When learning Spanish, vocabulary is a challenge for many of my students. Indeed, there are thousands of Spanish words to remember and most of them are very different from English. If we add into the mix the pronunciation, gender and register, it can feel a bit daunting to undertake this challenge. But fear not, I am here to help you!
Today, we will speak Spanish vocabulary flashcards and how they are a good way to practice and memorize new words. But, as in everything in life, some tips and tricks can help you create them to improve your learning curve. So, how can you make great vocabulary flashcards to learn Spanish? Keep reading to find out!
Choose the right format
To learn Spanish vocabulary you can choose two different flashcard formats: traditional or digital. Although some people might believe the traditional format is outdated, I think it can be very useful when you want to add a special touch to your vocabulary cards. There come in really handy if you are an artsy person. Take a look at these wonderful Spanish vocabulary flashcards from Olé edu, wouldn’t you love to study them?
However, nowadays, with our mobile phones present at all times, some people might prefer the digital version. It is great for those of us who like to learn on the go, as we travel, commute or simply do our daily activities. The best about them is that they allow you to play games:
Do not learn isolated words
This is probably one of the biggest piece of advice I can give you. It’s important not to remember isolated words. In our brain, when we create a new sentence, we come up with what linguists call chunks. Chunks are segments of language which are found together. These chunks come up together and are stored in our brain for easy access. For example, if I asked you to think about your parents love story, some chucks that might come up would be:
To fall in love
Love at first sight
To tie the knot
Don’t forget pronunciation
Another very important tip to remember is to always notice the pronunciation of words. Doing that nowadays is very simple: Take a look at the flashcards above. Did you notice there is an audio icon when you complete an example? If you click on it, you will hear an automatic pronunciation of each sentence. Although it might not be perfect, it is a very good way to start pronouncing different words.
What about you? What other tips and tricks help you learn vocabulary? Let us know in the comments below 🙂
