Glossaries might be old-fashioned, but still helpful

I'm going to go ahead and call it that this post is going to get zero views, but I'm writing it anyways because I truly believe in it. One way to really help yourself learn a new language is to create your own running glossary of new words. In every country I've ever lived in, the first week I'm there, I've bought a small notebook and kept a running list of new words I encounter. Every few days, I go back and look the new words up or ask my friends what they mean or both. At the end of each week, I go back to the very beginning of my list and read over all of the new words and their definitions. I think about where I saw them, when I looked them up, who I asked about their meanings. This is an excellent practice to get into when learning a new language and here's why:

1. Physically writing the words in a notebook creates a muscle memory that connects that word to your body,

2. Reading over the words each week and remembering where you saw the words helps put that new word into long term memory.

3. Remembering writing the definition or who you asked reinforces that long term memory.

This blog post might not be so flashy, but it is helpful and honest. Try starting a glossary of words today. A month from now you might have 100 words or only 10, but I guarantee you will remember them all. If you do find this post helpful, post a picture of your glossary on Instagram and tag me in it with #kindabilingual !

Interested in more tips or acquiring Spanish? Check out Kinda Bilingual's online, immersive, Spanish classes or give us a follow on Instagram (@kinda.bilingual)!