Improve Your Memory Every Day (2015)

Memory Tasks

The purpose of this section is to help you test the new memory skills you have acquired. There are a variety of tasks that cover different sorts of memory and require different approaches. After describing each task, I have set out some ways in which you might attempt it. These are only suggestions. There is no right way to memorize, there is only the right way for you. Any method that works for you, no matter how eccentric it might seem to others, is OK because it works. In memory, results are all that count. Anything that helps you to attain 100 per cent accuracy and to retain important information over long periods of time, is a good method.

The tasks in this section are designed to challenge your new-found memory skills in numerous ways. There is no need to do them all in one go (in fact, such a rush of enthusiasm would do you very little good). Instead, you should take a measured approach and work at one task until you are really happy that you have learned the lessons it has to teach. Don’t be put off if the knowledge imparted by a particular task is not especially useful to you. The tests are there to train you in memory methods which, eventually, you will be able to apply to tasks that are of specific importance to your own life. Don’t try to memorize too quickly. Accuracy is the vital thing and speed will come in good time.

Don’t try to memorize too quickly.

When you are confident in your new abilities go to the Mammoth Memory Test to see just how well your memory works.

Never try to learn too much at once.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

The alphabet backwards

TIME: 3 minutes LEVEL: Easy

All you have to do is memorize the alphabet backwards. You may well have done this already when you were a kid, but can you do it right now without thinking? Probably not. Three minutes from now you’ll be able to do it again.

Instructions

1 Start by looking at the alphabet below in this unfamiliar guise.

2 Set the whole thing to a well-known tune, such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. If the tune doesn’t quite fit the letters, that’s a good thing because the glitch will make the whole task even more memorable.

Retest: Repeat the exercise later in the day and rehearse it daily for a week, then include it in your regular review sessions.

Remember this!

Divide and conquer. Don’t try to learn the whole thing at one go, but break it into chunks. Keep repeating the song and add another chunk after every couple of repetitions. You should have the whole thing off pat in about fifteen minutes.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

The NATO phonetic alphabet

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Easy

The armed forces, police, emergency services, air traffic control and numerous other bodies use the phonetic alphabet and numbers when spelling things out over the airwaves. It is international, whether you are talking to someone in India, Italy, Japan or New Jersey, it is always understood. This makes it quite a useful thing to learn.

0 Zero

1 Wun

2 Too

3 Three

4 Fower

5 Fife

6 Six

7 Seven

8 Ait

9 Niner

. Decimal

. stop

Instructions

Here we’ll use a bit of repetition, a bit of ‘divide and conquer’, and a kinaesthetic method.

1 Split the alphabet into five chunks of four letters (you can learn the numbers, which are very easy, separately) Yankee and Zulu, of course, are left as a group of two.

2 Now, as you repeat them to yourself, write them down each time. Alternatively, you could write them down just once and tap each word with a pencil as you say it, but I would recommend the extra effort of writing them during each repetition.

3 Now, introduce a bit of rhythm into your recitation - try slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.

4 Finally, when you are confident that you have it all well memorized, get someone to test you.

Retest: Revise daily for a week, and then from time to time.

A Alpha

B Bravo

C Charlie

D Delta

E Echo

F Foxtrot

G Golf

H Hotel

I India

J Juliet

K Kilo

L Lima

M Mike

N November

O Oscar

P Papa

Q Quebec

R Romeo

S Sierra

T Tango

U Uniform

V Victor

W Whisky

X X-ray

Y Yankee

Z Zulu

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Awkward spellings

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Easy

When I taught my daughter to spell, I didn’t know as much about memory as I do now, and so I used the repetition method. Result? Each week she got top marks in the spelling test but a week later she’d forgotten the previous week’s lesson completely. There are much better ways to learn to spell. Here are some suggestions on how to learn and remember correct spellings, and a list of words to learn.

Try mnemonics. For example, ‘Never Eat Cake Eat Salmon Sandwiches And Remain Young’ will give you the spelling of NECESSARY.

I found this method in Roald Dahl’s book Matilda. If you want to learn RECEIVE you learn it as: Mrs R, Mrs E, Mrs CEI, Mrs V, Mrs E.

Divide and Conquer. If you want to learn CONSCIENTIOUS, you can split it into CON, SCI, ENT, IOUS.

Try splitting words into bits that make some sort of bizarre sense. I had trouble with TOMORROW until I memorized it as TOM OR ROW.

Say words to yourself exactly as they are spelled. If you want to learn RECEIPT, learn to say it as REKEP-IT. Learn ANCIENT by calling it AN-KEE-ENT. (OK, theoretically you might end up putting a K in ancient, but you’re much brighter than that, aren’t you?)

Below you will find a list of the most commonly misspelled words. Go through it and cross off the ones (there will probably be many) that you can spell with confidence. Then use the methods outlined above to learn the others.

