Learning entire texts by heart (Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies) Language Learning Forum

Learning entire texts by heart
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Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies

10 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

William Camden
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Message 9 of 10

12 July 2010 at 3:07pm | IP Logged

Doitsujin wrote:

It worked for Heinrich Schliemann who claims he was able to memorize 20 pages of text after having read them three times. He writes in his English autobiography:

Quote:

I applied myself with extraordinary diligence to the study of English. Necessity taught me a method which greatly facilitates the study of a language. This method consists in reading a great deal aloud, without making a translation, taking a lesson every day, constantly writing essays upon subjects of interest, correcting these under the supervision of a teacher, learning them by heart, and repeating in the next lesson what was corrected on the previous day. My memory was bad, since from my childhood it had not been exercised upon any object ; but I made use of every moment, and even stole time for study.
In order to acquire a good pronunciation quickly, I went twice every Sunday to tho English church, and repeated to myself in a low voice every word of the clergyman's sermon. 1 never went on my errands, even in tho rain, without having my book in my hand and learning something hy heart ; and I never waited at the post-office without reading. By such methods I gradually strengthened my memory, and in three months' time found no difficulty in reciting from memory to my teacher, Mr. Taylor, in each day's lesson, word by word, twenty printed pages, after having read them over three times attentively.

In Schliemann's time, rote memorization was pretty much de rigeur. But nowadays only actors have to memorize large amounts of text. I looked into this and found a couple of web sites with memorization tips for actors, but most of them either only deal with making rote memorization easier or mention common memory techniques such as links, peg words, memory palaces etc. That's why I didn't pursue this any further.

It would be very helpful if anybody who actually does memorize texts in foreign languages could post their tricks.

A rather hostile biography of Schliemann by David Traill (1995) mentions this, describing it as a nearly "fail-safe" method of learning foreign languages, though he thought most people would not manage the obviously intense concentration.

It is possible that Schliemann exaggerated his ability to memorise huge chunks of text in a short time.

I have experimented with imitating the method, but find the intense effort not worth the rather meagre results. Memorising individual sentences is more rewarding and less difficult.

Edited by William Camden on 12 July 2010 at 3:12pm
3 persons have voted this message useful

microsnout
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Message 10 of 10

12 July 2010 at 7:40pm | IP Logged

I have used this method with short texts of 3 to 6 sentences and found it very useful - not as a complete way to
learn a language but just as an exercise to help promote words and phrases from my passive to active vocabulary.
It forces you to learn to use someone else's way of expressing thoughts instead of falling back on the same
overused phrases that you are used to. As I start to forget the text, I find myself mixing and matching fragments to
form new patterns and long after the whole text is forgotten there seems to always be one word or phrase that
sticks with me and gets used when speaking spontaneously.
2 persons have voted this message useful

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