Thirty vocabulary words a day: the keyword method
The research-backed technique for learning a language three to five times faster.
The keyword method
Studied since the 1970s, notably by Atkinson and Raugh, this is the vocabulary technique whose effectiveness is best documented. It works in three stages.
- The sound bridge. Find an English word that sounds like the foreign word.
- The linking image. Create a scene where the sound bridge interacts with the meaning of the word.
- Placement. Put the scene in a palace dedicated to the language.
Worked examples
French, cheval, horse. It sounds like shovel. Picture a horse digging a hole with an enormous shovel, earth flying everywhere.
Spanish, caballo, horse. It sounds like cab plus eye. A horse driving a black cab with one giant eye on the bonnet.
German, Schmetterling, butterfly. It sounds like smashed plus ling. A butterfly smashing a tennis ball with the flat crack of a racquet.
The rest is part of the Absolute Memory module
Unlock this lesson and the other 17, with the 4 practical resources and the complete protocol.
Lifetime access · Instant access
Would you rather try first? Read the free lessons