A

aardvark

abbreviate

abscond

absorbent

abundant

abysmal

academy

accappella

acceptable

acceptably

acceptance

accessible

accidentally

accommodate

acoustic

acquiesce

acquit

across

acrylic

actor

actually

adequate

adhesive

adieu

adjacency

adversary

aerator

aerial

aesthetic

afterwards

against

aggravate

aggressive

agitate

aisle

alchemy

algae

align

allege

allegiance

allowance

almond

already

amateur

ambidextrous

amoeba

amphibian

amphitheatre

ancestor

ancillary

anecdote

aneurysm

annihilate

anniversary

annoyance

annoyed

anomalous

anomaly

anonymous

antecedent

anxiety

anxious

apart

apartheid

apathetic

apologize

apostrophe

apparatus

appliqué

armament

armistice

asbestos

asphalt

assimilate

asterisk

asthma

asymmetric

aurora

austere

Australia

autumn

auxiliary

B

bankruptcy

banquet

bargain

baroque

bayonet

bayou

bazaar

beautiful

because

behaviour

beige

believe

benefit

beret

bestiary

biased

bicycle

biscuit

bivouac

bizarre

blossom

bouquet

bourgeoisie

boutique

boycott

broccoli

brochure

brogue

bruise

buoy

buoyant

bureau

bureaucratic

business

C

cabinet

Caesar

café

caffeine

calf

callous

callus

calves

camouflage

campaign

candidate

canoe

cantaloupe

captain

captor

cartilage

cataclysm

category

caterpillar

cauliflower

cavern

cease

celebration

cello

cemetery

chameleon

champagne

chandelier

charisma

chartreuse

chassis

chimney

chisel

chocolate

choir

cholera

chorale

choreograph

chronicle

chronological

chutzpah

circuit

circumstance

cliché

coalesce

coercion

cognac

cognizant

cohabiting

coiffure

collaboration

colleague

collegiate

cologne

commitment

compass

concatenate

conceit

connotation

conquer

conscious

consider

consistent

corduroy

correlate

corrugated

coup

couple

courage

course

courteous

coyote

creator

creche

creosote

cretaceous

critique

crocodile

croquet

crotch

crucifixion

cuckoo

cuisine

cul-de-sac

culottes

cupboard

curmudgeon

curriculum

czar

D

daiquiri

Dalmatian

damn

dearth

debris

debut

definable

delimiter

dependency

description

desiccation

desirable

diamond

diarrhoea

dilate

dilemma

diphtheria

diphthong

dirigible

disappointed

disciple

disgusting

dissection

dissemination

dissertation

dissipate

double

doubly

doubt

dropping

drought

dumb

dungeon

dying

E

easy

eavesdrop

ecstasy

editing

elementary

embankment

encompass

endeavour

endure

ensued

enthusiastic

entrance

entrepreneur

estuary

etiquette

eulogy

eunuch

euphoric

euthanasia

exaggerate

excellent

excerpt

excitement

explanation

extension

extraordinary

F

façade

facetious

farce

fascinate

fasten

fastened

feasible

February

fertile

feud

flood

flotation

fluorescent

forehead

foreign

forfeit

forty

fuchsia

fulfil

funeral

futile

G

gaiety

gauge

geisha

genealogy

generally

genuine

geyser

ghastly

ghost

ghoul

gingham

glycerine

gourd

government

governor

grammar

granary

grandiose

guerrilla

guess

guillotine

guitar

gymnast

H

haemorrhage

hallelujah

heifer

height

heinous

heuristic

hiatus

hierarchy

history

homage

horrible

hors d’oeuvre

hydraulics

hygienic

hymn

I

icicle

idiosyncrasy

illegal

illegitimate

illustrate

imbalance

immediately

immense

impressed

impugn

inception

inheritance

instantiation

instrument

intent

interfere

interference

interpret

interpretation

interrupt

intrigue

intuitive

invocation

invoke

isthmus

J

jagged

jalousie

jealous

jealousy

jeopardize

jewel

journal

journey

K

kaleidoscope

kayak

ketchup

khaki

kibbutz

kiosk

knife

knowledge

knowledgeable

L

label

labyrinth

lacquer

laid

lasagne

legionnaire

legitimacy

legitimate

leisure

lenient

light

lightning

likelihood

limousine

lingerie

liquor

literature

llama

luau

luggage

luscious

M

maelstrom

maestro

maintain

maintenance

malice

malicious

mannequin

manoeuvre

marquee

marriage

marshmallow

martyr

masochist

matinee

mausoleum

mayonnaise

medieval

millennium

miniature

minuscule

miscellaneous

mischievous

missile

misspell

moccasin

months

morgue

mortgage

mosquito

muscle

myrrh

mystic

mystique

N

naive

naivety

nasturtium

nauseous

necessarily

necessary

neighbour

neither

neural

niche

night

ninety

noticeable

noxious

nuance

nuisance

nutritious

nymph

O

obelisk

obey

oblique

occasion

occurred

odyssey

officially

often

omelette

onomatopoeia

opaque

opinion

opportunity

oracle

orang-utan

orchestrate

orchid

oregano

oscillate

oscilloscope

ostrich

ovation

overwhelm

P

pageant

paradigm

parallel

parameter

paraphernalia

parliament

parquet

participate

peace

peignoir

penitentiary

people

perform

perhaps

perimeter

persistence

persistent

pertain

pertinent

pewter

phlegm

piedmont

plagiarism

plagiarize

plague

plaid

plaque

pollinate

possession

postpone

potpourri

precede

precious

precursor

Presbyterian

presence

prestigious

primitive

privilege

prolix

pronunciation

proprietary

proprietor

protein

protocol

pseudonym

ptarmigan

pterodactyl

pumpkin

pursue

pylon

Pyrrhic

Q

quadruple

questionnaire

queue

quiche

R

rabbit

radius

rapport

raspberry

rather

realm

receipt

receive

recipe

recommend

reconnaissance

recurrence

regardless

rehearsal

reindeer

relief

religion

remain

renaissance

rendezvous

repertoire

replenish

reservoir

responsibility

responsible

rhythm

ricochet

riddled

ridiculous

S

saboteur

saccharin

safety

salmon

sandwich

satellite

savvy

scaffolding

scenario

schizophrenic

scissors

scourge

scythe

segue

seismograph

seizure

sense

sensible

separate

sepulchral

sergeant

serious

severe

sherbet

should

shoulder

siege

sienna

sleuth

solder

subpoena

subtle

successfully

supplement

suppress

surgeon

suspicion

sword

syllable

syllabus

synagogue

synonymous

syringe

T

tarpaulin

technician

technique

tedious

temporary

temptation

tendency

terrain

terrible

terrific

Teutonic

their

theorem

theory

therapeutic

there

thereby

thief

thieves

thirtieth

thistle

thought

threshold

tomato

tomatoes

tongue

torque

tortellini

tortoise

toucan

tournament

transcend

transition

transmission

trauma

triathlon

tries

trigonometric

trinket

troubadour

trudging

true

truly

U

unanimous

unduly

usability

useful

V

vacuum

variant

variation

vaudeville

vegetarian

vehement

vehicle

veterinarian

vigilante

vignette

vinaigrette

vinegar

vinyl

W

weasel

weird

wherever

whisper

whistle

wholly

wildebeest

withdrawal

would

wrestle

writable

Y

yacht

yeoman

Z

zealot

zephyr

zinc

zucchini

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Playing cards

TIME: 5 mins LEVEL: Easy

Memorizing playing cards is one of those things that trick memorizers do. They even have championships to see who can memorize the most cards in the shortest time. So why is it included here? Well, performed in strict moderation, it is an exercise that will help strengthen your visual memory

Instructions

Opposite you’ll see pictures of 25 cards in five rows of five. First, learn the cards in the order given (left to right, top to bottom). When you are confident of being able to do it in order, it is time to try recalling them at random. When you have completed the test with the cards I have given you, work with arrangements of your own.

