Notice the word around you

Once you’ve learnt the word, one of the best ways of making it stick is to try and “notice” it. Of course, this implies that you need to be reading and listening to Spanish, but then you already do that right…?

Learn about the word

There’s much more to a word than just its syllables. Try learning extra details about the word, such as its first/last letter, how many syllables it contains, where the stress lies, etc. Although it seems more effort, you’ll find it useful later on.

Use spaced repetition

One of the major problems with learning vocabulary is cramming. You need to space out your learning, and review your vocabulary periodically – best within one week, one month, and then six months. You’re trying to make the word second nature. Use index cards to help, or better yet, Anki.

Don’t overdo it

Don’t over-cram your brain. The old mantra “little and often” is particularly apt here, and we have a surprisingly low limit for the number of words we can retain long term per day. Ten words is a good limit, even when it feels too easy.

Be persistent

Learning a foreign vocabulary is a huge task! Be patient with yourself, and accept that it can be a frustrating process. It’s also an ongoing process, so it’s a good idea to break it down into achievable goals for your motivation.

Have a plan, and stick to it

Be realistic about how much time you can dedicate to developing your Spanish vocab. Think about how long you can spend, and how often you can do it. Make it easy for yourself by carrying round a deck of index cards, or leaving Spanish newspapers lying around – try to make it a habit.