Learn a Foreign Language in Five Quick Steps

Learning a foreign language can be a difficult task if you do not have the right skills. Luckily you can use the power of Neuro Linguistic Programming in order to speed up the process and the gains that you see. This simple four step formula will show you how you can quickly memorise the meaning of foreign words so that they stay in your long term memory.

Step One: Choose Your Words

With this technique you will be working with words in sets of five. Choose five words that you want to learn. These will be the five words that you are going to learn for the next five to ten minutes.

Step Two: Give them a familiar meaning

In order to use these words you are going to need to give them a familiar meaning. When we first look at a foreign word we find it difficult to memorise because that word has no meaning for us. In order to memorise the word we need to associate it with something that we recognise. To do this first break down the foreign word into syllabus. For example I might want to learn the word "Chibe" which in Japanese means house. Breaking this word down into syllables I am left with Chi and be. The syllable “be”sounds like the English word “Bay” went is pronounced.

Now I know what the word “bay” means and I can visualise that in my mind. I might now picture a bay with the sand and the water rolling onto the shoreline. Next I link that to my foreign word “Chibe” which means house. I might picture for example a grand house nestled right in the bay. Maybe I’m sitting in front of my house enjoying the view of the bay. You should use as many of the senses as possible. For example feel the sun on you and notice the sound of the waves in the bay.

If possible use sub modalities which are the modes by which you experience something. For example with my bay example I might wish to exaggerate the sound of the waves. Or make the house bigger or brighter. Do whatever you can to make the image as memorable as possible for yourself.

Step Three: Use your body

Now that you have a mental image start to replay this image quickly through your mind. Replay it faster and faster. While you are doing this say the foreign word out loud. You might also want to make a physical motion such as stamping your feet or putting your hand in the air. Use your body and voice as much as you can.Keep repeating as this is the way that the mind remembers things.

Step Four: Group the words

Use steps two and three for each of the five words so that you have given each of them a distinctive meaning all of their own. Once you have done this you will want to start to run through the words one after the other. Make sure that each of the words that you come up with has a completely separate image. Run this words through over and over in your mind with their associated images. Increase the speed with which you run these images as this will help your recall later.

Step Five: Test yourself

The final step is to test yourself and make sure that you have retained the words in your memory. Write down the list of foreign words and read each out loud. When you do so try and picture the image that you have associated with that word. Do not force yourself to remember the meaning simply try and remember what the image is. You should find that you are able to write down the meaning for many of the words. If you have failed to recall any of the words go back to that word and the image associated with it and try and strengthen the image again in your mind.