Keep new words apart from the task

When you meet new words in an assignment or reading, mark them, finish the task first, and then learn the ones that matter in a short separate block. Stopping at every word breaks your thinking and makes the task longer.

This keeps the subject work moving and still gives the language a proper turn.

Why do lookups slow the task down?

Each lookup pulls you out of the idea you were building. You find the meaning, then try to remember where you were, and the thread is gone.

If you do this twenty times in a page, the task can take far longer than it needs to, and you end up tired without having learned the subject.

Try this: mark and return

Use it with any reading or writing task, at a desk or a mamak table.

1. Set a timer for the task, such as twenty-five minutes of reading or writing.
2. When you meet an unknown word, guess its meaning from the sentence and underline it.
3. Look it up only if you cannot follow the main point without it.
4. When the timer ends, take a short break.
5. Return to your underlined words and pick the ones to learn.

The break matters. A few minutes away can show you which words you really need.

Which words are worth learning now?

Sort the underlined words into three groups. Write them in three columns on one page.

• Needed now. Words in the task question or marking guide, or words you will have to use in your answer.
• Needed this term. Terms that keep coming up in lectures and readings.
• Rare. Words you saw once. Leave these.

Learn only the first two groups. Five to eight words is a practical list for one session.

How do I learn the words without losing the task?

Do a separate language block of about fifteen to twenty minutes. For each word, write it, its meaning in your own language if that helps, and a short sentence from your subject.

Then say each sentence aloud once. Come back to the list after a day. It is more useful to see a word in two or three different sentences than to copy a long definition.

For a wider plan that includes both, see planning learning when the teaching language is not yours.

What if I keep rereading the same paragraph?

If the problem is not one word but a whole paragraph that will not sink in, set a purpose before you read again. Our guide on rereading without a clear goal shows how.

When your head is full of lists, write everything down on the mind unload board, then choose one next step.

When to ask for help

If language effort leaves you worn out, or you feel discouraged for days, it is fine to talk to your lecturer, a language support centre, a counsellor or a doctor. Our support page lists where to start.

A reset when your head is full

After a long block, close the books and sit for a few minutes. Let your eyes rest on one spot, feel your breath and let words fade into the background.

If you would like a voice to follow, Sadhguru’s free seven-minute guided meditation in the Miracle of Mind app is an optional way to reset before the next block. Read more about focus and attention or visit our revision and learning guides.