Advantages of a Having Bad Memory

How to learn language with a terrible memory

What if I told you that having a poor memory can actually make you a better language learner?

We all want to have better memories, and ability to memorize and learn language do improve the more we practice. Likewise, the more we practice, the more experience we obtain using the language in speech and writing – we become better language learners because we have to dedicate so many hours just get to a basic level.

Those thousands of hours it takes to achieve fluency make us awesome language learners because we learn the minute details of the language that we wouldn’t otherwise notice – had we been able to memorize the vocabulary, grammar, and sentences immediately.

The Details

Learning a language is about far more than just memorization and regurgitation. If it weren’t we’d all speak the same, and we’d never accomplish anything. We need language to be a constantly evolving entity because we are. We need to understand language at a cellular level, as well as holistically because it exists at both. From phonemes to novels, we practice language – experiment with language – and that level of complexity can only be understood through years of exposure to the language in its various forms.

The Usage

This is precisely why we can’t learn to “just speak” another language.

Sure, you could.

But you wouldn’t be able to use the language well and you wouldn’t actually know the language. So much of language exists within the writing system, and without at least a rudimentary understanding of a language’s literature, you’ll stumble through its usage.

The Gift

Your terrible memory isn’t a detriment to your learning. It’s the reason you’re going to excel in your abilities to speak and write in that language. It’s an opportunity to acquaint yourself with the language in a way only you can because only you learn the way you do. It’s your process, your way, your version of this beautiful language that your about to become a part of.

Book recommendations are books I’ve read that I felt drawn to share with you as I created this blog post. These are affiliate links from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases❤