How to Get Back Your Language Knowledge From School

Isn’t it frustrating when you ask how to say a word and then realize you already know it? Or when a word is on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t quite recall it. This is a common problem for people who learned a language in school and haven’t practiced it much since. Your long-term memory stores an enormous number of words that you once learned, so you need to find a way to bring those words back to the forefront of your mind.

We forget words for many reasons, like stress, fatigue, or simply a lack of recent use. We’re going to take a look at how you can go back to learning a language after years without practice and share some tips for remembering previously known vocabulary.

How to bring back forgotten words

Relax and be patient

Sometimes, your brain needs a moment to connect the dots. Relaxing helps reduce stress, which can block recall, which means the word might pop into your mind later.

Use associations

By thinking of related words or situations, you activate memory pathways connected to the forgotten word. This can help your brain find the word you’re looking for.

Speaking or writing

When you talk or write about a topic, you engage your brain more actively than when you’re just thinking about it. When you describe or discuss related ideas out loud or in writing, this can lead to the word surfacing.

Repetition and exposure

This makes it easier to recall in the future because it’s more deeply embedded in your memory.

Immersion

Immersing yourself in a language or culture enables your brain to pick up on and recall far more words, even when you are not actively using the language. Context cues can help jog your memory and enable you to learn new words more quickly. If you can’t visit a foreign country or meet native speakers, try watching English-language movies or TV shows, both actively and as background noise while carrying out other tasks.

Set small goals

Setting small, achievable goals makes revisiting a language less overwhelming, allowing you to see progress quickly and boost your confidence. By focusing on simple tasks, like learning a few new words each day, you gradually rebuild your language skills without feeling discouraged.

How to go back to learning a language

First, you need to refresh your previous knowledge. You can start by reading through any previous notes you have, even if they date back to your time at school. If you no longer have any of your old workbooks, you can watch some videos online, download a language app, or buy a basic beginner’s English language book to jog your memory.

If you feel like you can’t remember what you’ve already learned, then you should go all the way back to basics. This includes introducing yourself out loud, pretending to make small talk, practicing numbers, colors, and other beginner vocabulary, and then making basic sentences with a subject and verb in the present tense. If this is too simple, move on to more difficult tenses. You can practice tenses and other grammar using workbooks, language apps, YouTube videos, or other language platforms.

Retain words better with Word Trainer

Whenever you come across a new word or one that you have just remembered after a long while, you should add it to your Word Trainer on LiveXP. That way, you can practice it until you can recall it with ease. The Word Trainer is a free feature in the LiveXP app that uses a spaced-repetition algorithm, adjusting the frequency of word reviews based on the learner’s progress to improve long-term memory retention. This enhances language learning by helping you build vocabulary and remember it for longer.

Use a learning path

If you’re trying to get back on track with learning English, you could try a customized learning path, which provides a day-by-day learning plan for consistent practice. The Personalized Path from LiveXP creates a learning plan tailored to your goals. It adjusts based on your progress, focusing on the areas where you need the most help, whether it’s vocabulary, grammar, or conversation skills. This makes your language learning journey more efficient and suited to your personal goals.

Take lessons to refresh your knowledge

Taking English lessons with a tutor allows you to revisit key concepts, practice your skills, and fill in any gaps in your understanding. Whether you’re brushing up on grammar, vocabulary, or conversation, lessons can help reinforce what you’ve previously learned and keep your language skills sharp. With lessons on LiveXP, you can choose the lesson duration and number of lessons per week in order to find the right balance for you, whether you want to dip your toes in the water or take the plunge into fluency. Don’t hesitate to increase the number or duration of lessons as you progress to build intensity and accelerate your learning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, taking up language learning again after a long break can be challenging due to forgotten vocabulary, rusty grammar, and reduced fluency. To overcome this, start with review sessions, where you go over the basics of grammar and vocabulary or read through your old lesson notes. Next, use language apps for daily practice and engage in immersive activities like watching TV shows or conversing with native speakers. Finally, make sure to have reasonable expectations. Set small, easy-to-achieve goals to build your confidence. Small successes keep you motivated and, in turn, make the larger goal of fluency more attainable over time.