Level up your vocabulary with the Iversen Method!

Thanks for watching!

Note: there's no real need for the special spreadsheet, but it does provide some motivation for some students. Here's the link, as promised:

Here's a link to Mr. Iversen's own explanation of the process:

Teachers, remind your students that the benefit is lost if they write the translations one word at a time. The point is to hold all six words in their mind at once. It works for the same reason that the name game in which you have to say the name of every person that went before you works. Single items are forgotten immediately, but multiple items are remembered because the brain must actively hold them for just a few more seconds.

[Marie-ewhs]

Thanks a lot! I'm learning russian, and I think this will be useful. I'm gonna print a handful of these and make some for my fellow russian learners as well. Большое спасибо!!

[mikewellwood]

I think in some of his explanations on the HTLAL forum, he suggests that the delay in writing the words down allows the words to go from short-term memory into long-term memory. Whether that is exactly how short & long-term memory works, I don't know if we really know that, but it seems to be a useful model to use.


In any case, the method does seem to work, although it may not suit everyone. I do like the method, but I don't like using loose sheets of paper, which I think Iversen does. However, it can fairly easily be adapted to a notebook. I have used this method quite a bit in the past, and think I will try it again for a new language I'm considering.


I also quite like the Goldlist method in theory, but Iversen's method is simpler, and perhaps more practical for most people.
I think I'm going to use a hardback A5 notebook for my next trial of Wordlists, which is definitely more portable than the A4 notebook that David James recommends for Goldlist (although at a pinch, you could use an A5 notebook for Goldlist as well, although you'd probably have to adapt it slightly.

[AnthonyLauder]

I think you explained this really well. I wonder if it can be combined with the Goldlist method, where those that you have struggled with the most are added to a later list, and so on.

[darksidegirl]

Muy bueno, Ruben. Thanks a lot for this

[pingoleonfernandez]

The recognition problem with flahscards occurs even with comeplete and relatively long sentences. I noticed that when I was using Anki. I would start my Anki session and as soon as the beginning of a sentence I already know appeared on screen, I was able to say it out loud in my target language but in a robotic manner, not really thinking of it or visualizing the situation described by the sentence.

[siafulinux]

This looks like a very good technique! Thank you for sharing.

[SKEptic-mgdd]

You did QUITE well and I RATHER like this method.

[elietrinidad]

Your Pronunciation its very good In Spanish

[StewartLikesYoutube]

I was trying this today and I'm just curious about two things. So you write First 6 of L2, Translate those 6 to L1, Write Second 6 of L2, Translate Second 6 to L1, Write Third 6 of L2, translate third 6 to L1, and THEN you go back to first 6 and translate from L1 back into L2. Right? Have you tried a list longer than 18 at a time per session?

[shohinidutta]

This method is easier that the Goldlist method... Goldlist method really confuses me..

[LionSleepKing]

I must say, i dislike this method. I mean if u need to learn vocabs fast, quick n dirty for ur exame, then go for it.
Imo, that s where u start developing ur foreign accent.
Since there s no grammar and no audio involved.
I recommend using anki(electronic flashcards).
Depending on ur leving sentence cards over vocab cards(if u use vocab cards, get example sentence/s).
Use Audio, native audio's the best.
If u only want to pass the ur class/test, then don t follow my advice, but the video instead and immerse s bit in a topic of ur choice.

[Tony]

Bastante doesn't mean "enough" it means "a lot"
Suficiente means "enough"