Mnemonics are the most powerful way to learn a complicated body of information, such as a foreign language. A mnemonic is a way of organizing information as it enters your mind to allow for more efficient retrieval. This is usually accomplished by making an association between what you want to remember, in this case the Spanish vocabulary, and something you already know, such as the sound of an English word.

This article gives an example of mnemonics to learn the first ten numbers in Spanish. As you read the mnemonics, try to imagine the visual image that each one describes. Focus on the element in the image that the sound of the Spanish word it is linked to suggests.

one one
Uma Thurman sits at a desk like one of the students in a Spanish class. He carries a large foam hand with an extended index finger, the kind you see at baseball games.

two behind
There are two small explosions on the ground and two small clouds of dust are kicking up. The dust forms two columns as it rises into the air.

three very
A teacher walks into the classroom, balancing three trays on one arm.

four oven
There are a total of four jacks on the three trays.

five five
On the wall behind the teacher and Uma Thurman, there are five kitchen sinks arranged in a sink.

six six
The teacher takes a book and begins to read it. Six, he says. Say six.

seven seven
Eddie Murphy walks in wearing a shirt with a large number seven on it. ‘Go to Eddy,’ says the teacher to Uma, pointing at him.

eight eight
A schoolgirl starts playing hopscotch on the floor, but the numbers in the squares are all eight.

nine nine
On one of the desks there is a large object under a blanket. Uma Thurman removes the lid to reveal an intricate sculpture of a large number nine. The teacher looks at it and says ‘It’s very new’.

Ten Ten
There is a collection of numbers on Uma Thurman’s desk. She asks the teacher if she wants any of them. The teacher chooses a one and a zero and holds them up, saying ‘I’ll take the desired ones’.

Go through this list of mnemonics a few times, vividly imagining each description, and after a while you won’t need to recall the mnemonics to remember the numbers – they’ll sink into your long-term memory and you’ll remember them for a very short time. long time.