How to improve your memory ?
By cnhnyu
@cnhnyu (54)
China
June 7, 2010 12:05am CST
My memory are atrocious, and I can't remember a thing. I am now learning English, and I should repeat many times before I can remember a word. How do you memorize and what did you do to improve your memory ?
4 responses
@Christmas2006 (1661)
• United States
7 Jun 10
When I am trying to memorize something I try to 'picture' it in my head. then I canrecall it.
If we are talking general memory of anything, there are lots of things that can effect the memory. Especially medicines, ones you are taking or a lack of vitamins. You may want to check with your Dr for a check up if you are talking of a total loss of remembering things. My daughter is 30 and she is horrible about remembering anything! We tease her and ask her if she remembered the kids. She is always overbooking herself because she forgot something and planned something else.
Best of luck to you with learning English. I was born with it and I haven't learned it properly, it is hard to do.
1 person likes this
@cnhnyu (54)
• China
8 Jun 10
Well, what you do is just like the book I mentioned above. In this book, it tells the reader to 'picture' anything in your head, especially in an illogical way. According the book, there are fours principles to follow:
1. Picture your items out of proportion;
2. Picture your items in action whenever possible;
3. Exaggerate the amount of items.
4. Substitute your items.
The last one that I, personally, think the most useful. Yet, it is not so easy to think out a perfect answer in an illogical way.
The author also suggests that make associations as ridiculous and/or illogical as possible, and most important, SEE the picture in you mind's eye.
Well, that's effective in some way. However, it is useful for remembering things in Chinese, while for learning English or memorizing English words, it seems not so helpful. Maybe I should continue to reading the next chapters and practice it as much as possible.
1 person likes this
@dreamsharmin (2281)
• China
7 Jun 10
Practice it more and more. The day will come when you don't need to work hard to memorize anything. And please try to understand a word before memorize then it's more easy to memorize.
1 person likes this
@cnhnyu (54)
• China
8 Jun 10
Yeah, that's right. Practice makes perfect. I had been always memorizing English words in a 'Chinese way'. I always remember its Chinese meaning. As a result, I often don't know how to use it in a correct way. Chinglish becomes a style. So, I have been trying to get rid of the bad habit. When I memorize a word, I will look up the English-English Dictionary, not English-Chinese one. I try my utmost to understand and remember it in an English way.
1 person likes this
@karen1969 (1779)
•
15 Jun 10
I find I have a visual memory, so if I see something written down, I remember it better. When I was studying, I used to write notes and this would help me remember the main things too.
You can play word games to help your language - things like Scrabble, Lexulous on Facebook, games on Neopets and other sites.
It is also good to read through something before you go to sleep, so your mind can think of it overnight and that is supposed to help you remember it.
Also, record a CD or tape of you saying words you need to know and play it while you go to sleep. My daughter is an actress and has used this to help her learn lines for a play.
@karen1969 (1779)
•
16 Jun 10
I am sorry to hear of the restrictions in your country, but very happy you are able to be on mylot! 
@cnhnyu (54)
• China
16 Jun 10
I can't visit Facebook, Youtube, and so many other these kind of websites. Maybe you don't know in Mainland China, there is a firewall named "GFW". It separates us from the outside world. All "sacrilegious content" will be filtered, blocked. It is not so easy that I can come here. Maybe I will try the second or third method to help me remember something.
1 person likes this
@jonnifc (1017)
• Philippines
7 Jun 10
practice makes perfect is what they say. in learning a different language you have to use it as often as you can so you will remember easily. when it comes to memorizing, what i used to do to memorize enumerated data, i use acronyms for the first letter of each word.
