Learning Spanish / FrenchVocabulary

Yvette ClaeysWorld Language Instructor

Vocabulary forms the building blocks of

language

FYI

The number of words in a language can be staggering—from 20,000 to more than 100,000 depending on the language.  100 words can be sufficient for

basic conversation. 2,000 are enough for fairly

normal conversation.

Memory/Study Aids

Mnemonic DevicesAcronymsAcrosticsRhymes and songsWord associationsVisual clues

Flashcards

Mnemonic Devices

Acronyms Acrostics Rhymes and songs Method of Loci Word associations—logical or

illogical Visual Clues

Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic Mnemonic (ni-'man-ik) devices“Tricks” to help you memorize and

recall informationlong lists speeches basic conceptsdefinitions

Tools for rote memorization only

Acronyms

An acronym is an invented combination of letters where each letter is a cue to an idea you need to remember. BRASS is an acronym for how to

shoot a rifle--Breath, Relax, Aim, Sight, Squeeze.

How could you use Acronyms to help you

learn Spanish or French?

An acrostic is an invented sentence where the first letter of each word is a cue to an idea you need to remember. “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge”

(E, G, B, D, F)—musical notes of the lines of the treble clef staff

“Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” (parenthesis, exponent, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction)—order of operations

Acrostics

How could you use Acrostics to help you

learn Spanish or French?

Rhymes and Songs

Songs and rhymes help to burn information in your memoryTo this day, many people softly sing their

ABC’s when trying to alphabetize a list. Rhymes often teach basic facts, such as,

“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”

How could you use Rhymes and Songs to help you

learn Spanish or French?

Word Associations

First, select a key word in English that sounds like the foreign word.

Next, imagine an image which uses the key word with the English meaning of the foreign word.

Can be illogical or logical

Logical Association

The French word for backpack is sac à dos [pronounced SOCK A DOE]

Imagine a robber stealing money and getting away with a sack of dough. 

The Spanish word for rice is arroz.[pronounced ARROSS]

Imagine someone shooting ARROWS into a plate of RICE.

The illogical approach might say sac à dos sounds like sock a doe (such as a female deer)

Try to link sac à dos and backpack in the most vivid way possible—the crazier, the better.Imagine the hitting a deer with a

backpack.

Illogical Association

Illogical Association The illogical approach might say sac à dos

sounds like coach (such as a basketball coach)

Try to link coach and car in the most vivid way possible—the crazier, the better.

Remember that el coche is masculine by having a male coach.Imagine the BASKETBALL COACH lifting your CAR above his head, then throwing it

at a basketball hoop or through a wall. 

How could you use Word Associations to help you learn Spanish or French?

Visual Clues

Drawings, pictures, diagramsPhysically create visual elementsUse drawings or pictures of definitions of wordsMake crazy visual associations

Perro

El perro está bajo la mesa. The dog is under the table.

Chien

Le chien est sous la table. The dog is under the table.

Visual Clues

Charts, diagramsDiagram the different words.

Flashcards

Chien

Flashcards—Advantages

Chunks information into smaller categories to aid memoryNouns—persons, places, thingsVerbs—plural/singular or tensesPhrases—common usage

Use of color signals categoriesdifferent colored cardshighlighters

Flashcards—Advantages Use either written or visual

information Easily rearranged and sorted

Do not learn the words in a fixed order.Learn only words need to remember.

Used for different purposes Lists of itemsGrammar rulesQuestions/answers

Flashcards—Advantages

Size and portability easy to carryuse for short, frequent reviewsreview in spare time that is often wasted—

like waiting in line or between classes. Physically moving and

manipulating the cards incorporates tactile learning

Flashcards—Advantages

Writing down the material on cards aids your memory in itself.76 repetitions of information to go

into long term memory

Flashcards

Definition—Picture Two-sidedPicture on front sideWord and sentence on back side

Perro

El perro está bajo la mesa. The dog is under the table.

One Way to Study

1. 4x6 cards are best.2. Once a day, go through your pack of

index cards.3. Sort the cards into two stacks—those

you know and those you do not know.4. Periodically review the entire set of

words to keep them fresh in your mind.

When to Use Flashcards

Study your vocabulary for only 10-15 minutes a dayRiding the busRiding in a carBefore bedWhen you get up in the morningWaiting in line Doing your laundry

General Tips

Attend Class RegularlyBest chance for practice in speaking

and listeningAble to ask questions

Don’t Tune OutParticipate as much as possibleAnswer questions—even silently to see

if they match your classmates’ answers