Topic 5: Memorising Foreign Words - Tutorial 6

10 Spanish Words to Memorize

For your first exercise in applying the Substitute Word system to remembering foreign vocabulary, you are going to memorise the following Spanish words and their English translations:

Spanish Vocabulary List

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
marido	mah-ree-dhoa	husband
corbata	kor-bah-tah	tie
barca	bahr-kah	boat
lago	lah-goa	lake
helado	ay-lah-dhoa	ice cream
pluma	ploo-mah	pen
carpeta	kahr-pay-tah	file
bata	bah-tah	dressing gown
resaca	ray-ssah-kah	hangover
maleta	mah-lay-tah	suitcase

Memory Associations

marido

husband

Substitute: "marry door"

Picture a bridegroom standing at the aisle next to a front door dressed in a wedding gown and veil

corbata

tie

Substitute: "core batter"

An apple core taking guard at the wicket on a cricket field, wearing a huge, horribly spotted tie

barca

boat

Substitute: "bark"

A boat that is barking - the hull opening and shutting like a dog's mouth as it cruises down a river

lago

lake

Substitute: "lager"

Swimming in a lake of lager, swallowing some and beginning to hiccough comically

helado

ice cream

Substitute: "hail a door"

Standing at a taxi rank eating a monstrous ice cream, hailing doors instead of taxis as they drive past

pluma

pen

Substitute: "plume"

Writing with a huge feather plume that tickles your nose and makes you sneeze

carpeta

file

Substitute: "carpet"

Walking on a carpet made entirely of files

bata

dressing gown

Substitute: "batter"

Wearing a dressing gown with pockets full of batter that overflows disgustingly onto the carpet

resaca

hangover

Substitute: "raise a car"

With a terrible hangover, lying under a car that's flattening you, having to raise the car to escape

maleta

suitcase

Substitute: "ma lay tar"

An elderly woman (ma) laying tar by pouring it out of your suitcase

Personalize Your Associations

As with all the Memory Master systems, if you prefer to use your own silly pictures rather than the ones suggested here, then so much the better. Remember that suggesting the pictures to you does take away some of your Initial Awareness.

In all the above examples, the Substitute Words and Phrases suggested have been based on the pronunciations of the Spanish words rather than the actual spelling. Remember that if you were seriously trying to learn a specific foreign language you would be aware of the basic sounds and letters of that language.

If you read through the preceding text without really concentrating on seeing the suggested pictures, or pictures you thought of yourself, then go back and do it right now. Once you have really tried to visualise the ludicrous pictures, you will know all ten Spanish words and their English equivalents.