In learning English*, mastering vocabulary is key

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This post was last edited by Thank goodness you're here on 2016-4-26 at 11:14. Let’s first conduct a small psychological experiment: Conduct a survey among Chinese students who have only studied English, and have them read three sentences – one in Korean, one in Japanese, and one in Chinese. Generally, upon reading the first sentence in Korean, one might not understand anything at all, as almost all the characters are unfamiliar. The brain becomes inhibited when faced with such an unfamiliar linguistic environment, leaving no clues for guessing meaning; whereas in Japanese, since it contains many characters that are familiar, most Chinese students can figure out the general meaning; as for their native language, there is certainly no obstacle to understanding it. 　　This experiment illustrates how the brain functions during normal reading: when faced with a completely unfamiliar environment, the brain encounters setbacks and comprehension fails entirely; however, when there are some familiar words present, the brain becomes excited, and \"guessing\" becomes a useful tool to help the brain achieve comprehension. Modern psychological research shows that when the proportion of unfamiliar words is kept around 10% (not exceeding 20%), it is very helpful for the brain to learn these new words. When encountering words in one’s native language, comprehension becomes easier; after reading, the brain generates small electrical signals that stimulate it to continue reading. This experiment vividly illustrates the impact of the \"language environment\" on the brain’s ability to comprehend text. Thus, there is no doubt that vocabulary size is of paramount importance when learning a foreign language! Numerous psychological studies have shown that this holds true for any learning process: excessive feelings of frustration can cause children to gradually lose interest or even develop negative attitudes, leading to a \"vicious cycle.\" The symptoms of this cycle are that the more resistance and aversion there is, the worse the grades become, and the worse the grades, the more resistance and aversion there is. Once children fall into such a \"vicious cycle,\" it is often difficult for them to break free, and it becomes hard for them to improve their foreign language skills going forward. On the contrary, if scientific incentives can be used to help children overcome the tedious phase of learning vocabulary quickly, they will experience a great sense of achievement while reading (that is, they will enjoy reading). As this sense of achievement builds up over time, it turns into interest, which in turn increases their reading volume and further develops their language sense (please note the term “language sense”! The development of language sense can only occur through extensive reading!). This helps to guide children into a “positive cycle” in learning a foreign language: the more interested they are, the better their grades become, and the better their grades, the more interested they get! Therefore, overcoming the “vocabulary hurdle” in a scientific and efficient manner is crucial for learning a foreign language. And this hurdle cannot be avoided!

So, is it enough to spend a lot of time and effort memorizing words?! Of course not! In fact, the opposite is often true: intense memorization of vocabulary not only hinders memory but also causes extreme mental fatigue. This explains why many students feel that even after memorizing a word dozens of times, they still find it familiar when reading, yet are unable to recall its meaning, forcing them to stop reading and look up the word in a dictionary... After repeating this process several times, some students even start to doubt their own language-learning abilities: Am I really less intelligent than others? Of course not! In reality, other students may face the same problems!

