Mnemonic tricks: the clever method that helps strengthen our memories

Who doesn’t remember some wordplay a great teacher taught you years ago? Personally, I still know the order of the planets in the solar system — though the last one isn’t considered a “planet” anymore, right?

(This should be read with a Spanish accent as I was at school in Buenos Aires. Syllable "TI" stands for "Tierra"). MEVETI-MAJUSA-URNEPLU.

Apparently, this technique has fallen out of use, but it sure has given great results!

Mnemonic techniques are a particularly valuable tool when it comes to studying, especially science. Since scientific words are far removed from everyday life, remembering certain terms can be tricky… medical students know this better than anyone! Some authors even point out that self-esteem gets a boost when you can confidently recite something your mind recalls effortlessly thanks to a mnemonic rule—those never fail!

Great for memorizing, not for understanding That said, from a teaching perspective, mnemonic rules are useful for memorizing information, not necessarily for understanding it. For instance, even today, if you asked me to list the planets in order, I could do it without hesitation—and get it right, of course! But if you wanted me to describe the characteristics of each planet, I’d have to shelter under an “it wasn’t part of the curriculum” or “my teacher never taught me how to remember that long-term.”

The truth is, we can’t remember everything forever—our brains naturally filter out what we consider important. Chances are, neither my teacher nor the curriculum saw the characteristics of the planets as essential as their names. That’s probably why she took the time to come up with that sticky phrase and teach it to us in class. And that’s no small thing—studies show that learning in groups makes these memory tricks even more effective. It’s likely that most of my old classmates still remember the mnemonic wordplay today.

One of the most remarkable things about mnemonic strategies is how well they work when learning a new language. Unlike in the so-called “hard sciences,” language learners are immersed in familiar situations—what’s new to their brains are the words and structures themselves, whether spoken or written.

For example, imagine you’re traveling to Greece. Almost fifty years ago, an author pointed out that a new word will stick in your memory if its sound or spelling reminds you of something familiar—and, even more importantly, if you picture that familiar thing interacting with the true meaning of the phrase. So, you’re off to Greece and want to learn how to say “good morning,” “please,” and “thank you.” How do you imagine the sound kalimera meaning “good morning”? And how might you picture parakaló meaning “please,” “thank you,” or even “you’re welcome”? Using your imagination in this way strengthens the connections between your neurons!

As I pointed out earlier, this technique works beautifully when practiced in groups, but it can be just as powerful on your own. That teacher inspired me to create my own mnemonic tools—songs, drawings, even movements. For example, I always spell the tricky Spanish word decisión correctly because I tell myself, “first comes ‘c’ and then ‘s,’ just like in the alphabet.”

Manage learning your way How can you remember how to spell “mnemo”? Maybe with a visual strategy, or a motor one. I remember it because the first two letters follow alphabetical order, but maybe you remember it better by putting the “M” from “mommy” in front of the name of the famous little orange fish. Anything goes when it comes to helping our brain (and our self-esteem) strengthen memory, save time, and remember for longer.

If you liked to read this article as it was published in Argentinean newspaper Todo Noticias, click on this link https://tn.com.ar/salud/familia/2024/04/...