New year, new challenge, new words.
Let's face it, I have a lot of them to learn!
Memorisation and remembering new words can be the bane of language learning. After all, how many of us haven't fallen asleep half way down a vocabulary list. It can feel like our brain just can't absorb the information.
And the truth is, it can't. At least not when it is presented in such a way. Almost like trying to get someone to eat dry boiled cabbage and then wondering why they leave most of it on the plate.
The other truth is, it doesn't have to be so hard. Over the next three months, through my own learning challenge, be sharing with you some of the secrets behind effective and efficient learning. You may be surprised by the simplicity, or even dismiss it, but do not be fooled, behind the simplicity comes complexity, and that is where you get results.
There is a Chinese proverb I have always kept at the heart of my teaching:
Tell me and I will forget
Show me and I will know
Involve me and I will understand
It is also at the very core of this challenge.
It's not just about telling you the most effective way of learning.
It's not just about showing you how those methods work.
It's about you getting involved and experience the simplicity and complexity of them yourself.
So let's get down to business.
Challenge number 1 - Turning Words into Story
Each day, or every few days (as you prefer), take the list of words you have chosen to learn on that day and turn them into a short story. It can be as short, as long, as funny, as sad, as interesting, as boring, as coherent, as crazy as you want it to be. You get the idea?
And if you want a chance to win some feedback, post your story with your word list either in the comment section below, on my Facebook page, or Weibo page and I will select five random stories to check! Don't miss out! Get writing!
I will be sharing my stories in a later post.
