Emotions and Language Learning

Why Laughing Can Work Better than Flashcards

Have you ever wondered why some foreign words stick in your memory while others slip away? 

The secret might lie in your emotions. 

Read also: Why Are Memories Attached to Emotions So Strong?

Picture this: you're speaking a foreign language and make a hilarious mistake. 

Everyone laughs, including you (we hope!). Chances are, you'll never forget that word or phrase again. Why? Because a strong emotion is linked to that moment.

The Science Behind This

Our brains are wired to retain information that has some link working as an "anchor". 

Without these anchors, new words and phrases can float away like balloons, never to be recalled. 

These anchors can be:

• Strong emotions (click here to read more about this)
  
• Vivid memories
• Personal experiences

The stronger the anchor, the more likely you are to remember the associated word or phrase.

Practical Applications

Does this mean you need to embarrass yourself every time you want to learn a new word? 

Not at all! 

But, still, there are some strategies to leverage emotions in your language learning:

1. Connect words to personal memories: Think of a strong personal memory related to the new word you're learning.
2. Create funny or absurd mental images: The more outlandish, the better!
3. Use storytelling: Craft a short, emotionally charged story using the new vocabulary.
4. Engage in role-play: Act out scenarios using new words, embracing the emotional aspects of the characters.

It all goes down to your personal preferences of course - the more the learning process is pleasurable, the faster you're going to see the results.

Fishes and Muscles

Let me share a personal anecdote that illustrates this concept pretty well... 

In Persian, the suffix -ché can sometimes be used as a diminutive. "Mahi" means "fish," so I thought I could say "mahiché" to mean "little fish." Instead, I ended up telling my friends that a pond was full of "muscles"!

The laughter that followed made this rule stick to my memory forever. 

Now, I pay extra attention any time I encounter a word ending in "-ché" to categorize it correctly as a diminutive or not.

An Exercise for You

Create an "Emotional Vocabulary Journal". 

For some new words or phrases you learn:

1. Write the word and its meaning.
2. Describe a personal memory or create a vivid story related to the word.
3. Rate the emotional intensity of the memory or story (1-10).
4. Review your journal regularly, focusing on the emotional connections.

Try this exercise - I'm going to check it out personally