Language Retention

Ok a quick history about myself. I've spent the last year living and working in China as an English Teacher. As well as teaching English I had been (and still am) learning Mandarin. Through both teaching and learning a language I started to notice a few factors in success. One of them I want to talk about today is retention through repetition.

For anyone new to English, retention simply means "the ability to hold onto something". For example, if we have a one hour class and I teach you 100 new words, that's great but... how many of those words will you retain? Probably not many right? However if I teach you between 4-6 words/phrases, it's a lot less but you are more likely to "retain" / remember them next time.

We tend to retain knowledge better the more we repeat things. That's why at the beginning of a class a teacher may ask you about the previous class and what we learned there (to refresh your memory), this isn't to kill a few minutes of the lesson but a quick way to improve your retention of what you've learned.

In fact the more we repeat something the better it sticks. So when I'm learning Mandarin and I learn a new phrase, for example 善良 (ShanLiang) which means "Kind" then I will use it in most sentences with Mandarin-speaking people. Even if it sounds ridiculous. I will keep using it in as many ways as I can until I no longer find it difficult to remember. At that point it's "stuck" in my brain.

Now just because it's retained a bit better, doesn't mean I can't forget it. So it's important that I still try to use it. I may not have to use it as much to still keep it "locked" in my brain, but every once in a while is fine.

So now try it with your language. Think of the last few words / phrases you learned and try applying them in as many different ways possible when practicing your english and soon enough you may just find yourself remembering things just a little bit better.
July 21, 2017
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$50
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Jonathan Race

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$50
USD/h
Flag
English
globe
United Kingdom
time
474
Speaks:
English
Native
,
Japanese
B1
,
Mandarin
A1
Hello, my name is Jonathan, nice to meet you! I specialise in pronunciation and improving spoken English. I will help you reach your goals as quickly and efficiently as possible using a CLT approach. We will use realistic learning materials that are fun and relevant to you personally. We will learn new things and practise your existing English in order to make you feel more confident when speaking English. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I can improve your: - Pronunciation - Conversation skills - Listening - Grammar I can also prepare you for: - Exams (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, OET, CAE etc) - Job interviews - Starting a new job where Spoken English is needed ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I am a (native) English speaker living in Nottingham (U.K) I have 4 years experience teaching adults & children (online and classroom) & am TEFL certified. -------------------------------------------------------------...
Flag
English
globe
United Kingdom
time
474
Speaks:
English
Native
,
Japanese
B1
,
Mandarin
A1
Hello, my name is Jonathan, nice to meet you! I specialise in pronunciation and improving spoken English. I will help you reach your goals as quickly and efficiently as possible using a CLT approach. We will use realistic learning materials that are fun and relevant to you personally. We will learn new things and practise your existing English in order to make you feel more confident when speaking English. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I can improve your: - Pronunciation - Conversation skills - Listening - Grammar I can also prepare you for: - Exams (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, OET, CAE etc) - Job interviews - Starting a new job where Spoken English is needed ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I am a (native) English speaker living in Nottingham (U.K) I have 4 years experience teaching adults & children (online and classroom) & am TEFL certified. -------------------------------------------------------------...
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