Try it out! Phrasal verbs for learning

Mark Fletcher, a trainer specializing in what he calls "brain-friendly learning", has teamed up with Spotlight language editor Joanna Westcombe to explain what brings about better learning. They go over what scientists say your brain needs and does, and even bring up the theory of multiple intelligences (see Spotlight 10/2010). Some of their very useful tips for learning English include:

• Look at a field of words, then write them down from memory.
• Think through a new word by thinking back to the context you learned it in and making up a mind map.
• Try out something different, like thinking up an unusual context for a word.
• Keep track of your reading in Spotlight by crossing off articles in the table of contents.
• Also cut down the learning effort by getting organized.

You'll find many more practical ideas that the authors have come up with when you go through the article. Also check out Jo's Try It Out archives online, an absolute treasure chest of class activities for teachers.

We can't do without our "right brain", the more intuitive side, in learning a language, but our "left brain" helps us analyze things. Use the "left brain" now, as you look through these lines: How many phrasal verbs can you make out? You can probably figure out what they mean in context. We'll look into how phrasal verbs work in sentences in this week's exercise on the next page.

Anne Hodgson