€"require our brains to use a lot of concentration, and that  coordination increases the capacity for learning.S tudies have shown that cardio workouts increase the size of the hippocampus. This is the area of the brain that is associated with forming new memories and learning. So, when we’re learning a new language, we want to keep this area of the brain stimulated in order to  increase our ability to retain new vocabulary.No need to break the bank for this either; anything that causes you to break into a small sweat will help. This even includes household chores. So maybe do some sweeping, take a brisk walk, join an exercise group or simply spend some time at the gym. Just make sure to get your blood pumping!Take it a  step further:  Incorporate your target language into your exercise. If exercise were always fun, wed all look like Heidi Klum. Since this isnt usually  the case, you need to find something that truly motivates  or entertains you. While working out, try swapping out your regular playlist with some music or a podcast  from your target language. Itll improve your comprehension, and also help take your mind off of the physical activity.You could also do a workout video  in  your target language. Searching YouTube will be the quickest way to get you hands on these workouts  vids.Go even further:  Learn the names of the equipment youre using or the exercises youre doing, or start counting  your reps aloud in your target language. Exercise  is the perfect activity for mastering basics like counting and commands. If you have a regular workout, try narrating what youre doing in your target languageâ€"as if you were leading an exercise class!2. Eat Brain FoodFood doesn’t just keep us fit and energized. There are lots of nutrients in food that are essential to our brain function and development. Some of these vital nutrients are omega-3 fatty acids,  Vitamin E, anthocyanin, selenium  and folic acid.They all play different roles in helping to improve brain function, among the other wonderful things that they do for our bodies. When eaten on a regular basis, thes e foods can help improve your  memoryâ€"which can assist you  on your  language learning journey.Heres where youll find these nutrients:Omega-3s: Salmon, tuna, walnuts, dark leafy greens, cauliflower, squashVitamin E: Brazil nuts, walnuts,  cashews, sunflower seeds, nut butters, tahiniAnthocyanin: Berries and grapes, apples, eggplant, red onions, red beetsSelenium:  Tuna, cod, oysters Brazil nuts, oatsFolic Acid: Broccoli, dark leafy greens, avocado, beans, lentils, citrus fruitTake it a step further: Use these foods as part of your language learning process. While youre stocking up for all of this delicious brain food, why not create your grocery list in your target language? You could  also create a colorful food chart/collage to keep on your fridge. Label all of the foods in your target language, and make the chart really visual. This way, youll remember to keep these foods in rotation on your grocery list, while also drilling the new vocabulary into your brain.Go even further:   Try following new recipes in your target language using some of your brain food. Youll be learning and getting a taste of the culture at the same time. Its a full-on immersion experience without ever having to leave home.3. Use MnemonicsMnemonics  can be a really  way to help us remember new concepts or vocabulary. One that pops into mind is Stephen Colbert’s funny My Very Educated Mother Just Said Uh-oh! No Pluto, which works doubly to help us remember the order of the planets from the sun, and that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet. Mnemonics can effectively help us with language learning, too.BAGS. This was the mnemonic used by my middle school French teacher when we learned adjective placement, which is an acronym for Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size. It’s something I learned early on in life and still remember and use to this day. So while sometimes it may seem tedious to come up with these mnemonics, the pay-off is well worth it. They can stay in our minds forever, whic h is exactly what we want when we are learning a new language.Mnemonics don’t always have to be whacky sentences or acronyms. They can also be something visual, like our elephant named Butterfly. The point is to create  associations that will make it easier for you to remember the words or grammar rules you’re learning, so that you can recall them  easier.For example, the French word for ladder  is  Ã©chelle.  So here, you might  pull up an image of a ladder and then imagine a huge, colorful seashell perched on one of its rungsâ€"because  Ã©chelle sounds something like the English word shell. Many Eastern languages  work especially  well with mnemonics, as their characters  sometimes look like the object  they mean.Take it a step further:  Use mnemonics to learn genders of nouns.If your target language has gendered nouns, use mnemonics to remember not only the meaning of the word, but the gender as well. Using our same example above, the word ladder is feminine in French:  la é chelle. So you might make your ladder bright pink or red in your vivid imageâ€"or whatever color youd like to associate with feminine nouns.As this isnt an  exact science; a lot of the mnemonics you come up with my be a little silly or weird, and thats okay! This is about memorizing the vocabulary in a way thats easiest for you. No one can see whats going on in your head, so go for it.4. Build a Memory PalaceA memory palace is technically another type of mnemonic device, but it calls upon our spatial memories and requires a bit more explanation. It’s one of the most useful and effective tools we can use when learning a new language (or for anything we’re trying to memorize). While it may sound complicated, it simply takes some getting used to.To start building your palace, just pull up an image of  a familiar settingâ€"like your home, work or school.  Then, you need to create a floor plan. If you want to start small you can imagine a single room. However, if youre up for a chall enge, you can imagine your entire house, apartment, gym  or any place that  you can picture clearly in your mind. This will give you more places to put memories.Your  map can be mental or you can actually draw one. There should also be a clear route from room to room. You want to be able to move freely from one room to the next without backtracking, so you may need to knock down a few (virtual)  walls in your palace.  Then, make sure you memorize your palace, taking a walk through from start to finish.Once your palace is memorized, you’ll want to identify storage units or numbered stations. This is where you will put words or information youd like to remember. You are literally creating spaces in your memory where words will go, using details from your palace, so be sure to remember these stations.After you have your route and your stations clear in your mind, you can start the storage process. You can be as literal or as creative as you want. For instance, if you’re learning Fr ench, you might store the French word for door, la porte,  right on the outside  of your  front door. La porte is similar to the English word  port, so you might paint a picturesque seaside on your front door. Or better yet, turn  your entire front yard into a harbor with crashing waves and fishermen. The crazier and more vivid, the easier youll remember it.The next time you need to store a new word or concept, put the mnemonic  in the very next slot inside your palace. When you run out of space in one palace, create a new one, but do it in a way thats  easy for you to remember. Take a daily stroll through your palace so you don’t forget. It will soon become a part of your working memory, and your mind will eventually be able to recall the word meanings without the mnemonics!Take it a step further: Visit your palace in real life. If youve chosen a real place that you have access to, you can practice in your memory palace in real time. While youre physically in the space that you h ave designated as your memory  palace, take time to  reinforce  the stations in your mind so that you can more easily recall them while youre away.Notice all of the details in your actual palace, and look for new spots to store memories.  Every now and then, rather than your visual walk through your palace, take an actual walk through. You might even put up visual reminders in your real-life palaceâ€"like a picture of a harbor on the front door of your home to remember la porte.While learning a new language is always going to be a challenge, these small steps can completely jumpstart your memory. With a sharp memory (and a healthy body!), youll be in the best possible position to excel and reach your language learning goals! And One More ThingIn addition to all of the above, FluentU can really up your memory power with its spaced repetition and addictive videos. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you l earn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.