Try one (or all) of the methods described opposite to memorize the cards. Now, cover the page and test yourself.

1 Which card is in the top right-hand corner?

2 Which card is at the bottom of the middle column?

3 What is to the right of the 4 of Hearts?

4 What is below the Jack of Clubs?

5 What comes below the 10 of Clubs?

6 Is the 3 of Spades on the diagram?

7 What comes two places above the 4 of Hearts?

8 Which two cards flank the 9 of Hearts?

9 What is at the top of the column that has the 3 of Diamonds at the bottom?

10 What is at the extreme right of the row that has the Jack of Clubs on the left?

11 What comes below the King of Spades?

12 Which column is headed by the Ace of Hearts?

13 Where is the Queen of Diamonds?

14 Where is the Ace of Clubs?

15 What is at the bottom of the column headed by the 2 of Clubs?

How to do it

Don’t just rely on the pictures in the book, but get out your own cards and handle them as you memorize. Touching the cards is a very important part of the process.

If you have a good visual memory (and many people don’t), you could try to visualize the cards laid out on an imaginary table in your head. Alternatively, it might be more fun, and more effective, to visualize the cards as people. Instead of thinking ‘King of Hearts’ why not think of someone you know dressed as a king and wearing a heart badge? Queen of Hearts - why not J-Lo? For the knaves, you can supply politicians of your choice. Aces could be represented by sports stars, and so on. Use your imagination and have fun.

If you are a Listener, you should recite the names of the cards to yourself. Remember that singsong rhythm that you used to chant at school? Well, that is just the one you need - something nice and catchy that will stick in the memory.

I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name

TIME: 5 minutes LEVEL: Easy

It’s embarrassing to forget people’s names because it implies that they aren’t important to you. Opposite you’ll find a group of twelve faces and your task for today is to remember them. We have deliberately not put names under the faces because, in real life, how often does that happen? Only at conferences where people wear badges. The people are (from left to right and top to bottom):

Instructions

Start with the faces. Most people have something about their features that allows you to give them a nickname. The name can be as funny as you like (the funnier the better, in fact). Don’t worry about being cruel - it’s your own private name and you needn’t confide it to anyone else. Once you know that, for example, Jim Russell has a rather prominent nose, you can call him Beaky and you’ll always remember him like that.

Now, to remember the names. You only need one memorable feature in each name. For example, once you remember that Mr Armstrong has a Strong Arm, you’ll easily attach the name Tom to the memory. Wendy Dear can be transformed into the more affectionate Dear Wendy. April McDonald? How about visualizing eating a burger on a showery day? Carmen is an easy name to remember because of the opera (just think about toreadors). Is Kelly Drummond a drummer? Can Allen (think of Woody) Levitate? Is Janie wild and in a spin? Frank Wright, of course reminds you of Frank Lloyd Wright (and the Paul Simon song). Ivana is, of course, terrible and Miles Hill lives at the top of a very long rise. As for Hayley Kellow; she’s no problem. I have a friend called Kellow and people always either say, ‘Hello, Kellow’ or they call her ‘Cornflake’ (after Kellogg’s cornflakes).

Remember this!

Is this all silly and immature? Excellent! The sillier and more childish you can be, the more likely you are to remember.

SHORT-TERM MEMORY TASK

Dates

TIME: 30 minutes LEVEL: Medium

At one time, learning history was all about dates. Nowadays that is thought unnecessary (and so kids know what happened and maybe even why it happened, but don’t have the slightest idea when). If you just want to learn the years in which things happened, one way to do it is to regard the dates as times from a 24-hour clock. Then, for example, the signing of Magna Carta can be remembered as 12.15 p.m. (just in time for lunch!).

Here are 30 dates to memorize (you can, of course, choose your own):

Instructions

Sort all the events into chronological order. Why didn’t I do it for you? Because sorting them out for yourself is the start of the learning process. Next, draw a timeline to scale about 7 cm (3 inches), for each hundred years) and mark the dates on it. When you’ve done it once, put it to one side and, on a clean sheet of paper, try redrawing it from memory. As you draw your timeline, read it out to yourself.

Some people like to remember numbers by their shapes (so 1 is a stick, 0 is a ball, 8 is a fat lady, 2 is a duck, and so on). Then you make up stories that put the shapes together. I never have the patience for this, but if it works for you don’t let me stand in your way.

Close your eyes and imagine that you are carving your timeline in stone (you can even act out hammering a chisel into stone if it helps).

As always, learn the list a bit at a time and keep reviewing it.

Now try this test

1 When did the Battle of Gettysburg end?

2 When was the first Model T Ford produced?

3 When did Franco conquer Barcelona?

4 When was the first colour TV transmission?

5 When did Hawaii become the 50th state of the USA?

6 When did HMS Beagle set sail?

7 When did China explode its first H-bomb?

8 When did Samuel Pepys start to write his diary?

9 What major event occurred in South Africa in 1994?

10 When did Charles Macintosh patent his waterproof raincoat material?

11 When did Latvia become independent?

12 When did the Soviets liberate Auschwitz?

13 What happened in Barcelona in 1939?

14 When was Trotsky expelled from the Communist Party?

15 When was Stonehenge sold at auction and how much did it fetch?

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Half a pound of tuppenny rice

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Easy

Ever got to the supermarket and found that you’ve forgotten your shopping list? Aaaaagh! Few things are more frustrating. If your house is like ours, one person makes the shopping list and everyone else yells out the things that they want, so you end up with a mass of items in no particular order. It is helpful to convert this list into a form that can be remembered more easily, then if you forget your list, it should not pose such a problem!

Instructions

In our house, my wife has a clever trick. She always takes the same route around the supermarket. This forms a little ritual and, as we have seen elsewhere, ritual is an excellent memory aid. So, let’s write down all the items in a way that makes some sort of logistical sense:

Cheese and desserts are near to each other.

Mushrooms, bell peppers, lettuce, fresh herbs are near the entrance.

Ginger is close to peaches.