So, where exactly lies the problem?! The problem lies in the method of memorizing words! Using intense, rote memorization techniques to learn large quantities of words is clearly unscientific and against human nature. After all, memorizing words is inherently a boring task—regardless of one’s performance, everyone experiences this without exception—without any creativity, sense of achievement, or enthusiasm! Of course, there might be a few students who have the perseverance to keep going, which explains why most students do not achieve satisfactory results. 　　Psychological research shows that during the development of a child’s brain, the optimal period for stimulating the language areas is before the age of 6. At this stage, any child is highly interested in learning a foreign language. If the vocabulary size and reading volume are kept in balance, the child will remain enthusiastic and efficient whether learning their native language, another language, or a foreign language. Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909), a German who was the founder of experimental psychology, classified human memory into instantaneous memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. His research findings, including the \"forgetting curve of human memory\" (as shown in the diagram) and the corresponding mathematical formulas, became the most important milestones in this field. Lexicology* requires that multiple instances of short-term memory be transformed into long-term memory, or even lifelong memory in the style of one’s native language – which means constantly fighting against forgetting! Since all humans, without exception, follow such memory patterns, it is very important to utilize these patterns scientifically in order to optimize the memory process. As can be seen from the diagram below, the transition point between the upper half (steeper) and the lower half (flatter) of the \"forgetting curve\" is what is known as the \"optimal review time point.\" This optimal review time point is not absolute; it varies from person to person, depending on the vocabulary being learned, as well as on physiological or psychological cycles and emotions, making it a variable time point. 　　If the frequency of reviewing a word is too high, it’s as though repeated memorization takes place in the steeper part of the \"forgetting curve,\" and the brain quickly develops aversion to this, resulting in a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the review process. If reviewing happens in the flatter part of the curve, it’s equivalent to learning a new word again after most of it has already been forgotten, which yields the worst results. Therefore, reviewing at the \"optimal time point\" for each repetition can maximize efficiency. The principle is actually very simple, just like swinging on a swing in everyday life: Those who have swung on a swing know that to make it reach the highest point, it’s not enough to use a lot of force; rather, it’s necessary to understand the \"natural frequency\" of the swing and the system it forms. Physics studies show that when the frequency of an external force is the same as or close to the system’s natural frequency, the system can achieve the maximum amplitude or absorb energy to the greatest extent possible! This phenomenon is known as \"resonance\". 　　Similarly, those who have memorized words know that to ensure the brain retains them most firmly, it’s not enough to simply spend more time; it’s necessary to grasp the \"natural frequency\" of the learning process and the system in which one operates, so as to induce \"resonance\" in the brain. When the frequency of repetition matches or is close to the system’s natural frequency, the words leave a deeper impression in the brain – an effect similar to that of native-language memory! It is also the effect that everyone hopes for. It is clear then that the key to success lies not in how much time and effort is invested, but in identifying the \"optimal timing for repetition\" to stimulate the brain and deepen impressions at the most appropriate moments, thereby creating memories that never fade. Undoubtedly, using smart strategies is easier and more effective than brute force; this is why everyone working full-time wants to repeat information only when necessary, avoiding or minimizing any \"useless effort\". 　　In fact, this method of memorizing vocabulary through \"brain memory simulation\" has been studied for a long time, and there are various ways to carry out such simulation. A well-known method is the \"vocabulary flashcards\": In the preparation phase, all the words from that period (such as one semester) are written down on cards, with their meanings and explanations written on the back or at the folds; this process of writing down the words is essentially equivalent to the initial step of memorizing new words. 　　Study phase (*repetition phase*): Look at the word and recall its meaning in your mind, then check the meaning given on the back. If the meaning is correct, place the current card at the end; if your recall is incorrect or you don’t recognize the new word at all, place the current card in the middle of all the cards (around halfway, as calculating the \"optimal repetition time\" is a complicated task that moreover interrupts the memory process, making it less effective. Therefore, it’s usually sufficient to place the card in the middle). Then continue with the above repetition process until all words are “almost fully repeated.” This method is simple and effective; it actually relies on the basic principle of repeating words multiple times from English learning websites that are difficult to remember. It is quite primitive, and strictly speaking it cannot be considered a true \"brain memory simulation.\" Moreover, it lacks pronunciation support, is costly, and the time required to use it is difficult to estimate. 　　It now seems that identifying this so-called \"optimal review time point\" is the key to solving memory problems. However, since this time point is variable – meaning it may differ for each person and for each word – how can it be determined? Through calculation! It can be calculated using the famous \"Ebbinghaus formula\"... But then another question arises: How can one learn English words effectively while also doing calculations with paper and pen? Should one focus on learning English or on mathematical calculations? Of course, although such a creative and passionate-free calculation process involves a large amount of work, it no longer requires manual effort; modern advanced computing technologies are ideal for carrying out such \"simple repetitive tasks\"!
M-y-W-o-r-d is an intelligent simulation vocabulary memory system that combines intelligence, adaptability, real-time simulation, and frequency optimization. As a third-generation \"3G\" expert system for assisting in the memorization of foreign language words, it can simulate the memory curve of words in the brain in real time, optimize frequencies, and determine the \"optimal review time point\". By adapting to different students and their learning habits, this system serves as a useful tool for memorizing words. The M-y-W-o-r-d expert system fully simulates the brain’s actual process of forgetting words, automatically selecting and optimizing the \"optimal retrieval time points\" so that words are retrieved only when needed. With about 15 minutes of study per day, the memory improvement is very satisfactory. Experimental data show that using this method, one can retain an average of 80 to 150 new words per hour, while achieving a memory effect similar to that of native speakers. 　　Therefore, the key to learning a foreign language lies in choosing a word memorization method that suits one’s own circumstances, in order to overcome the challenge of memorizing words in a scientific and efficient way. Once the vocabulary reaches a new level (for example, after quickly mastering the vocabulary for one or two semesters), it is possible to move on to the corresponding bilingual reading phase right away. After selecting reading materials based on one’s interests, reading becomes smooth and enjoyable when done with a solid vocabulary foundation. The meanings of some polysemous words can be “guessed” by considering the context. The English learning plan for working professionals keeps the brain active, so matching vocabulary size with reading volume greatly enhances students’ interest in reading. As reading volume increases, language sense inevitably improves, and this is precisely the key to learning a foreign language! With a good sense of language, problems related to grammar and writing also become easier to address, thus creating a positive cycle in foreign language learning!