This is a simple method that you can use to learn new words. To apply this method you need to be in a country where people speak your target language.
This learning strategy is based on these principles:
- The memory would recall and retain better words when these are associated with images and smell and when you learn a cluster of words that belong to the same category
- You can easily repeat many times the exercise during your daily shopping
An example of how to create an association between an image and a word
Learning does not necessarily mean using a book and a pen. Sometimes being fully engaged in some activity is the best way to learn something. To learn and memorize German words for fruit and vegetables I simply went to the closest supermarket and carefully browsed the section where these goods are displayed. Each fruit and vegetable is tagged with its name and one can easily associate the word with its image and its smell. Every time you go shopping for food you can repeat the exercise to reinforce vocabulary retention in your memory.
This exercise can be actually applied to learn also words from other categories such as clothes, furniture, and so on. I find more efficient to memorize a group of words belonging to the same category together instead of mixing words from several categories. Therefore, I recommend finding specialized shops to browse instead of shops that sell a bit of everything.