Reviewing Well

The sole strategies in this set is structured reviewing, which is especially

useful for remembering new material in the target language. It entails reviewing at
different intervals, at first close together and then increasingly far apart. For
instance, Misha is Learning a set of vocabulary words in English. He practices
them immediately, waits 15 minutes before practicing them again, and practices
them an hour later, three hours later, the next day, two days later, four days later,
the following week, two weeks later, and so on until the material becomes more or
less automatic. In this way, he keeps spiraling back to these particular vocabulary
words, even though he might be encountering more material in class. Each time he
practices these vocabulary words, Misha does it in a meaningful way . like putting
them into a context or recombining them to make new sentences. Naturally, the
amount of time needed to make new material automatic depends on the kind of
material involved. Figure 3.6 provides an illustration of one way to approach
structured reviewing.
EMPLOYING ACTION
The two memory strategies under employing action are using physical
response or sensation and using mechanical techniques.
1. Using Physical Response or Sensation
This strategies may involve physical acting out a new expression that has
been heard. The teaching technique known as Total Physical Response(5) is
based on this strategies: students listen to a command and physical act it out
(and later are able to give commands to other people). For example, Akram
is told by the teacher, Take the pencil, go to the pencil sharpener, sharpen
the pencil, write your names with it, and then give it to Maria. As Akram
carries out these instructions, he finds that physical movement helps engrave
the new information in memory. A different use of the strategy involves
associating the heard expression with a physical sensation. For instance
associating the heard expression with a physical sensation, for instance,
Jack trains himself to get a feeling of physical heat whenever he hears a new
feminine noun in German, a feeling of cold for masculine noun, and a
feeling noun in German. A feeling of moderate temperature for aneuter
noun; this helps him to remember the gender of the new nouns he heras.

The strategies of using physical response or sensation can also be

applied for remembering written material, Learners can out what they read
or associate physical sensation sensations with specific words found in
reading passages
2. Using mechanical techniques
To remember what has been heard or read, mechanical techniques are
sometimes helpful. For instance, flashcards, with the new word written on
one side and the definition written on the other, are both familiar and useful.
To contextualize a new expression and get writing practice, learners can
write the new expression in a full sentence on a flashcard. Flashcards can be
moved from one pile to another depending on how well the learner knows
them. Separate sections of the language learning notebook can be used for
words that have been learned and words that have not.
Using Memory strategies for retrieval
Learners can use memory strategies to retrieve target language information
quickly, so that this information can be employed for communication involving
any of the four language skills. The same mechanism that was initially used for
getting the information into memory (for instance, a mental association)can be
used later on for recalling the information. Just thinking of the learners original
image, sound and image- combination, action, sensation, particularly if the learner
has taken the time to review the material in a structured way after the initial
encounter.
Hare are some examples of retrieving information through memory
strategies. Bud, a students of French, initially learned the 17 etre verbs (i.e. verbs
that take atre instead of avoir in the perfect tense ) by using the acronym
DR.MRS.VANDERTRAMPP, another example of the strategy of placing new
words into a context. This acronym stands for devenir, revenir, monter, rester,
sortir, venir, aller, naitre, descendre,entrer,rentrer,tomber, retourner, arriver, mourir,
passer, and partir. Later, whenever Bud has to use one of these verbs in the perfect
tense in speaking of writing, he immediately think of DR. VANDERTRAMPP and
knows the right form.
Mathilde wants to remember the Italian word for drawer (casetto), so she can
write a note to her Italian to her Italian friends explaining that the important papers

are in the drawer. Mathilda originally learned the word by using the keyword
strategy, which involved making a mental pictures of herself keeping cassettes in a
drawer. In writing the note, Mathilda recalls this picture and remembers the
required word, Cassetto.
Finally, Lih originally used the acronym BAG5, form of placing new words
into a context, along with a mental image of bags, to learn which French adjectives
come before nouns (pronominal adjectives), unlike the majority of adjectives; B
for beauty words like beau, joli; A for age words, like jeune, vieux, nouveau; G for
goodness words like bon, mauvais, vrai; and S for size words, like petit, grand,
gros, long. When Lih has to use any adjective in speaking or writing, she just
remembers BAGS and knows where to put the adjective.
As just discussed, memory strategies are valuable for storing and retrieving
new information in the target language. In addition, a variety of cognitive
strategies- the second group of direct strategies-can be used for learning a new
language.