Stimulating memory

Memory plays an extremely important role in language learning. Some students will inevitably have better memory skills than others, but you can help stimulate your students' memories. Try the following activities:

• Remembering sequences: Give students list of things to remember, like times, places, adjectives, etc. Students should try to memorize and produce the lists in order. For example: These are the stores on Main Street: toy store, shoe store, bookstore, pet store, flower store and the supermarket.Recite the list several times.Students listen and then reproduce the list orally or in written form.
• Remembering details in a picture: Choose a picture that has a reasonable amount of detail. Students look carefully at the picture for a minute. Ask cuestions about the details in the picture.
• Organizing information: Organizing and ordering information improves memory. Imagine, for example, how difficult it would be to remember a random list of 46 letters. On the other hand, it would not be difficult to memorize the first sentence in a pharagraph. Help students connect and organize the information they learn in class. By organizing and adding meaning to material prior to learning it, students will learn it better and recall it easier. For example, organizing material on paper, such as making an outline or mind map, can facilitate this process.