Building a Word Bank That Sticks
Keep your own store of words and phrases, and bring them back on purpose: write each one in a sentence you would actually say, test yourself from memory, and return to the ones that keep slipping. Meeting a word once is not learning it.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Record a new word inside a sentence of their own rather than as a bare translation
- Test themselves from memory instead of rereading the list
- Go back to words forgotten last time before adding new ones
1 · Read
Words you meet once tend to slip away. Keep your own store so they stick. Add a few each day from books and chats, and never store a bare translation: write each word in a sentence of your own.
Cards turn spare minutes into study. Word on one side, sense plus example on the back. Shuffle them well. Test from memory, not by rereading. Wrong cards join the pile again.
Space your practice over days. Pulling up a sense from memory makes it stick. Go back to last week's misses before new words. Sleep seals the work, so look again near bedtime.
Pin each word down fast. Link it to a funny picture in your head. Use it in talk within a day.
Store each word in your own sentence, test from memory, and revisit the misses.
Readings written for this dataset.
More to read
Keep a word collection
Collect words you understand in a personal word bank. Add words each day from reading, classes and conversations. Include a sentence you have made using each word, rather than saving only its translation. Writing your own example helps you check how to use it.
Practise with cards
Keep flashcards handy for short study breaks. Write a word on the front, then its meaning and an example on the back. Mix the cards to avoid learning their sequence. Recall each answer before checking it. Return missed cards to the pack and practise them again.
Study with digital cards
Carry digital cards so you can study wherever you are. Enter a word, its meaning and a sample sentence for each card. Try the quiz feature while waiting in line or riding the bus. Exchange sets with friends and test one another for extra practice and shared fun.
Help words stay
Spread study sessions across several days instead of one late-night cram. Practise recalling answers regularly to strengthen memory. Review any words you missed before you learn more. Review before bedtime; sleep helps memories settle.
Recall after reading
After you finish reading, shut the book and recall the unfamiliar words aloud. Imagine an image or amusing scene connected to each one. Use each word in a conversation during the next day. Recalling and using words soon can help you remember them.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Optional connections
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.