Simple Swedish Podcast - #263 - 3 myter om att lära sig vokabulär

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

Nivå: A2-B1 En av de vanligaste frågorna jag ser är hur man bäst lär sig vokabulär. Det finns tyvärr många myter om vad som fungerar. De flesta kommer från hur vi lärde oss i skolan. I det här avsnittet ska vi slå hål på 3 av dessa! Vill du se hur det såg ut på vårt senaste bootcamp? Kolla in den här videon!   Transkript Hallå, hallå! Välkommen till Simple Swedish Podcast. Det är inte det första avsnittet för i år, men det är första avsnittet jag spelar in i år. För jag var tvungen att jobba lite extra och spela in några avsnitt i förväg, för att jag åkte till Sverige, firade jul och organiserade Language Lock-In Boot Camp. Och nu är det då den 10 januari. Och först nu börjar jag att spela in avsnitt igen, så att jag förberedde tre eller fyra avsnitt faktiskt i förväg. Och idag ska vi prata om tre myter om att lära sig vokabulär. Och innan det ska jag såklart tacka några nya patrons. Och det är ganska många nya patrons faktiskt. Så det är ju kul. Det är väl också just för att jag inte har spelat in ett nytt avsnitt på länge. Så det är då Lila, Stephen, Sarah, Katrina, Lorhegine, Lennart, Szabolcs, Ferelith, Marcela, Tatiana, Morgana, Bret, Viktor, Stepan, Daisy, Yvonne, Ala, Rishi, Brandi, Ali, Zēng, Jalbuu, Mefodiy, Tati, och Ollie. Yes, tack till alla er för att ni stödjer podden. Och ja, ni får ju då transkript till alla avsnitt som tack för det.  Och alla som är på 10-euronivån får också uttalsövningar varje vecka också. Och ja, som sagt, det var nyligen Language Lock-In Boot Camp, alltså det här bootcampet där vi har 10-12 deltagare som pratar bara svenska i nio dagar.  Det är ett så kallat språkbad, “language immersion”, som vi gör i Mora i Dalarna.  Så det var fjärde gången vi gjorde det nu. Jättekul, jättekul.  Och ja, det finns en video från det. Så om du vill veta hur det ser ut i det huset, vad vi gör, vad deltagarna säger om det här, så länkar jag till den videon i beskrivningen av det här avsnittet, så kan ni gå och kolla på den.  Ja, men då ska vi gå igenom tre myter om att lära sig nya ord, att bygga sitt ordförråd, att lära sig vokabulär.  ..för att läsa hela transkriptet - klicka här!

Hello, hello! Welcome to Simple Swedish Podcast. This is not the first episode of this year, but the first episode I'm recording to record some episodes this year Because I had to work a little extra and record some episodes in advance Because I went to Sweden, celebrated Christmas and organized a Language Lock-in Bootcamp And now it's the 10th of January and first now I'm starting to record again so I prepared 3 or 4 episodes actually in advance and today we're going will talk about three myths about learning vocabulary

and before that I will thank some new patrons and there are quite a few new patrons actually so that's fun. It's also because I haven't recorded a new episode in a long time. So, it's Lila, Steven, Sara, Katrina, Lore Heginne, Lore Hen, I know I'm pronouncing it wrong, sorry, I'm sorry Yes, thanks to all of you for supporting the podcast. And yes, you will get a transcript for all episodes. So thank you for that. And everyone who is on the 10 euro level will also get pronunciation exercises every week.

And yes, as I said it was recently the Language Lock-in Bootcamp so this bootcamp where we have 10-12 participants who speak only Swedish for 9 days it's a so called language bath language immersion

that we do in Mora, in the valleys so that was the 4th time we did that now very fun, very fun and yes, there is a video from that so if you want to know

how it looks in that house, what we do, what the participants say about this, I'll link to that video in the description of this episode, so you can go and check it out. Yes, but then we will go through three myths about learning new words, building your vocabulary, learning vocabulary. Yes, and the first myth is that we learn vocabulary by memorizing new words. So, you can of course learn new words simply by memorizing them. You have a list with lots of words and translations and you simply try to memorize them. And that's how I learned Spanish when I went to school, I remember that we would practice on a list of words.