Salami, chicken and fish aren’t far apart.

Chilli powder is opposite the cans of spaghetti and noodles.

Eggs are on their own.

Crackers are just before pastries and loaves, which are together.

Nachos and almonds can be found close together.

Chocolate is on its own.

Razors are near the checkout.

Draw your own plan of the supermarket (it needn’t be all that accurate), write the names of the items on slips of paper and put them face down in the right places. Now practise picking them up and naming the items before you turn the slips over. After a few attempts, you should start to get it right.

The beauty of this system is that once you have the basic scheme in your mind, you can easily make a few mental notes about additions and deletions. A regular route also helps ensure that you do not miss items that form a standard part of your shopping requirements.

Signs of the zodiac

TIME: 15 minutes LEVEL: Medium

You can either learn the signs of the zodiac by date (which gives you a nice framework into which they fit and makes learning easier), or you can split them into elements, symbols or seasons as shown here.

Elements

Instructions

Each sign has a symbol that is traditionally associated with it. Use the symbols shown opposite as visual clues to help you remember each sign. To give you another visual clue, the symbols are depicted on a diagram showing the year as a circle, with each of the four seasons in a different colour. This should help you to fix the various symbols firmly in your memory.

Dates

Symbols

Seasons

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Animal farm

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Medium

This is an exercise in visual memory. The picture below contains thirty animals and your job is to remember all of them. How? As usual, you must attack the problem from all angles at once.

Instructions

1 Work your way across the pictures from left to right and top to bottom.

2 Read out loud the names of the animals as you go.

3 Tap the picture of each animal as you name it.

4 Divide up the pictures into horizontal rows.

5 Frequently close your eyes and try to visualize the whole set of pictures.

6 If you want, you can make up a song to help you remember the animals in whichever order you prefer.

7 Rest for a while and then return to your memorization.

8 As with all these exercises, it is accuracy rather than speed that counts.

When you have got all the pictures fixed in your mind, cover them with a piece of paper and try to answer the following questions:

1 Which animal is to the right of the giraffe?

2 How many animals start with the letter ‘C’?

3 Which animals surround the scorpion?

4 How many mammals are there on the bottom row?

5 Which animal is to the left of the owl?

6 Name all the animals that start with the letter ‘L’.

7 Name all the animals on the right hand edge of the picture from top to bottom.

8 Which animal is in the bottom left hand corner?

9 How many animals start with the letter ‘M’?

10 Which are the three largest animals?

Remember this!

The resting is as important as the memorization. While you rest, your mind continues to work on your task at a subconscious level.

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Learn the kings and queens of England

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

On the right you’ll find the names of all the kings and queens of England since William the Conqueror. Your task is to learn them all in order. The dates of their reigns are given, but learning those is an optional extra. This is quite a major task, but there are a few things that will help you. First, there is a mnemonic that goes like this:

Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve, Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three, Edward One, Two and Three, Dick Two, Henry Four, Five, Six, then who? Edward Four, Five, Dick the Bad, Harrys twain and Ned, the lad. Mary, Lizzie, James the Vain, Charlie, Charlie, James again. William and Mary, Anne O’Gloria, Four Georges, William and Victoria. Edward Seven, Georgie Five, Edward, George and Liz (alive)

This might not make much sense right now, but when you have studied the list for a while it will definitely prove helpful.

If you want to spend more time on this task, go to your local library and find pictures of these kings and queens.

Copy the images and put their names underneath to help you remember them.

I’ve also added a few comments that might stick in your memory. Why are we doing this? Well, because these days it’s information that most people lack and it will train your memory to categorize and store quite detailed information.

Instructions

As always, I want you to attack from all angles.

1 Use the mnemonic.

2 If you have found pictures, look at them and make sure you touch them as you say the names.

3 Split the task into bits by learning the Normans, then the Plantagenets, then the Tudors, and so on.

4 Pick out kings and queens that you know about (everyone remembers Richard the Lionheart, Crookback Dick, Henry V and Henry VIII, for example), and use them as markers. You can then start filling in the gaps between them.

5 Try to build up a mental portrait gallery (visualize it in a castle if that helps). Stroll around your virtual gallery and make sure you have no blank spots on the walls.

6 Test yourself (or get someone else to test you) again and again.

SHORT-TERM MEMORY TASK

Café Olé!

TIME: 5 minutes LEVEL: Hard

You have a part-time job waiting tables at the Café Olé. You have to learn to take customers’ orders accurately without forgetting them. This is a tough job, but with a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it. There are five tables in your section. Look at the picture to learn what the customers have ordered.

Instructions

1 Take the tables in an order that suits you and also put the customers into some sort of order (such as clockwise round the table, always starting in the same place).

2 Visualize a menu in your head and check off each person’s choice on it.

3 Keep sweets, savouries and drinks separate in your mind.

4 Note carefully the physical appearance and dress of your customers.

5 Give people nicknames that help you to remember them.

6 As you take the orders, visualize what each person’s place setting will look like when their food arrives.

7 In other exercises I have said, ‘Take your time, accuracy is more important than speed.’ But not this time. Who wants a slow but accurate waiter or waitress? So you must practise thinking fast and remembering orders that you have heard only once.

Now cover the illustration and try answering these questions:

1 What did the boy with the Mohican order?

2 Who had the all-day English breakfast?

3 What did the man with the beard want?

4 Which was the only table to order ice cream?

5 Who ate the fruit cake?

6 What did the girl with brown hair in the stripy green sweatshirt order?

7 Who had coffee and a scone?

8 What sort of pizza did the man with red hair want?

9 Who ordered fried chicken?

10 Who wanted fruit salad?

11 What did the guide dog have?

12 Did the woman want whipped cream with her cherry pie?

13 What did the girl with spiky hair want on her toast?

14 What did the boy want on his banana split?

15 What flavours of ice cream did the girl with blonde plaits want?

Retest: Once you can do this exercise you could make up your own and carry on practising until you get really good at it.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Ticket to ride

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Hard

Here is a railway station departure board (showing purely imaginary places) and your job is to learn it well enough to answer travellers’ questions.

Instructions

What makes this a tough test is that it is hard to get to grips with so much information. What to do? This is a prime candidate for a bit of rhythm. Try reading the names to yourself in a childish, singsong voice or, if you prefer, set them to a tune of your choice.

