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Learning Off By Heart Techniques?

So, I've got a large amount of material to learn off by heart for Latin. I'm talking about 20 A4 pages worth.

In the past year, we've been through the material, learning sections off by heart, twice. I'm okay with learning say, three pages, but what techniques would you use to learn such a large amount in about five days?

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Reply 1

Lets get close...

condense each page down......

Reply 2

SylverStrike

ibbibeast2

condense each page down......

No, you see, I mean learning each page as it is, word for word. We have to know the exact translation of a book, and every correct word gets a mark.

If I could condense it down, I would, believe you me! :p:

Reply 3

MSB

Write it out, over and over and over.

Reply 4

figureeight

Yup I'm in the same situation. I can just about muster 20 lines of poetry a day, before I either get bored or just can't do it any more.

Read through a couple of lines, go back and write them from memory, or looking at the latin (because you'll be given it in the exam). Then, do more lines, then recite them again, etc. It's pretty effective.

Reply 5

SylverStrike

Okay, thanks for the advice guys. Writing it down's a very good idea.

Reply 6

imomo16

Read a page through a few times, out loud. Cover it, write it, check it. Read through a few more times, write it out twice. Repeat for however many pages you've got to learn. Works every time for me.
Also if your learning whole A4 pages you might want to break each page into three or so blocks to make it easier.

Reply 7

SylverStrike

imomo16

Yeah, I might use the paragraphing that's already been set out so it isn't too much at once.

Thanks for the advice!

Reply 8

lotusx

SylverStrike

No, you see, I mean learning each page as it is, word for word. We have to know the exact translation of a book, and every correct word gets a mark.

i had to do this last year for virgil...god, it was evil. i basically read it aloud twice, wrote down what i could remember, then repeated it about 5 times.
and did this for all my sheets. do you have sheets where the latin and english are written together so you can see what each latin word means? [does that make sense?]

Reply 9

Bubble188

Im doing the same- learning ovid poems word for word and im finding it really difficult! I was writing them out over and over again but it takes so long!

Reply 10

hippobluecampe

Record yourself and listen to it many times!

Reply 11

frogout

Cover up the first bit, memorise it and say it out loud, cover up the second bit, memorise it then say the first bit and then the second bit, memorise the third bit etc
everytime you make a mistake saying it out, go back to the beginning.

However, you end up knowing the beginning really well and not knowing the end all that well, but it's worked for me like all my life haha!

Reply 12

turgon

I cant believe I m saying this but mind maps help sometimes, especially when you're trying to condense everything.
Also, try to make punishments for yourself if you don't memorise it, such as sit ups/push ups, or reward yourself if you do (chocolate!).

Reply 13

username165864

Everyone has their own learning style. When I did French, all I did was read through everything (and nothing else!)

Reply 14

andre_287

If you were able to understand latin you would not have to learn 20 pages of material.

Reply 15

jacy_babi

read it in your head first once, read it out loud once, then memorise it by recalling it and checking.

Reply 16

ofolion

Get microsoft sam to read it to you over and over and over and over etc.

Reply 17

lotusx

andre_287

If you were able to understand latin you would not have to learn 20 pages of material.

what's easier to do, LEARN a language in 5 days or memorise the material?
besides, if what the OP has to learn is anything like what I had to learn, you have to memorise it because the language is flowery and the metaphors confusing. :smile:

Reply 18

Sophie Lutanah

Yeah, I'm in a similar situation! Though, I only have to learn a page of French.

When it's a writing or spelling test, I find that writing it out a million times works well, but I this is for a speaking test and I don't know what to do!! Any suggestions?

Reply 19

Idahosa

Read every 2 lines and then read without looking and read the other 2 lines and say it without looking and keep on doing it with the other words and say without looking and do it with all the other words and before you know it it would be pizzy lemon sqeasy that is what I done cause in my school we had a poem and we had to memorise it and my brother is having a lot of trouble and I'm helping him not just him my 3 brother and happily they are finally getting I already know my poem not just any poem a Scottish poem