Foreign Language Vocabulary Builder: Sticky-Notes

In order to make language-learning fun, and practical, you have to have to look forward to being surrounded by it on an everyday basis. I have found that sticky-notes have helped me not only build my vocabulary, but have also helped me to start learning words by which I am surrounded. Since I want to become an advanced learner of German, I have tried to immerse myself as much as possible with the language. One of my goals for this upcoming year is to become fluent. You may be asking yourself, “how, and can she really do this?”

One of the most powerful, and inexpensive tools that I have used to my advantage have surprisingly been sticky-notes. What I have already done is very simple. I have labeled different objects throughout my bedroom, and bathroom with their translations in German, along with their genders. For example, where I have my necklaces, I have labeled them “die Halsketten”, the drawer “die Schublade”, the toilet paper “das Toilettenpapier”, and the doorknob “die Türklinke.” I have had many objects labeled for about a year now, and have noticed an increase in my vocabulary. Most people, even the best polyglots, do not find it necessary to learn these kinds of words, but I think that it makes languages a more integral part of your life.

What do I mean by this? Every day when I wake up, I lay on my bed, and look around my bedroom. I then stare at objects that I know are labeled with sticky-notes, and test myself to see if I remember the words (if you are learning a language that has masculine, feminine, and or neuter words, it is important to always learn the words with their genders). It is practical, because I only had to label these objects once, and know that they will stay there, as long as no one else takes them down. By doing this, you learn vocabulary that native speakers use on an everyday basis.

If you are a college student like me, and live in a dorm room, and you want to try this, but your roommate does not want you to do so, do not worry. Simply label objects in your bedroom at home. This method can also be done with objects throughout the house (especially in your kitchen, and in your living-room).

This is also a great exercise for your brain. Whether you are ever going to have to actually say, or write the word “the doorknob” is unlikely, but what does matter is that you are pushing your brain to its limits trying to remember abstract, yet useful vocabulary that you would never learn in a textbook. Who knows? Someday, you may have the chance to impress a native speaker by effortlessly saying one of these words.