Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IncognitoHFX]

I'm trying to think of some new ways to learn vocabulary.

My problem is, I'm trying to remember about ten words a day (usually in list form of related nouns, verbs, adjectives et cetera) and by the end of the week I've usually forgotten nearly half that list.

When I learn a word, I make sentences out of it, repeat it to myself and do writing exercises involving all ten words. Not working well, though.

Is there a better method?

If teaching at a hagwon taught me anything, giving students ten vocabulary words a day doesn't mean they'll remember every single word long term.

[Join Me]

I know it sounds simple, but I find if a word is one I can actually use on a daily basis I remember it very easily. If the content just isn't relevant to you it will always be more difficult to remember vocab. I try to do some review of material and cover some new material everyday. The useful vocabulary sticks in my head and the rest doesn't but my vocabulary is still growing. I also use an online flashcard maker on www.koreanclass101.com. Lots more fun than making little paper flashcards all the time.

Basically, I am taking the path of growing my vocabulary as quickly as possible by focusing on the words I can remember easily and not wasting a lot of time trying to force myself to remember the words I can't. Learning Korean is a lot more enjoyable this way.

[Underwaterbob]

Exactly. The only way to remember it is to actually use it in a real conversation. I recommend going to bars alone, getting drunk and chatting up bartenders/random passerbys.

[Omkara]

Use silly images and sounds to associate with the words.

For example, the word for bed is "Chim-dae." You'll get a ddong-chim if at day you are caught in bed. You can remember a picture of a guy in bed with his butt in the air. . . (uhh. . .not that way!)

[crazy_arcade]

Word association doesn't work for me.

I make flashcards. Then when I'm out and about I listen actively and try my hardest to pick up on words I know and hear words I recently studied.
Also, trying to use new language that I studied.

I read that, on average, a person has to hear a new second language word about 10 times before it becomes usable language.

[Omkara]

You must find what kinds of associations work for you. Images? Sounds? Patterns?

I find, the more absurd the better. Tame associations don't work well.

Here is how you can remember "stairs."

Picture Don King. He's gay. "Gay Don." Stairs are "Gaetan." Maybe he's getting it on with Mike Tyson on the stairs.

Imagine a picture of a bottle of gin. Your mother saw it, the *beep* (Memory device, not an insult!). The word for "picture" is "Sajin." Mother "sajin" in a picture.

Make a game of it.

[PeteJB]

Some stuff you remember, some you don't. It's the way it works. No amount of drilling it into you will make you recall every word you learn. The more you study, the better your memory will get, so keep it up. Eventually you'll be able to repeat entire sentences after hearing just once or twice. Techniques are different for everyone, so it really depends on finding it yourself. Usually they say it's a good idea to study things that you enjoy, and the related vocab becomes easier to recall. Also day to day stuff is best to learn.

[myamata]

card vocabulary
10 words / days (same subject)
in the evening make sentences with

[Rob'sdad]

Get a 漢文 (chinese character) notebook and write the vocabulary over and over again until your head almost explodes.

Go to the Noraebang.

Watch tv.

Chat up shelias.

Watch asian porn.

Alas, I digress. Good luck chef.

[Hanson]

Here's what I do:

1) Buy a mini-whiteboard and place it on/next to the fridge.

2) Write your new words on the whiteboard.

3) Read your words every time you get milk or grab something to eat.

4) Once you're confident you've retained the words, replace them with new ones.

The trick for me is not to "study" lists of words, but to easily remember them through repetition.

NOTE: You could also put a short list in front of your desk at work and change it once a month.

[IncognitoHFX]

[tomato]

[IncognitoHFX]

[tomato]

[Easter Clark]

Lately I've been watching movies with the Korean subtitles. When a word or phrase comes up more than a couple of times I make a note of it and look it up. I also keep Post-It notes on my keyboard (because I'm always online!), as well as next to my laptop at work. When I learn all of the words on one post-it, I start a new one. I'm old and lazy so it takes me about a week to really solidify new words, but 10 new words a week is more than 500 in a year. And I am in it for the long haul.

For me, word association works--the first word I learned was "high school" (고등학교) because it sounds like "golden hockey-yo!". So I pictured a hockey player with a golden puck yelling "Yo!" when I wanted to say "high school." Pronunciation of course wasn't perfect, but understandable!

Something I've been meaning to do is label everything in the apartment the way everything in my classroom is labeled in English.