Unlock Your English Memory: Fun Strategies That Stick (Part 2)

If you enjoyed Part 1 of this series (where we explored Switch It Up, Make It Visual, and Borrow From Your Favourite Shows), then you’re going to love what we have next.

This time, we’re diving into three more powerful memory tricks that will help you keep new English words in your head for longer. Sometimes, the best vocabulary strategies aren’t in a textbook—they’re the ones learners figure out and swear by. These three methods are practical, a little quirky, and incredibly effective when you use them consistently.

✨Let’s get into it!

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1. 🧠 Talk to Yourself (Yes, Really)

It might feel silly at first, but talking to yourself is one of the best ways to cement new vocabulary. Your brain processes language differently when you actually say it out loud, compared to just reading silently.

Instead of memorizing words in isolation, create mini-dialogues with yourself. Imagine you’re ordering at a restaurant, explaining your day, or teaching a friend a new word.

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For Example, instead of just thinking the word “reluctant,” try:

• Saying: “I’m reluctant to go outside today because it’s raining.”
• Acting it out while you do chores (while folding laundry, you can say: “I was reluctant to do this all week.”)
• Recording a quick 30-second voice memo using the new word, then listening back to catch pronunciation or fluency gaps.

👉 Insider Tip: Learners who consistently “self-talk” in English often pick up natural phrasing faster, because they stop translating in their head.

Things to Remember

• 🎤 Use your phone’s voice memo app and record short monologues.
• ⏱️ Keep it casual—just 1–2 minutes is enough to spark memory.
• 🤔 Ask yourself questions and answer them aloud to practice both speaking and listening.

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2. 🏛️ Method of Loci (The Memory Palace)

This is a classic memory technique used by memory champions—and it works beautifully for language learning. The idea is simple: you place words you want to remember inside an imaginary “palace” (like places around your home, maybe your bathroom or kitchen, or even your favourite café).

How it works:

• Picture a familiar place, like your bedroom.

Assign each new English word to an object in the room.

• Example: Put the word “serene” on your pillow, “chaotic” on your messy desk.

• Walk through the space in your mind, and the words will come alive.

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Let’s say, for example, you’re trying to remember the words “elated, cautious, and persistent.”

Imagine:

• You open your front door, and a friend jumps up and down—they’re elated.
• You walk to the kitchen and see someone carefully checking if the stove is on—they’re cautious.
• You head into the living room, and a character is still trying to solve a puzzle, no matter how many times they fail—they’re persistent.

👉 Insider Tip: The sillier and more exaggerated the mental image, the easier it is to recall the word.

Things to Remember

• 🏠 Start with 5–7 words at a time so you don’t overload your palace.
• 🎨 Make it vivid—use exaggeration, colour, or even humour to “glue” the words to objects.
• 🔁 Revisit your palace once a week to reinforce memory.

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3. 🔤 Use Acronyms (Shortcut for Recall)

An acronym is when you take the first letter of several words and put them together to make a new word. English speakers use them all the time—like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or ASAP (As Soon As Possible).

When you’re learning English, you can make your own acronyms to remember new vocabulary, grammar rules, or word groups. The trick is to make them personal and funny, so they stick in your memory.

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👉 Example 1: Let’s say you want to remember these adjectives: brave, lively, eager, strong, and talented. You could create the acronym BLEST (which even sounds like “blessed”). Every time you think of BLEST, those five words come back to you.

👉 Example 2: Acronyms also work for grammar. For example, to remember the main question words in English (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How), some learners use 5W1H. It looks short and simple, but your brain can quickly expand it into the full set of question words.

💡 Insider Tip: Don’t just stop at creating the acronym—say it out loud, write it in a sentence, and connect it to an image in your head. Some of these tips are meant to be used together. ***Hint, Hint***

Things To Remember

• 📝 Make acronyms personal so they stick (even silly ones work better than serious ones).
• 😂 Don’t be afraid to make them funny or strange—our brains love humour!
• 📚 Use acronyms when learning academic vocabulary, idioms, or even phrasal verbs.

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Final Thoughts

These methods—Talking to Yourself, Method of Loci, and Acronyms—aren’t just about memorizing words. They’re about weaving English into your life in ways that make sense for YOU.

👉 If you missed Part 1 (Switch It Up, Make It Visual, Borrow From Your Favourite Shows), be sure to check it out here.

Which of these memory hacks will you try first? Let us know in the comments.