Memorizing Japanese with Coding Strategies
Understanding and applying mnemonic encoding strategies is crucial when it comes to learning Japanese on your own and passing the JLPT quickly. From the perspective of an experienced JLPT teacher and professor of mnemonics, here are some in-depth methods and techniques that can help learners study Japanese words more efficiently and achieve quick results in passing the exam.
Understanding Memory Encoding Strategies
Memory encoding strategy is a psychological concept that refers to the process of how the brain relates new information to existing knowledge. Effective mnemonic strategies can significantly improve learning efficiency and long-term memory retention. In Japanese language learning, this means going beyond rote memorization of words and phrases to making new vocabulary stronger and easier to recall by creatively connecting it to known information.
Ways to learn Japanese words efficiently
1. Similar word group memorization method
Using the similarity of vocabulary in Japanese, such as cognate words or similar words, you can form groups to learn them. For example, the words “学習” (がくしゅう, study) and “学生” (がくせい, student) both contain the word “学”, so memorizing them together can help learners remember each word faster. Learners can memorize the meaning and usage of each word more quickly by putting them together.
2. Using phonetic association
There are many words with similar pronunciations in Japanese. For example, “橋” (hashi, bridge) and “箸” (hashi, chopsticks). By linking words with the same pronunciation, memorization can be enhanced by the similarity of sounds.
3. Learning words with similar structures
Focus on words that have similar structures. For example, “先生” (せんせい, teacher) and “学生” (がくせい, student) both end in “生”, and this structural similarity helps to deepen memorization.
4. Practical contextualization
Learning words in sentences not only helps to memorize them, but also to understand their usage. For example, not only memorize “食べる” (たべる，吃) but also learn how to use it in different sentences, such as “私は寿司を食べる” (I eat sushi).