Visualizing vocabulary
Memorize with AI
As I was reading Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It, I was reminded of a simple vocabulary memorizing method: Don’t use translation! Use images!
My old method
Yes, I did the image method before for Spanish clothing. Images are so much more fun than looking at boring translation words, but…
Creating all these images took so much time, and lazy Esther ended up doing the translation method.
Nowadays, since AI can do lots of artwork, I started to imagine, can lazy Esther just ask AI to create the drawing part for her?
My idea
This is my idea sketch. There are three simple ideas that come up to my mind.
Memory gallery: Whenever I input new vocab, AI will generate an image and store it in a flashcard library.
Matching Game: I can play a drag-and-drop matching game for the vocabulary in the memory gallery to review. (Note: But the most powerful memorizing method is still “recall” aka you look at the image and actively think of the word from your brain)
Practice with AI: I look like the photo, and try to describe the image with the vocabulary that I learn.
Today, I tested with Dalle3 to see if this idea is possible. I asked it to draw whatever word I learned from Harry Potter recently.
draw manzana (apple in Spanish):
draw fracasar (fail/break down in Spanish):
draw obtener (get/obtain in Spanish)
I was sooooo amazed by AI! I thought they wouldn’t understand how to describe abstract words, such as fail or obtain, but they do it so well that I don’t think I will ever forget these three words in my mind!
Prototype
After seeing the possibility, I built a quick prototype for the memory gallery I was imagining.
How convenient it be if AI could handle the drawing labor work for me?
Next question
“Learn a word” for me means that I can easily apply it verbally in the sentence. Now, I can recognize the word, but how can I get to that application stage? What are the traditional methods that are effective? Can I use AI to practice with me?
Appendix
Where I’m stuck at: If you have read The Bottleneck in Learning a New Language, you will also know that I struggle a lot with applying the past tense. It takes me 30 seconds to think and say it out loud. I was thinking of talking to an AI to practice, but I don’t think that’s enough “stretch” to practice different verbs. Incubating more ideas!