Following neatly from my tips for mastering English, this article gives more specific tips on retaining what you learn. There are many ways to learn a language, and you have to find the method that is best for you. However, there are general points that can affect the way information is stored in the brain, and how effectively you remember the things you have studied. If you want to master English, or any language, the following tips will help you to learn, and retain, information in the fastest and most effective ways:

 

1. Make sure you understand

You need a good understanding of anything you want to remember. When you learn something new, make sure you understand it fully, or it will be easy to forget. If something is unclear, ask questions until it is clear. When it is clear, you’ll remember much more effectively.

 

2. Meaningful connections

Whatever you learn, try to give it a personal connection. Abstract ideas, without meaning, are easy to forget. Think of examples that relate to you, or ways that you can use language in your everyday life. Want to form the past perfect? Use an actual example from your morning. Want to remember vocabulary? Create descriptions for meaningful memories, hopes and dreams.

 

3. Learn through the best style for you

It is also important to find meaningful ways to approach this information. Different people learn better through different methods, and to retain information best you should make an effort to discover if you are a visual (sight-based), auditory (sound-based) or kinaesthetic (action-based) learner. Use appropriate material to your learning style; for instance if you find you learn best through auditory methods, listen to podcasts rather than reading blogs!

The best person to tell you what the best learning material for you personally is you.

 

4. Be active, not passive

Passive activities are less likely to be retained. Reading a book is less active than writing an essay, for example. To learn the most, you have to be active and practical in what you are doing: it requires effort and attention. For the best results, be active in your learning every time you make an effort to study something new, and be active in your learning outside your studying.

Study everyday things. Speak English whenever you can. Read as much as you can. Question what you see and hear. And use what you learn immediately. For example, if you discover a new word in everyday life, put it into an example sentence straight away, do not simply note down a definition to be studied later.

 

5. Test yourself, challenge yourself

For the most effective retention of English, use the language at all times, with an aim not simply to remember, but to improve. You will forget something that is not used, and you will learn and retain something that is used. Challenge yourself with tests, push yourself to learn more each time, and your memory will grow.

 

6. Avoid stress and distractions

Stress, distractions and anxiety can inhibit learning. Do not try to study, or force yourself to learn, when your mind is not in the right place. With an appropriate learning environment, which helps you to relax and focus, and you will retain more information. Also try to rest after learning – if you go from one strenuous mental activity to another, you will start to forget more.

 

7. Teach!

Finally, one of the most effective ways to really learn something, and to retain what you have learnt, is to teach it to someone else. Everyone can be a teacher – take what you have learnt and try to explain it to someone else. Not only will this test your memory, it will test your understanding in a deep and meaningful way. It will build your confidence, too. Trust me, as a teacher I owe most of what I know about English to teaching it, not studying it!