In the pursuit of mastering new skills or languages, one particular challenge arises: the ability to retain information. Drawing inspiration from Peter C. Brown’s Make It Stick, we will explore effective learning strategies, particularly focusing on retention. Subsequently, we will discuss how this insight directly benefits us as language learners.
What Doesn’t Work: The Key Misconception
Many learners often fall into the trap of block learning—persistently concentrating on one topic or set of material in a single, uninterrupted session. The act of re-reading, excessive highlighting, or underlining material is not only tedious but also counterproductive.
This approach to learning is less effective because information is retained more efficiently when study sessions are spaced out. To retain knowledge in the long term, it is essential to consistently revisit the material and encounter it in various contexts.
What Works: Strategies for Sticky Learning
1. Space Out Your Learning Activities
Instead of cramming, distribute your learning over time. Revisit the material after a few days or weeks. This spacing helps your brain strengthen connections. Continuously practicing this method makes it easier to recall information over longer periods.
2. Interleave Topics and Materials
Instead of mastering one resource before moving on, mix up your studies. What does this mean? For instance, explore different books on a historical period or engage with various beginner content from different language courses.
Encountering similar information from multiple perspectives enhances your understanding and reinforces memory. Rather than simply reviewing the same material, you are making connections and absorbing key recurring information.
3. Practice Active Retrieval
Testing yourself, even informally, reinforces knowledge. In language learning, speaking or writing requires you to actively and spontaneously utilize your language skills. Newly acquired words or phrases solidify in your memory when you continuously recall them in conversation.
Moreover, this can also be a more passive activity. Interleaving topics and materials is, in fact, a form of active retrieval. When reading different books on the same historical period, you are indirectly recalling prior knowledge while engaging with new material.
4. Embrace a Desirable Level of Difficulty
Engaging with challenging material that pushes your current abilities encourages deeper involvement. This purposeful interaction aids in better knowledge retention and keeps you more engaged compared to sticking with content that feels too easy or repetitive.
How does this Apply to Language Learning?
Language Learning as a Model for Sticky Learning
An input-based approach to language learning aligns with the principles discussed in Make It Stick. To make the language “stick,” consistent engagement with the language (spacing), exposure to a variety of content (interleaving), and testing your knowledge through spontaneous usage (active retrieval) are crucial.
Struggle A Bit Before Seeking Explanation
Immerse yourself in a new language before relying on grammar rules. Attempting to comprehend the language’s mechanics through lengthy explanations can resemble block learning. Instead, enhance your understanding of sentence structures, verbs, and patterns over time through extensive reading and listening. Once you have engaged with the language, consult grammar explanations to clarify your observations. This approach fosters curiosity and helps develop a genuine intuition for the language.
Final Thoughts: Learning That Lasts
The insights from Make It Stick demonstrate that an independent learner—one who consistently follows their curiosity and tests their knowledge—will retain what they have learned more effectively. Effective strategies emphasize interaction, variety, and patience.
Whether you are learning a language or seeking to enhance your overall study experience, the key is to continuously follow your interests and recall what you have learned along the way. For language learners, this entails immersing yourself in content, revisiting it regularly, and actively applying your knowledge in conversation and writing.
Implement these effective learning strategies, and not only will you remember more, but you will also enjoy the learning process.
