How do I learn?

Now that you know what a good language learner looks like, it will be helpful to do a self evaluation of what you are currently doing to learn. This self evaluation of current learning style might provide insight into areas where you are weak and offer suggestions for improvement.
            How do I learn?

Keyword Storytelling

The trick to keyword storytelling is to make it personal to you. The keyword story you use to connect meaning to a word form may not help someone else. Let me share an example of a keyword story that helps me to remember the verb "ver' in Spanish that means "to see".
 I once took a short vacation to Tennessee with my teenage son and daughter who each brought a friend along. While hiking in the woods, I found myself all alone since my children did not want to "hang out" with mom. I began to imagine all of the horrible things that could happen to me, such as falling over a cliff, drowning in the fast moving stream and of course I might "see a bear" which could eat me as I attempted to run away. I decided to record my last words to my children on my cell phone.....just in case. I ended my silly video by acting out the bear scenario and screaming, " Oh No! I see a Bear! I see a Bear!
Because the spanish word "ver" is pronounced like the English word "Bear", I recall this story each time I see the Spanish word "ver" and I remember the meaning. Of course, this story may not help you, but you can create your own stories. 

Keyword Technique

The keyword technique is an effective way to create a connection between a word form and its meaning. First, analyze the spanish word you are trying to memorize. Pay close attention to how it is spelled. Say the word out loud as it would be pronounced it the target language. Now think about the meaning of the word you want to memorize.  Does the form of the word look like any word you already know? Does the sound of the word sound like a word you already know (even if it does not connect with the meaning). Now, can you create a mental image or drawing that will help you create a connection between the word form and it's meaning? Let's look at an example;
The word "leer' means "to read" in Spanish.
The word leer in English means" to cast a sidelong glance"
When I analyze the spelling/form of the word, I create a mental picture of the word that looks like this:

I use my "eyes" to read a book (note the book inside the letter "r").  Now,each time I see the word "leer" in spanish, I will connect the meaning "to read" by seeing this mental picture.

Language Learning Strategies

As we begin to study Spanish as second language, we will need to learn and  use a variety of learning strategies.  Here are a few of the strategies we will use:

1. Focus on high frequency words rather than low frequency words.
(teacher will provide a list of the top 2000 most frequently used Spanish words.)
2. Look for cognates
(many of the words you see are the same or only slightly different from the English word)
3. Make guesses about the meaning of a word or phrase. Don't be afraid to make a mistake.
4. Look for patterns (study typical word formation patterns that your teacher will give you of how words typically change from English to Spanish) example: words that end in -ment may end in -mento in Spanish
5. study and recognize word families (ex. hablar, Hispanohablante, hablador, habladuria, )
6. Practice active listening
7. Divide words into parts. Sound out the syllables to help with pronunciation (learn typical prefixes, suffixes, root words and their meanings)
8. Link the word form to it's meaning in L1. (with keyword technique, keyword storytelling, use of word cards or flashcards, use pictures) Practice retrieval often.
9. plan and stick to a study plan where you study frequently, for short periods, and recycle often.
10. utilize a system of study (such as word cards or flashcards), that allows words to be sorted according to how well they are known.
11. pay attention to things that are in dark print, highlighted, underlined, color-coded, etc. try to identify why they are of importance
12. use new words/phrases immediately in a task, then recycle at intervals that lengthen over time
13. use learned information in a creative way (a different context from how it was learned)
14. Incorporate the language into your own interests
15. seek opportunities to use what you are learning outside of class
16. try to re-tell something in the second language.
17. act things out, use gestures, body language, etc to help communicate meaning to others
18. learn helpful phrases such as: repeat please, how do you spell that?
19. Learn how to locate and use various resources such as bilingual dictionaries, frequency lists, glosses, etymology dictionaries,etc.
20. practice repetition in class and reading out loud during study time
21. try to put new words into sentences
22. read often in the new language (simplified, modified and authentic text)