Travel Problems

Abstract

Unit 4 suggested how you can find words you don’t know by comparing Spanish with other languages you already know (including English). But there will always be vocabulary which is more difficult to learn because it bears little relation to anything you are familiar with. This is most likely to occur in Spanish with words which come from Arabic: about ten per cent of words in Spanish have this origin. So what do you do? First decide whether you really want to learn the word or not — some vocabulary is so obscure that you may not meet it very often. Does the word have some significance for you in particular? If you are an enthusiastic chess-player for instance, you need the word ajedrez, (jugar al ajedrez to play chess) — if not, forget it. Suppose you do want to learn it, but find it difficult, try these strategies. Find some other word it resembles — what about the Spanish city, Jerez? Jot down the word you want to know on a post-it and stick it somewhere that you will notice it often — on a mirror or kitchen cupboard. Say it out loud as often as you can bear — put it to music if you are operatically inclined! Anything to transfer it from short to long-term memory.