Improve Your English by Testing
Yourself
English learners can improve their ability to remember and use new words
by testing themselves.
This idea comes from Sarah Lynn, an educational consultant and teacher
at Harvard University's Bridge Program.
She adds that self-testing improves retrieval – the ability to use and
remember new words. Beyond improving the learner's ability to retrieve
information, self-testing improves the learner's confidence, too.
Background
If you are like many learners, you may have faced a situation such as
this one:
Person 1: Hey! Did you study the new English grammar lesson?
Person 2: No, I don't need to. I already know that topic.
[The day after the test]
Person 1: Hey! How did you do on the English grammar test?
Person 2: I don't want to talk about it. I thought I knew the lesson…
This dialogue shows a common situation: Language learners think they
understand a topic. Yet when asked to use what they learned, they are
not able to remember the information.
Not being able to retrieve new ideas could happen on a test or even in a
conversation. The basic problem is this: Learners did not learn
something as well as they thought they did.
Learning takes effort. It takes effort because the learning process
changes the brain, says Sarah Lynn.
One way it changes the brain is by creating connections. These
connections, which we discussed in previous education stories, are
called dendrites.
Lynn suggests that dendrite connections are important for retrieval.
There are three main ideas about how to grow dendrites and improve
retrieval, says Lynn.
We covered the first two ideas – making connections and using repetition
– in previous education stories.
The third method to grow dendrite connections is to test yourself.
Lynn is not the only expert who recommends self-testing.
A paper in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition tells
about the benefits of testing yourself.*
The paper says one benefit of testing practice is that it improves
retrieval. Retrieving information once makes retrieving that information
easier in the future.
In addition, the paper says, when students test themselves as part of
studying, they learn what they do not know. When students know what they
do not understand, they can pay attention to improving their weaknesses.
Close the book
Lynn recommends that learners test themselves by getting away from what
they are studying. Then, they should test themselves by thinking about
what they have learned.
She recommends that learners make themselves write or speak something.
Lynn suggests reading something or watching a video on the topic, then
summarizing it. This will allow learners to test what they know:
"But actually, if you close the book, or turn off the YouTube video, and
then write down, or audio record yourself of what you remember, and then
you go back, and you see what it is, that's when you really begin to
construct your own understanding of the new knowledge. And you begin to
organize it, and control it, and eventually master it."
The benefits of such practice, Lynn says, are not just about improving
your ability to remember information. By testing yourself, you can build
confidence in the skills you have developed.
When you test yourself, Lynn says, you will see how much progress you
have made. This progress will satisfy and encourage you to do more in
the future.
What can you do?
1 Make flashcards
The next time you are studying English, try to test yourself. A simple
way to test vocabulary is to create flashcards with clues on one side
and the answer on the back.
Flashcards in the past were small cards or pieces of paper with a word
or a question on one side and the meaning or answer to the question on
the other side. Students used them to quiz each other or quiz themselves
to review for examinations.
Now, many online services allow students to create digital flashcards.
One such service is Quizlet, where learners can do a variety of
activities based on one set of new words or information. You can match
words and meanings, write a word after looking at a picture, or listen
to a word and write it. You can also play games with the new words and
meanings.
2 Ask yourself questions
Another way is to ask yourself questions at the end of the day, at the
end of a study session, or at other times. Lynn recommends that learners
ask questions such as, "What did I learn today? What were those words I
thought were interesting? What was that verb tense I learned? How does
it work?"
The important point is this: Effective learning takes time, effort and
practice.
Do not just assume that you can read something once or twice and fully
understand it. Even if you highlight important points or take notes in a
class, you probably do not fully understand what you learned.
After all, Olympic athletes cannot learn how to swim or run just from
reading a book. They have to practice swimming or running every day for
years. They often compete in races to test their skills. Like those
athletes, successful language learners practice as much as they can, and
test themselves to improve their skills.
Self-testing is one way to improve your retrieval and inform your future
course of study. Give it a try, and let us know how it works for you. |
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