We call it for glosur in Sweden. So a glosa is a word that you should learn in another language. A language that you are learning, a gloss. So you got a list of glosses, that you should memorize. So one word, one translation, one word, one translation. And, but the truth is of course that this is not a good way to learn, not very effective. Because the best way to learn, the most effective way to learn is a more organic approach. is a much more organic approach. So, simply, a lot of input, massive input,

exposure, understandable input is important as well. That you get exposed to Things you understand. You read something and you understand. You don't understand all words But you generally understand what's happening, what they're saying and so on So when you get massive Exponences, when you get a lot of understandable input, that's when you, many new words without trying to memorize them. And of course, it can be good to take notes and, well, repeat them a little bit and so on. And that makes you put some extra focus on the specific words because I, for example, I use words that I see in a text or that I hear, maybe I mean, the words that are a little extra important

So absolutely not all words, okay? So, if you want to count, focus on the words that are extra important. Okay, because it's a way to be more effective. Because when you read and listen, you get exposed to many new words. And we can't remember all of them right away. So we have to focus on some words, the most important words. This becomes more and more important the more advanced you become. Because in the beginning when you use resources specifically for beginners

Then you always learn specific words So I think that's why this myth exists Because everyone learns specific words in the beginning So when you start, okay, you, lesson one, learn these words. Lesson two, learn these words. Lesson three, learn these words. But when you start using more and more natural material then there will be thousands of new words. And you can't teach yourself all of them now.

So you have to focus on the most important things. And you have to get a lot of exposure. Because when you get a lot of exposure, you will automatically be exposed to the most important words over and over again because you will see the same words over and over again, hear the same words over and over again just by getting a lot of exposure So that's how we reach a high level in a language We just have to get a lot of exposure, a lot of input, get exposed to many, many new words. We can't have long lists with vocabulary, we can't try to learn all new words, okay?

So that was the first myth, to learn vocabulary by memorizing all new words. So, the second myth is that our vocabulary works as a checklist. typ. Okay. Jag ska lära mig det här ordet. Okay. Nu memorerar jag det här ordet. Check. Nu har jag memorerat det ordet. Okay. Nästa ord. Check. Okay. Idag har jag lärt mig tio nya ord. Check, check, check, check, check. Och nästa dag ska jag lära mig tio nya ord. Okay. Dagen är slut. Check, check, check, And the next day I will learn ten new words, okay? The day is over, check check check check. Okay, that's how it works of course not. Because what does it mean to learn a word? What does it mean? it means that first you have never seen the word before and then poof now I can understand it

now I can use it no that's how it works of course not but we see the word once we do not understand it we see the word two times three times four four times. We start to understand it. We start to remember it. We might understand it in context, in a certain context. We see it three times, like ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. We see it many times more. Now we understand it better and better and better. We can also start using the word because there is a big difference between understanding a word and being able to use it. So, the passive word order and the active word order But, and then maybe we forget that word I mean, we think that, oh, I thought I knew that word But now I don't remember it

I forgot it, oh So it was check in the list and then away from the list But no, of's not the case It's still there But The connection is not very strong And it can go up and it can go down You can forget words, learn again, forget again, learn again