Tap out the rhythm as you sing.

Visualize the board in your mind.

Don’t expect to remember everything at once. Form a basic but imperfect memory first, and then add bits to it until you have the whole thing crystal clear in your mind.

When you feel confident that you have memorized it all, cover up the picture and try to answer these questions:

1 Which platform would you go to for the Dudstead train?

2 What time does the Harling train leave Platform 6?

3 When is the Fairfield train due to reach its destination?

4 Which train would you take to reach Goodhope?

5 Is Cranmere on the Gromby line?

6 Which station comes after Fen Grundy?

7 Which station is between Little Buckham and Grantling?

8 Which station comes after Forfar?

9 Does the Dudstead train call at Dry Hilton?

10 Does the Dudstead train reach its destination before or after the Gromby train?

11 Which station comes after Lower Morton?

12 What time does the Thorpe train arrive?

13 Which train is delayed?

14 Which train is cancelled?

15 Which is the first stop on the Thorpe line?

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Presidents of the USA

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

Your task is to learn all the presidents of the USA, from George Washington to the present day. I have seen a number of ways recommended. One is to turn the names into a story For example, a woman washing-a-tonne (a big barrel) is watched by Adams (two men wearing nothing but fig leaves), and Jeff (who has his son with him). This does nothing for me at all and it won’t work.

Another method is similar, but without the story. It involves making some amusing association with each name, thus Taylor becomes a guy stitching pants, and Lincoln drives a large automobile, and Garfield is remembered for that cat ... I don’t think that’s going to work either.

Instructions

Commit these American leaders to memory - there are 44 to learn, so be methodical. Let’s go back to the old multiple attack method.

Look at the pictures.

Touch each picture as you say the name.

Learn the names in blocks of a few at a time.

Recite the names in some sort of rhythm. Divide the names into blocks that give you a good rhythm. The first four (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison) give a really excellent rhythm but some of the others are a bit trickier.

Depending on your age, you should find some of the later ones easy.

TACTILE MEMORY TASK

Learning Braille

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

Only the blind have any practical use for Braille, but don’t let that put you off this exercise because it is a particularly good way of practising tactile memory. The sad truth is that most of us only use this type of memory by accident. There are some exceptions - typists, motor mechanics and surgeons spring to mind - but often this valuable ability is greatly underused.

Instructions

1 Start with the diagram opposite and try to familiarize yourself with the Braille alphabet. Just because Braille was intended to aid the blind does not mean that sighted people should fail to use all their faculties to learn it.

2 Next, make some tiles out of thin card and use glue to make the little bumps that you will learn to feel with your fingertips. Modelling glue is good for this as it will dry in little heaps without much encouragement.

3 Now you need to practise again and again until you have learnt all the letters. Start by laying them out in alphabetical order and keep handling them until you feel confident about identifying them with your eyes closed.

4 Next, try to identify random letters, again, of course, without looking.

5 When you can do this with confidence, get someone to make up words and then sentences for you to read.

You will find that with practice, you get used to using this sort of memory. It comes as a surprise to some people that tactile memory not only resides in their fingertips but in all parts of the body. If you have ever tried golf, diving, gymnastics, tai chi, or any other physical activity you will know that your body has the very useful capacity to remember how it is supposed to behave.

Braille basics

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Wine bottles and their names

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Medium

A standard bottle of wine contains 0.75 litres of liquid, but there are many variations on this basic size. Almost everyone has heard of a magnum of champagne, but did you know just how many other names there are for large bottles? No? Well, now you can learn them all. Why? There is no pressing reason why you should except that the words are fun and, who knows, one day you may be rich enough to afford a Melchior of champagne, and wouldn’t it be just be your luck if you didn’t know what to ask for?

The chart gives the names of 14 different bottle sizes, followed by the number of standard 0.75 litre bottles each contains, according to whether it is champagne, Bordeaux or Burgundy.

The method

As always, it is worth dividing the task up into bite-sized chunks. There are 14 names, so it would make sense to learn the names in threes, with an odd two at the end.

Start by getting all the names off pat and in the right order. A mnemonic for each section might help. You could start with something like, ‘Picking champagne for dinner?’ I’ll leave the rest up to you. You’ll remember one you made yourself much better than a tailor-made one of mine.

Learning the sizes is much harder - which is why we have produced an illustrated chart that you can learn to visualize in your mind’s eye.

It helps that the sizes are in ascending order which at least gives you a context in which to learn them.

Finally, there are some bottles that simply don’t exist (for example, there is no Picolo of anything except champagne). These are marked with a red dot on the table.

Now try these questions:

1 What do you call a bottle of champagne?

2 What is the smallest bottle of Bordeaux called?

3 What is the very largest bottle size?

4 How many normal bottles make a Methuselah?

5 What do 16 normal bottles make?

6 What size is a Magnum?

7 What is an Imperial?

8 How many bottles make a Rehoboam?

9 Can you have a Nebuchadnezzar of champagne?

10 What is a Filette?

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Learn the Beaufort Scale

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

The Beaufort Scale describes wind speed. It may not form part of your everyday conversation, but it has its uses, even for those of us who never go to sea and only concern ourselves with the weather when wondering whether or not to take a brolly when we go out.

Instructions

The scale is always quoted in the form Force 1, Force 2, and so on, so start by learning each force with its brief description (such as Force 1, calm).

When you have memorized these, you can add in the more detailed descriptions. Picture the scene to bring each force vividly to mind.

Finally, you can add in the actual wind speeds. Only learn the speed in knots if you are really keen (or go sailing).

Practise in real situations. Make a point of estimating the wind speed wherever you go (you should be able to check your estimates on a weather map afterwards).

Use your real-life experiences to reinforce your memorization. After a while, you should be able to tell the force of the wind just by the way it feels and sounds, and the effect it has on the environment.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Roman numerals

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Easy

We all know some Roman numerals, but many of us get stuck on numbers larger than ten. Here is a complete list for you to learn. When you feel confident that you know the whole lot, you can try the test below.

