With the unstoppable globalization of economy, careers and
culture are breaking barriers and making a borderless world.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in careers. Internet has
literally become the window to the world. As information and
opportunities abound, the choice in careers is no longer limited
to a region, but spread wide across the world. This has opened
the field for newer pastures and wide range of job
opportunities. Consequently, the need for learning foreign
languages has become necessary. Besides, in the highly
competitive business world that we are in, knowing additional
languages invariably gives you the added edge.
But learning a foreign language has its own subtle intricacies.
The pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and the use of proper
syntax are just some of the major problems confronting any
learner. However, there are some sound techniques for mastering
a language. Ideally they are best done using memory techniques.
One of the basic methods is to associate the foreign word with a
similar sounding word in the language you are very fluent in.
For e,g., the French word for rug/carpet is 'tapis'. You can
associate the word with tap in English. Similarly, the
equivalent of grump in French is 'grogon'. By associating
'grogon' with the word groggy in English, which means sleepy and
tired, you will be able to remember the French word.
Another memory technique is to use images for improving your
foreign vocabulary. So for the above two words in French -
'tapis' and 'grogon', you can imagine taps being open and water
running on a rug or carpet, and use the image to reinforce the
meaning of the word 'tapis'. In the same way, you can use a
grumpy looking sleepy face to remember 'grogon' to convey the
meaning grumpy. The image of drooping eyelids and mouth can be
visualized to remember 'grogon' as grumpy.
Yet another well-known technique is using town language
mnemonics. Since the basic vocabulary of a language pertains to
everyday things - things that you will find in a town, village
or city - you can use the different areas and objects to link
the images and the corresponding foreign words. You can
associate all the food-related words by visualizing a familiar
supermarket and substituting the images and the words of food
items sold there with the corresponding foreign language words.
Likewise, all foreign words concerning animals and birds can be
remembered by imagining a zoo, and linking the images of
different animals and birds in the zoo to the corresponding
foreign words. In this way, you can cover different working
zones of a town, village or city such as library, park, shopping
mall, etc., and master the related foreign words associated with
each sphere of activities. This way you will reinforce your
foreign language vocabulary thoroughly.
Incidentally, Tony Buzan in his book 'Using your Memory' lists
100 basic words that are elementary to any language learning.
This could be used to learn the primary words of the foreign
language.
In all these methods, it would be obvious that memory has a
chief role to play in learning a language, more so for
increasing your vocabulary. You need to be familiar with the
words in order to use them effectively. Since Mind Mapping
technique was born out of the need for enhancing memory, Mind
Maps serve as an indispensable memory tool. Indeed Mind Mapping
is the most ideal method for improving your memory. Using Mind
Maps to learn foreign language is a highly useful and proven
technique for mastering a foreign language. Many people are
using Mind Maps as a vital tool for learning languages.
As the Mind Map technique is based on information processing
abilities of the brain, Mind Maps have a crucial role as a
memory-enhancing process. And deploying this technique for
mastering foreign language can only speed up the process of
learning. The simplicity of the technique and the efficacy of
its process, gives Mind Maps not just a clear edge but in
elevating it as a time-tested method for mastering any language.
About the author:
About the Author:
Dr. Vj Mariaraj is a Mind Map enthusiast and has been using Mind
Maps for the past twelve years. He has created over 5650 Mind
Maps. To learn more about mind mapping send an email to
freemindmap@aweber.com . He is the founder of
BusinessBookMindMap.com that creates Mind Map Summaries of
Business Books. To learn more visit
http://BusinessBookMindMap.com/mind-map.php?ga17
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