series for
visualizing
Learning Foreign Languages (or Anything Else) with Storyboards
Even in the early stages of a design, I like to create storyboards to help me see the flow of things. Recently, though, I’ve found that storyboards make a fantastic learning tool for foreign languages and just about anything else I need to get my head around.
In the case of foreign languages, I use storyboards to give a path to my word associations. The paths of these stories I can retrace later in my mind and the more outrageous the story, the more memorable.
Examples
The above is a short storyboard I drew for the Hungarian word kissazony (waitress). The setting is a bar and when the waitress approaches, she identifies herself with two different licenses. One license says “Ke$ha” (like the singer) while the other says “Red Sonya” (like the movie) and together they basically spell out the word phonetically (kisha-sonya).
So you know, there’s a syllable missing (should be ki-sha-sho-sonya) in this storyboard, but knowing there’s a mistake has helped me remember the word even better.
In this storyboard, the setting is a concert stage with Dolores O’Riordon of the Cranberries singing some song about Kosovo that I sort of remember. The phrase is köszönöm szépen (thank you very much). While she’s singing something about Kosovo and it’s earnest gnomes, she continuously (and annoyingly) interjects “thank you”. “Earnest” is a reminder of the “urn” sound needed for all the umlauts. The rest of “thank you” is a combination of Kosovo and gnome (kursurnurm).
The story for “very much” is equally silly.
Bonus: Concept Illustration
A related approach I’ve found useful for learning foreign languages and other subjects is concept illustration. Basically, I attempt to draw whatever I read.
This example illustrates the three data types (“boxes”) of JavaScript: Boolean (the T/F box), Numbers (1, 2, 3, 4), and Strings (A, B, C, D). The labels on the boxes are the naming rules for variables, showing that they can be begin with an underscore, are case sensative, and can use numbers – but not to start.
Summary
Memories are built on memories, so to make something familiar, you need to build associations. Storyboards let you drive these associations by placing new knowledge into a framework that you control. All you need is a pen, paper, and the freedom to get as silly as you like and you’ll be owning tough subjects in no time.
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You should catalog and publish these!
You think? Hadn’t thought of that, but it’s an interesting idea.
Probably could be improved with a few sketching/art lessons