While the psychological jargon escaped me at the time, I nonetheless employed the concepts associated with memory theory.
For example, encoding took place when I was able to perceive a piece of information; there were many instances during which meanings or sounds were beyond my grasp. Retaining or storing data was largely due to my motivation and efforts to capture the exchange. Using a tangible item to which I could later refer aided me in retrieving the unwritten information. That is to say, upon reflection of my notes and in a calm environment I was able to recreate the context in which the conversation took place. This was particularly helpful in learning words or phrases that did not immediately resonate. Furthermore, connecting an otherwise insignificant and isolated set of data with personal and meaningful experiences imprinted the knowledge upon my memory. To this day, when I review what I call my language log, I easily recollect specific occurrences that took place when I learned a particular word, phrase, or concept. For example, there is an entry related to plumbing that immediately reminds me of a leaky sink which a friend and I unsuccessfully attempted to fix. Memory theory states that meaningful data is more likely to be retained than insignificant information; at the time I was implementing such advice in a mainly intuitive manner.
The next step in moving target information from short-term to long-term memory was manipulating it in appropriate, everyday interactions. In other words, building...
I felt encouraged when what I expressed was intelligible to those around me, which naturally led me to use the information more often. This rehearsal and consequent positive reinforcement cemented newly acquired knowledge into my long-term memory. I retrieve that information quite often as I review my language log on a regular basis.
There were two impressive insights I gained from this experience. First, stressful situations inhibited my ability to learn new information and to retrieve previously mastered knowledge. This personal experience concurs with the findings of memory research. I found myself unable to produce comprehensible communication when I was under stress. it's humorous as I regularly and jokingly referred to myself in those instances as a fumbling caveperson. Secondly, I noticed that visual imagery, or mental pictures, greatly increased my ability to retrieve information. By mentally reliving the experience, I was subsequently apt to remember the 'lost' word or phrase. Living abroad for a semester irrevocably expanded my cultural horizons. While I am forever changed in this manner, I have also developed a more profound appreciation of psychology, specifically the awesome principles of memory and its effects on learning.
References
Myers, David (2001). Psychology, 6th edition. New York: Worth Publishers.