Instructions

Roman numerals are very easy once you have the trick of them. Within each number, anything to the left of the largest numeral is subtracted from it, for example: IV is actually 5-1 = 4. CM is 1000-100 = 900. Anything to the right of the largest numeral is added to it, for example LV = 50 + 5 = 55. XV = 10 + 5 = 15. Once you have learned these basic principles, you only have to remember a few special letters - C, D, L and M. If you want to be able to work with huge numbers, you have to learn that a numeral with an overscore is multiplied by 1000. Thus V, which is normally 5, is 5000 if it is overscored. Isn’t that simple?

Now try to convert these numbers into Roman numerals:

Check your answers.

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Memorizing unusual capital cities

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

I once had a job with a firm that published atlases, and it was then that I discovered just how ignorant many people (including myself) are about geography. They might well know the capitals of places such as the US, France and Germany, but if you ask them to find anywhere a little more exotic, they fall down in a heap. This is therefore a useful exercise in that it will not only improve your powers of memory, but also increase your store of geographical knowledge. We have deliberately chosen 34 of the lesser-known capitals for you to memorize. Turn to view the map of the world.

Instructions

1 Learn one area of the world at a time.

2 Use the map to help you learn not only the countries and their capitals, but also where the countries are in relation to the rest of the world. The better your visual memory is, the easier you will find this task.

3 Don’t make the mistake of merely learning the countries and capitals as lists of words. Putting them all in their correct geographical context will increase their value ten-fold.

4 Once you have learned these capitals you can extend your geographical knowledge. Why not add other countries and, as well as capitals, add other major cities, rivers, mountains, in fact anything that takes your fancy. You’ll find that creating your own mental world map can be fun and is actually useful.

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Memorizing cloud types

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Medium

The attraction of this exercise is that it is not only of some practical use (because it helps you to predict the weather with some accuracy), but it also involves using several types of memory. What’s more, you can practise this exercise every day and as often as you want by doing no more than looking out of the window.

Instructions

First, learn what the basic words mean:

Once you have the meanings in mind, it is much easier to relate the words to the pictures.

Remember that the altitudes work from the highest to the lowest and go in bands (for example, the first three are all exactly the same, which makes them easy to remember).

Use the picture and say the name as you touch each cloud type.

Once you know them in the highest-to-lowest order, try to learn them out of order as well.

Practise on real clouds whenever you go out.

PROCEDURAL MEMORY TASK

Learn semaphore

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

The chances of semaphore being of practical use to you are, I admit, slight. However, that is not the point. This exercise is a wonderful example of learning by doing. It gives you a chance to combine the intellectual process of learning with the use of what might be called body memory. Your body is excellent at remembering things, so good, in fact, that much of the time you are quite unaware of what it is doing. Take riding a bike, for example. Once you have the knack of it, you never have to think about balance again, because your muscles remember how it’s done. You only have to consciously take over at moments when things go badly wrong and a major correction is called for.

Of course, strictly speaking, the muscles are not themselves repositories of memory. But you do become very good at interpreting messages from your body and responding to them automatically. Learning semaphore will give you a chance to hone that skill a little further. Note that the figures in the diagrams opposite are facing you.

Instructions

1 Start by going through the letters in strict alphabetical order, saying the name of each letter out loud as you make the appropriate signal.

2 As always, break your task into chunks. Learn only a few letters at a time and, once you are sure of them, learn a few more.

3 Perfect your skill by reproducing the letters in a random order. If possible, get someone to hold the book and call out letters at random to which you must respond with the right signals.

4 Bear in mind that, as with all coded signals, context gives you some good clues. With practice, you won’t have to stumble along, painstakingly translating one word at a time, but will be able to predict what comes next.

5 Experienced signallers use abbreviated forms, much like people sending text messages on their mobile phones. So, if you ever have to use semaphore for real, make sure you abbreviate.

Test yourself by translating the follow semaphore messages:

Check your answers.

Retest: To test yourself further, come back to the task in a week’s time or choose your own messages to translate.

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Learn Morse code

TIME: 30 minutes LEVEL: Easy

You may think that you’ll never need to know Morse code, but it is easy to learn and can be surprisingly useful. Younger readers might like to use it as a ‘secret’ code. It is a great way of sharpening your ‘doing’ memory skills.

Instructions

1 First, look at the code and work through it from A-Z (plus 0-9 and the punctuation marks).

2 As you go through, say it out loud (traditionally you say ‘dah’ for a dash and ‘dit’ for a dot).

3 As you say the code, also tap it out with a pencil on your desk or table. A heavy tap represents a dash and a light one is a dot.

4 Once you can do the whole alphabet in the correct order, you have to be able to do it out of order. Get a friend to test you.

5 You have finished this task when you can produce any letter, numeral or punctuation mark on request.

If you have become hooked on Morse you need to work at increasing your speed, and there are Morse code websites that will help you do this.

Tap out the following messages from memory

This is your captain speaking.

The ship is listing hard to starboard.

We appear to be sinking fast.

Do you want us to man the lifeboats?

Land has been sighted on the port side.

How much food and water remain?

Report your position. How many survivors are there?

We will send our medical officer to care for your wounded.

When we reach port there will have to be an enquiry.

There is a report of an explosion aboard your ship.

Here is the code

A . -

B - …

C - . - .

D - . .

E .

F . . - .

G - - .

H … .

I . .

J . - - -

K - . -

L . - . .

M - -

N - .

O - - -

P .- -.

Q - - . -

R . - .

S …

T -

U . . -

V … -

W . - -

X - . . -

Y - . - -

Z - - . .

0 - - - - -

1 . - - -

2 . . - -

3 … - -

4 … . -

5 … . .

6 - … .

7 - - …

8 - - - . .

9 - - - - .

Full stop . - . - . -

Comma - - . . - -

Query . . - - . .

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Memorize something really confusing

TIME: 30 minutes LEVEL: Hard

The table below is a particular form of mental torment introduced to me by my daughter, Gina. It contains the names of a number of colours and things associated with colours. However, they have been coloured incorrectly - except for a few which, to make things more confusing, are in the correct colours. Trying to memorize this information is difficult simply because there is a voice at the back of your mind constantly saying, ‘This does not compute!’ The trick is to be able to learn what is actually in front of you, rather than what you think should be there.

Instructions

1 The way to learn all this is to start with the words and forget for a moment about the colours. Simply learn the words in columns from left to right. Number the columns 1-3 and the rows 1-10.

