Learn Spanish – Mind Tools
March 13, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · 1 Comment
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Right now I’m in search mode for the best of the best when it come to tool and techniques for learning a new language for my current project. Here are a few tools from Mind Tools which is always a good site to start with. Using the Tools: Foreign languages are the ideal subject area for the use of memory techniques. Learning vocabulary is often a matter of associating a meaningless collection of syllables with a word in your own language. Traditionally people have associated these words by repetition – by saying the word in their own language and the foreign language time and time and time and time again. You can improve on this tedious way of learning by using three good techniques: |
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1. Using Mnemonics to link words For example, in learning English/French vocabulary:
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This technique was formalized by Dr. Michael Gruneberg, and is known as the ‘LinkWord’ technique. He has produced language books (an example is German by Association) in many language pairs to help students acquire the basic vocabulary needed to get by in the language (usually about 1000 words). It is claimed that using this technique this basic vocabulary can be learned in just 10 hours.
2. The Town Language Mnemonic
This is a very elegant, effective mnemonic that fuses a sophisticated variant of the Roman Room system with the system described above
This depends on the fact that the basic vocabulary of a language relates to everyday things: things that you can usually find in a city, town or village. To use the technique, choose a town that you are very familiar with. Use objects within that place as the cues to recall the images that link to foreign words.
Nouns in the town:
Nouns should be associated to the most relevant locations: for example, the image coding the foreign word for book could be associated with a book on a shelf in the library. You could associate the word for bread with an image of a loaf in a baker’s shop. Words for vegetables could be associated with parts of a display outside a greengrocer’s. Perhaps there is a farm just outside the town that allows all the animal name associations to be made.
Adjectives in the park:
Adjectives can be associated with a garden or park within the town: words such as green, smelly, bright, small, cold, etc. can be easily related to objects in a park. Perhaps there is a pond there, or a small wood, or perhaps people with different characteristics are walking around.
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Verbs in the sports center:
Remembering Genders |
Many Languages, many towns
Another elegant spin-off of the technique comes when learning several languages: normally this can cause confusion. With the town mnemonic, all you need do is choose a different city, town or village for each language to be learned. Ideally this might be in the relevant country. Practically, however, you might just decide to use a local town with the appropriate foreign flavor.
3. The hundred most common words
Tony Buzan, in his book ‘Using your Memory’, points out that just 100 words comprise 50% of all words used in conversation in a language. Learning this core 100 words gets you a long way towards being able to speak in that language, albeit at a basic level. The 100 basic words used in conversation are shown below:
| 1. A,an | 2. After | 3. Again | 4. All | 5. Almost |
| 6. Also | 7. Always | 8. And | 9. Because | 10. Before |
| 11. Big | 12. But | 13. (I) can | 14. (I) come | 15. Either/or |
| 16. (I) find | 17. First | 18. For | 19. Friend | 20. From |
| 21. (I) go | 22. Good | 23. Good-bye | 24. Happy | 25. (I) have |
| 26. He | 27. Hello | 28. Here | 29. How | 30. I |
| 31. (I) am | 32. If | 33. In | 34. (I) know | 35. Last |
| 36. (I) like | 37. Little | 38. (I) love | 39. (I) make | 40. Many |
| 41. One | 42. More | 43. Most | 44. Much | 45. My |
| 46. New | 47. No | 48. Not | 49. Now | 50. Of |
| 51. Often | 52. On | 53. One | 54. Only | 55. Or |
| 56. Other | 57. Our | 58. Out | 59. Over | 60. People |
| 61. Place | 62. Please | 63. Same | 64. (I) see | 65. She |
| 66. So | 67. Some | 68. Sometimes | 69. Still | 70. Such |
| 71. (I) tell | 72. Thank you | 73. That | 74. The | 75. Their |
| 76. Them | 77. Then | 78. There is | 79. They | 80. Thing |
| 81. (I) think | 82. This | 83. Time | 84. To | 85. Under |
| 86. Up | 87. Us | 88. (I) use | 89. Very | 90. We |
| 91. What | 92. When | 93. Where | 94. Which | 95. Who |
| 96. Why | 97. With | 98. Yes | 99. You | 100. Your |
(Extract reproduced from Use Your Memory by Tony Buzan with the permission of BBC Worldwide Limited, © Tony Buzan)
Summary
The three approaches to learning foreign languages shown here can be very effective. They help to point out:
- the most important words to learn
- show how to link words in your own language to words in a foreign language, and
- show how to structure recall of the language through use of the town mnemonic.
4 Hours Sleep Project – 1 Month – Final
March 8, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · 2 Comments
The final result of training myself to sleep 4 hours like Dean Karnazes has been so much better than I could have ever expected. After really sticking to the training through February and testing the progress every Friday night, I’ve taken the last few days to start to zero in on the new ideal sleep time. I’m excited to report that I’ve been really happy with right about 5 hours at night from midnight to 5 am. Then usually one 20-35 minute nap again before starting work or in the afternoon. The naps are the best part! I almost always wake up feeling totally juiced!
