Improvise to activate the brain
All stimuli in the learning environment make part of the whole process. For full absorption, it's essencial to mix different activities to activate the two cerebral hemispheres.
Art and creation should make up every activity. If they are in the right place, they appear as different channels of input, development and activation of the studied material.
I create different experiences to activate the students’ senses and interest in the new topic.
For instance, outdoor lessons that trigger a lot of creativity. Creation brings pleasure and individual creative expression.
Learn, play and perform
Play with letters as much as possible! Age doesn’t matter.
With the youngest students (5-10 years old), we create engaging stories. With teenagers, we mix traditional learning materials with new experiences based on new vocabulary and grammar.
We begin studying a new chapter with a mini-performance. This unlocks the door to 'the new', and at the same time, links the context of the whole textbook.
Recently I've developed a new author course for adults and young people that provokes the interests and thinking of the learners.
They spent a lot of time performing on the stage, developing creative provocations, role-playing games and in-depth conversations and presentations.
Explore more to remember more
As to how not to give up quickly, learn your psychology and connect learning with other skills. Learning is about our brain activity and our psyche. If we know well their functions, we can remember much more.
During English classes, students need to acquire skills that help them in other subjects. For example, my students improve their communication skills with mini-performances on the stage.
Additionally, I suggest developing new interests by creating videos, exploring movies, singing song, choosing Netflix series and more.
Consider doing workshops on different subjects. It also improves team working skills.
Find more exciting ideas from Elena Stoycheva in the previous post about How to learn foreign languages quickly with suggestopedia, the Bulgarian discovery used globally.