2 If you want, you can create a mnemonic from the initial letters in each column.

3 Now, close your eyes and start to visualize the colours. Try to see a picture of each column in your mind’s eye. If it helps, you can say to yourself, RED is green, GREEN is black, VIOLET is blue, or you can create a mnemonic for the initial letters of the colours as well.

4 Whichever way you do it, this is a tough test. When you think you have the whole table memorized, cover the page and try the questions, right. They start out simple but get much tougher as they go along.

Colour test

1 What colour is BUTTER?

2 What colour is BANANA?

3 Which column (numbering from the left) is SEA in?

4 What is to the left of COAL and what colour is it?

5 What comes below APPLE?

6 What is to the right of GREY?

7 What colour is the word between TAN and PURPLE?

8 What is two places below YELLOW?

9 What is one place above, and one place to the right, of VIOLET?

10 How many words are in the correct colours?

11 Name all the words printed on green.

12 Name the five words printed on black.

13 Which is the lower of the two words printed in bright blue?

14 What are the two bright blue words and where are they?

15 Which word printed in dark blue do you associate with green?

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Comprehension

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Medium

You might have had to do something like this when you were at school. But this one is a real toughie. What follows is a short passage containing quite a lot of detail. Your task is to read it thoroughly once and then answer the questions.

Every Friday night, Jeff meets up with his friends, Pete, Laura, Sue, Graham, Mark, Sinead and Sophie. Sometimes they go out for dinner and they prefer Italian, though Laura can’t eat pasta and Mark dislikes pepperoni. Occasionally they go for a curry, and their favourite place is the Maharajah just near the cinema in the Market Place. They used to go to the Taj Mahal but stopped because Graham found some undercooked chicken in his vindaloo. Pete and Laura got engaged last Christmas. Jeff used to go out with Laura but they split up a year ago. He’d like to go out with Sinead but she only has eyes for Mark. Sue had a bit of a thing with Graham for a while but now they’ve split up and she keeps talking about moving back to Wales to be near her elderly parents. Laura and Sue are lawyers and Sophie works in a bank. Sinead is a photographer and is in partnership with Jeff.

Instructions

There is no easy way to learn all this. Read the piece slowly and carefully. Go over each sentence a number of times and make sure you understand it. One way to fix everything in your memory would be to list all the characters and write down what you know about each. You could also draw arrows to show who is emotionally linked to whom. If you can’t get more than a few questions right, go back to the beginning and give yourself another chance.

Now answer these questions:

1 Who did Sue go out with for a while?

2 Who are the photographers?

3 Who doesn’t like pepperoni?

4 Why did they stop eating at the Taj Mahal?

5 Which is their favourite Indian restaurant?

6 Who can’t eat pasta?

7 Which of the characters is Welsh?

8 Who are the lawyers?

9 Where does Sophie work?

10 Which building is near the Maharajah restaurant?

11 Which night do the friends usually meet up?

12 Who did Jeff go out with?

13 Which part of town is the cinema in?

14 When did Pete and Laura get engaged?

15 Who is Sinead in love with?

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Memorize a table of symbols

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Hard

What makes this exercise so tough is that many of the symbols are unfamiliar. Some of them you won’t even know by name. Obviously, it is much harder to memorize information that does not make much sense to us. But it can be done.

Instructions

1 Give names to all the symbols you don’t know. Make up something that you find memorable (the sillier the better).

2 Make sure that you can remember all the names you have made up.

3 Spend some time memorizing the grid, first in columns from left to right, and then in rows from top to bottom.

4 Do one column or row at a time and make sure your memorization of that portion is perfect before you go on to the next.

5 If it helps, you can make up a mnemonic for each column and row using the initial letters of the symbols’ names.

6 Try to record a picture of the grid in your mind’s eye. Close your eyes and see the grid in front of you. This will take quite a lot of concentration.

7 Now, produce a set of blank grids (this is easily done on a computer) and try filling in the information you remember. Keep checking back with the diagram and correcting mistakes.

When you feel confident that you know the whole grid by heart, try the test below:

1 Which symbol is at the top of the fourth column from the left?

2 Which symbol is to the right of ≈ ?

3 What comes directly below ?

4 Where in which row (numbering from the top) is the ✓

5 Which symbol is to the left of * ?

6 Write down or draw all the symbols in the middle column.

7 Draw all the symbols on the bottom row.

8 Is ◊ in a higher or lower row than ≠ ?

9 What is at the end of the row that starts with ?

10 What is diagonally below ∞ ?

11 Where is π?

12 What is at the bottom of the column that has at the top?

13 What is three places to the right of ?

14 What comes three places above * ?

15 What comes at the end of the row that starts with ± ?

PROCEDURAL MEMORY

Learning to tie knots

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Medium

This is the ultimate exercise for those who wish to develop their ‘doing’ memory. Tying knots can be a very complicated business and describing the process in words often makes things worse rather than better. Thus this becomes entirely a visual/kinaesthetic exercise in which words play no part. I have chosen some knots that are complicated enough to present a challenge, but simple enough not to require any previous experience.

Instructions

The only way to remember how to tie a knot is with your fingertips. Visual cues will, of course, also play a part but you will mostly just have to feel your way to success. Elsewhere in the book I have pointed out that mere repetition is not a very strong memory glue. The skill of knot-tying is an exception. You will need to practise each knot many times before you get it exactly right.

Retest: Reviewing your knot-tying skills is particularly important if you want to keep them current. This sort of memory evaporates rapidly if not practised regularly.

The knots

Blood bight

True lover’s knot

Surgeon’s knot

Shamrock knot

Jug sling

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Learning long words

TIME: 20 minutes LEVEL: Hard

If you were a certain type of kid at school you might have whiled away some time learning how to spell ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ and other similarly interesting but useless words. In this exercise you will memorize a number of words that are equally fascinating and, let’s face it, equally useless. So why bother? Just because learning this sort of complex information is a good way of building up brain muscle.

Instructions

Long words are absolutely ideal for the ‘divide and conquer’ method. Most of them look fearsome when spelled out in full, but are actually made up of familiar components or, at least, are composed of sounds that are easy to remember.

Rehearsing long words in quiet moments (on boring journeys, for example) is an easy way to keep your new memory skills in good shape.