It continues to amaze me how much less is necessary when the quality is that much better.
I seem to have just as much energy as I ever had, if not more. Especially with training, working out, and in general. The human body’s ability to adapt is unbelievable, and usually ignored and accepted as is. For me, what works and what’s good, usually isn’t good enough and I want to improve it.
On that note, I’ve already started my next self-training experiment. For this month I’m shifting my focus, attention and energy into immersing myself into learning Spanish. I can stumble through understanding and (barely) speaking it right now. And it’s my intention to accelerate that process as much I possibly can through this month by finding the best of the best when it comes to learning, developing, and engaging myself in the process of being fluent in Spanish. Hey, with 3.5 extra hours every day now, I’ll even have more time to work with.
More on this later and my initial strategies and thoughts.
About my 4 Hour Sleep Project
Your Body Believes Every Word You Say
March 6, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
Excerpt from Your Body Believes Every Word You Say. A truly amazing book.
Scientists in a variety of interdisciplinary fields have concluded that there is one instrument in existence with the capability of advancing civilization beyond our present-day expectations. To date, this instrument has astounded owners by its broad range of innovative uses. Because it has tremendous value to society, there is a real desire to extend its life-span and enhance its daily operating ability. To maximize the potential of this instrument has become a primary concern of this decade.
Owners across the nation are faced with a common problem. This instrument does not come with Maintenance instructions. Through years of ongoing experimentation, however, we have discovered that each owner must explore the available options and then create his or her own Operating Manual. Each owner is uniquely equipped to create this manual because each owner is the instrument referred to.
This instrument is of course, the human being. We must learn how to care for the instrument if we are to maximize its potential and bring joy to its owners. Understanding mind/body communication is key. Being human is a wonder gift!
The mind communicates with the body through language, thought, visual images, and metaphor. Seedthoughts program the body and emotions for either illness or wellness. The body talks back through physical sensations. The mind then gives these sensations meaning, providing information which stimulates more communications. This system operates continuously and automatically. A conscious mind can intervene and alter the system, for better or worse. Disease is part of the healing process.
Human bodies are composed of billions of cells which perform a vast array of electrical, mechanical and chemical functions. The body knows very well what it is doing. It functions by being in communication with each of its parts. Body machinery continuously operates without our conscious assistance. Organs and systems such as the digestive system communicate constantly without or supervision.
Consider your body as analogous to the hardware of the personal computer. The body is the machine itself, However, something beyond the hardware (the body) is needed for the machine to operate: the software. To use my PC for writing I need the software that tells the computer what to do. As a human being you have some software built into your system, like the operating system of the computer. It’s called the unconscious mind. You also have software that you generate by your thoughts, images, and words. Through your consciousness, you continuously program yourself throughout your life.
A properly programmed computer can perform functions unimaginable just 20 years ago. When programmed improperly, however, it will still malfunction. Similarly, an improperly programmed human mind causes the human system to malfunction. But properly programmed and maintained, you can perform beyond what was imaginable to most people 20 years ago. Witness the feats of speed, stamina, endurance, and flexibility performed during the Olympic Games.
Abundance – Life Love Success Money
March 3, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · 2 Comments
“You can only share when you have too much”
The true power of this quote is behind the scenes in the deeper structure of the idea. What the heck does that mean Ryan?
It means that there are some pieces that are assumed to be true, yet ambiguous and left to the listener to decide and fill in the blanks.
- You have something to share.
- That something is worth sharing.
- There is a source of what you have to share (ie. internal source from you, or given to you by some external source)
- You decide exactly at which point you have “too much”
Notice how #4 almost always leads to several other powerful effects:
- You let go of attachment to that which you have to share
- You relax, feel good and enjoy
- You naturally and freely give it to others
- It is returned to you many times greater than the amount you originally shared
- You now have much more than before, and much more to share
Can you think of an area that this doesn’t apply?
Think about it, it even applies to negative stuff like complaining, frustration, victim status.
This is how the world works. If you have “too much” love, success, money, experience, you’ll naturally give it away. You can’t not share it. Right?
Challenge:
See if you can find 3 areas in your life where you “had it up to here”, “can’t stand it any more”, “had enough” and look at all the ways that the same thing gets returned to you.
Now, find 3 areas where you actually have more than you might have thought and see if you can find the point where you reach “too much” and see what happens.
Glucose – The Fuel Of Willpower?
March 1, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
A recent study suggests that Glucose can have a significant impact on the ability for self-control, emotion regulation, & attention control. Would be really good to know for when you’re in the hot seat to perform on any level, job, sport, personal, relational, etc. This is like fuel for excellence in decision making. Fascinating that one round of self-control significantly lowered blood glucose levels, making the following decisions more and more difficult. Wow.