But every time you learn a word again word, lära dig igen, glömma igen, lära dig igen. Men varje gång du lär dig ett ord igen, så kommer det minnet vara lite starkare. Så att liksom vi har inte liksom en checklista i huvudet med ord som vi antingen kan eller inte kan, nej. Utan alla a checklist in the head with words that we either can or cannot. No. Because all words are at different levels of learning. So one word is probably at 67% and then we see the word again and then it comes to 80 percent and then the day after it is at 78 percent and the day after at 75 percent and then we see the word again and then it goes up to 85% and that means that all words are like in different levels of learning

and the goal is that all the most important words have as high a level as possible have as high a level as possible. And that's why we need to get a lot of exposure so that we see and hear all these words often and that we use the most important words so that we constantly strengthen the memory and increase this level for how well we can these words so that, yes, it doesn't really work like that ok, today I have learned 10 words no, I may have increased the level of 100 words today a little bit. So I have learned, I have gotten a little bit better at 100 words or at 200 words or something like that. And then maybe I have gotten a little bit worse at some other words. But if I keep increasing the general level, it's okay.

I mean, you will always forget some words sometimes, but we don't't forget, the level goes down little by little And then we practice on it again, or we see the word again, or something like that So it's much more organic organically this. This is a bit tough for us as perfectionists and maybe have some control needs. We want to imagine that we have a kind of book in our brain or a database where all words are saved and checked, but that doesn't work like that. Okay, so the third myth is that all words in one language have a translation in another language. And this is of course because we start to learn languages by translating. get an idea that this word in English is this word in Swedish and this word in Spanish and so on that all words have a specific translation, but that's not the case So, we think about synonyms.

So if we take the English words light and bright. So, both words, light and bright, they can mean that it is not dark. So for example a bright room or a light room, okay. So that means that it is not dark in the room. It is a light room or a light color, that is, that it is not dark. Okay, but the word light can also mean that something is not heavy, for example food. If I say light food, then it means that food that is not heavy so in Swedish, light food So then we have two translations on light, so light and light but the word bright

that does not mean light so however, one can say that a person is bright, a bright person, that is, intelligent, a smart person, an intelligent person. But you can't say a light person, then it means that the person is not heavy. So a light person and a bright person means completely different things, okay? But in the context of a room or a color, it means the same thing, okay? And in Swedish we use different words for this. A light room, light food and a smart person. So we use three different words.

So light and bright are not the same thing. So we can not say that light and bright are the same thing. In the same way we can not say that light and light are the same thing. In the same way we can't say that light and light are the same thing. And we can't say that light and light are the same thing. Do you understand? So... And in the same way we can say that light is let i i Sometimes, for example A light meal, a light meal But let doesn't always mean light

We can say a easy question A easy question is a question that isn't difficult So a simple question. An easy question. So easy in Swedish can mean two different things in English. Light, easy. Okay? And then we have

easy question, a simple question means the same thing in Swedish. An easy question and a simple question means that it is not difficult. But the word enkel doesn't always mean simple in English, because enkel also means that something is not more than one, for example, a simple-oriented street means that it is a street that goes in only one direction

so not two directions, but one direction it is simple-oriented so all words are unique so all words, there is no word that only has one single translation. All words are unique, we use them in different ways, in different contexts, so we cannot learn a word We have to learn in context. So all of these things show how important it is with a lot of understandable input. A lot of exposition for material that we can understand. material som vi kan förstå. Inte förstå alla ord, men att man kan förstå generellt, liksom man hänger med i historien eller man hänger med i vad någon säger. Det är is the foundation of all language learning.

So, that you hear and see languages at a level that is a little higher than my level. Not too difficult, because then I don't understand anything but not only things that are easy because we also have to push ourselves to the next level So, that was the three myths I hope that was helpful so look for resources that fit your level

So you can get a lot of understandable input Make sure that it is resources you like as well It is very important And before we end I just want to say that it's really fun to see so many people who have registered for Language Gym The last time, I think many of you heard about it here in this pod So to you, it's fun to see you there And important, important, make sure to book in on lessons And go to those lessons and do this directly

Because it's important that you build this new habit immediately So at least 5 lessons Book in, go to the lessons As soon as possible And start building this new habit That was all for me today I hope you had a great start On the new year

See you soon again, bye bye!