I have split the words below not into syllables but into chunks that I find easy to remember. Should you find that the splits I have chosen do not suit you, feel free to choose your own. It may help to write the words down as you spell them.

Always spell out loud because the listening process is an important way to help you learn.

Some people like to write words with a fingertip in the palm of their hand. This stimulates their touch memory.

Honorificabilitudinity

Honor / ifi / cabili / tudi / nity

I have made three of the chunks end in ‘i’ to make them more memorable. Meaning = the quality of being honorable.

Dihydroxylphenylalanine

Di / hydroxyl / pheny / lala / nine

Remember to pronounce the first chunk to rhyme with ‘dye’ or you might introduce an ‘e’ by mistake. Those with scientific training might like to keep the third chunk as phenyl because this makes sense to scientists, but I divided it the way I did because I thought that, for most people, ‘lala’ would be more memorable than ‘ala’.
Meaning = dopamine, an animo acid.

Gynotikolobomassophile

Gyno / tiko / lobo /masso /phile

Once you’ve made all but the last chunk end in an ‘o’, this one becomes a piece of cake. Meaning = someone who likes to nibble women’s earlobes.

Hexamethylenetetramine

Hexa / methyl / ene / tetra / mine

This is probably easier if you pronounce ‘ene’ to rhyme with ‘meany’ rather than any. Meaning = a specific organic compound.

Bathysiderodromophobia

Bathy / side / rod / romo / phobia

Again, if you understand the elements of this word you might wish to split it differently (using ‘sidero’ and ‘dromo’, for example). My split is for those to whom the word is just a meaningless jumble.
Meaning = an irrational fear of being underground.

Rhombicosidodecahedron

Rhombi / cosi / dodeca / hedron

The silent ‘h’ in ‘rhombi’ might escape you unless you make a point of pronouncing it to yourself. Meaning = a specific 62-faced geometric solid.

Pseudomonocotyledonous

Pseudo / mono / coty / ledo / nous

This one is really easy, even though it is longer than any you have tried so far. Give thanks, and add quickly to your store of knowledge. Meaning = having two coalescent cotyledons.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

Hippo / poto / monstro / sesquip / pedalio / phobia

Again, I have made as many of the chunks as possible end in ‘o’. ‘Hippo’, ‘monstro’ and ‘phobia’ are all elements that should be familiar to you. Meaning = fear of long words.

Hepaticocholangiocholecystenterostomies

Hepati / cocho / langi / ocho / lecy / stent / eros / tomies

Once you can remember how to say this one (which should only take you a couple of minutes) the spelling is a piece of cake.
Meaning = a surgical connection between the gall bladder and the hepatic duct.

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Pneumono / ultra / micro / scopic / sili / covol / cano / coni / osis

This one is often quoted in lists of long words.
Meaning = a rather nasty lung disease.

Aequeosalinocalcalinosetaceoaluminosocupreovitriolic

Aequeo / salino / calcalino / seta / ceo / alumino / socu / preo / vitriolic

Meaning = a description of the spa waters at Bath, England.

Osseocarnisanguineoviscericartilagninonervomedullary

Osseo / carni / sanguin / eo / visceri / cartil / agnino / nervo / medullary
Meaning = a lung disease.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

Learn the battles of the American Civil War

TIME: 1 hour LEVEL: Hard

This task is a perfect example of the way in which understanding helps memory. It is perfectly possible to learn this list of battles by the old-fashioned rote method. If, however, you take the trouble to learn the story of the war (even if only in outline), the events start to make more sense and become more memorable. For a proper understanding, you should go to a website such as: http:// www.historyplace.com for a complete explanation of who did what to whom and why.

Instructions

I have split up the war into years, so that you can learn it a bit at a time (the source I took the information from presented it in one large slab, which made it almost completely indigestible).

You might like to create a mnemonic for each year of the war using the initials of battle names.

The years are quite easy to remember because there are few of them, but you will have difficulty with the months and days. Practise writing out your own list for each year. Keep writing it over and over again and read what you are writing out loud to yourself.

Read an abbreviated account of the war and make your own summary, so that you can put your information in context. The more you understand the context, the easier it will be to remember the details.

Get someone to test you by asking for battle names and dates at random.

LONG-TERM MEMORY TASK

The Periodic Table of the elements

TIME: 2 hours LEVEL: Hard

You will probably take one look at the Periodic Table and think, ‘No way am I learning that!’ But wait just a moment. It really isn’t as hard as you might think and though even scientists mostly rely on a physical chart hanging on the laboratory wall, there is no reason why you shouldn’t commit the whole thing to memory.

Instructions

First, note that the whole structure bears some resemblance to a fort (OK, you have to use a little imagination here). But it is built out of blocks and has numbers across the top and side. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is master this structure.

For the moment, practise drawing just the block without any reference to the symbols for the elements. Remember how many blocks go in each column and where the blanks are. Keep the picture of the whole structure in your mind’s eye as you draw.

Now learn the elements and their symbols. The good news is that many of the names are part of our normal vocabulary.

The next bit of good news is that almost all of the symbols are merely contractions of the full names. So, though you might not be familiar with cobalt, you won’t struggle with the notion that its symbol is Co. All you then have to do is struggle with the exceptions. If you did chemistry at school, even for a few years, you will probably remember some of the exceptions, such as Fe for Iron and Cu for Copper.

Use the numbered columns to help split the table into learnable chunks.

We have included the symbols with their full names beside them. Note that a lot of the columns have only four names in them.

Finally, learn the Lanthanoids and Actinoids. As you can see, they form a block under the main table, so you can either learn them as an add-on to each column or think of them as a separate entity.

VISUAL MEMORY TASK

Learn some basic Chinese characters

TIME: 10 minutes LEVEL: Easy

This may look hard at first sight, but it is actually much simpler than you might think. Westerners seldom give any thought to Chinese writing, or assume that it is made up of random squiggles that must be a nightmare to learn. Not so. Chinese is very logical and has a number of basic building blocks, called radicals, that are not at all hard to learn. Many of the characters are actually simplified pictures, and this helps in remembering them.

Instructions

Look at the characters together with their translations. You’ll find that the explanation written below each character will help fix it in your mind with ease. Within half an hour, you should have a fluent knowledge of twenty basic Chinese characters.