The present work suggests that self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source. Laboratory tests of self-control (i.e., the Stroop task, thought suppression, emotion regulation, attention control) and of social behaviors (i.e., helping behavior, coping with thoughts of death, stifling prejudice during an interracial interaction) showed that (a) acts of self-control reduced blood glucose levels, (b) low levels of blood glucose after an initial self-control task predicted poor performance on a subsequent self-control task, and (c) initial acts of self-control impaired performance on subsequent self-control tasks, but consuming a glucose drink eliminated these impairments. Self-control requires a certain amount of glucose to operate unimpaired. A single act of self-control causes glucose to drop below optimal levels, thereby impairing subsequent attempts at self-control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
From APAOnline
4 Hours Sleep Project – Day 28
March 1, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
I originally started this experiment with the idea of trying it out for one month to experiment. Trying to give up all pre-conceived beliefs, standards, “research”, opinions, etc. And with the last few days approaching, I’m looking back at just how well the basic approach worked. Actually, I really want to continue to experiment with it using different strategies and technologies to keep improving.
For example I’ve really been trying to use the Neuro-Programmer program for sleeping and have even used it for meditation a couple times. I still don’t know if I’m completely sold on it yet. But I will tell you this, I took a nap today after a good strength workout and put on a track that is for “accelerated regeneration & Human Growth Hormone” and ended up taking only a 17 min nap feeling just as good as I do with a typical 30 – 40 min nap. Now that’s cool.
What do you think about the effects of specific sound waves on the brain and inducing specific states? I’m not completely sold but I do know the huge impact that sound has on physiology while you’re awake, just think music. You can change your mental state and physiology radically by just changing songs or radio stations. In other words, I feel like I have a lot more experimenting to go with the neuro programmer. I’m also trying to approach the company to sponsor this project and even carry it over in to performance areas such as when my racing season starts again, maybe even training who knows?
I also want to continue to work with the environment of where and when I sleep. For example, by far the hardest time of the day is between 4am and 6am, but once the sun comes up it’s totally different. So I’ve really been creative on how to maximize the 4-6am time. Instead of just reading, I’ll read while engaging my physiology at the same time such as a medicine ball or physical therapy balance board. Which, by the way, has actually helped me read better and retain more, Definitely worth checking out. Or starting out the morning with some tasks that are particularly inspiring and motiving for me. It’s all about momentum and having a purpose. Once the momentum is there, it’s fantastic. It’s definitely given me tons of reason to take a lot of action in towards my dream goals!
It continues to amuse me as so many people respond to my experiment automatically with aversion and the knee jerk reply “that’s crazy”. And then I get to have fun challenging their automatically programmed beliefs asking, “Have you ever considered that you could sleep less, have more time to live, and still feel just as energetic?” …..ummmm No. There’s only one way to know for sure.
About my 4 Hour Sleep Project
Floyd Landis – Train The Hardest & The Most To Win
February 25, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
After reading the article on Dean Karnazes that inspired me to experiment with 4 hour sleep training and the limits of human performance and training, I also found an incredible article on Floyd Landis. This is before the doping scandal, but paints an amazing picture of what it takes to race on that level. Sounds like he knows how to direct his energy, attention, and power in a distorted yet almost unbelievable direction. One can, almost feel his ability to overcome limits and pain.
From Outside Magazine
“Everybody wants to say, ‘I couldn’t win because of this or that,’ ” he says. “To my way of thinking, it doesn’t matter if your goddamn head fell off or your legs exploded. If you didn’t make it, you didn’t make it. One excuse is as good as another.”
Landis takes a sip and leans forward in his chair. “There’s only one rule: The guy who trains the hardest, the most, wins. Period. Because you won’t die. Even though you feel like you’ll die, you don’t actually die. Like when you’re training, you can always do one more. Always. As tired as you might think you are, you can always, always do one more.”
Z-Man rouses, concerned. “I hope some 16-year-old doesn’t read this and then go kill himself on the bike,” he says.
“That was what I did,” Landis says, not missing a beat. “I read something like that, and I trained like that, and, yeah, I was pretty damn depressed for a while. Then it got better.”
So there’s no such thing as overtraining?
“If you overtrained, it means that you didn’t train hard enough to handle that level of training,” Landis says, his fingertip rapping the table for emphasis. “So you weren’t overtrained; you were actually undertrained to begin with. So there’s the rule again: The guy who trains the hardest, the most, wins.”
“I saw firsthand what Lance did, and it was superhuman,” he continues. “I saw how his system worked. It’s not necessary for me to be like Lance in every way. But there are some things that I want to take from that and use.”
For instance?
“His boldness at taking charge of things. His willingness to say, This is what I want, and I’m going to take it. It’s very hard to compete against that.”