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pull out your deck of flash cards and get to work。
If your hidden moment only lasts five seconds； giving you time for only one flash
card； give that flash card five seconds of the right kind of effort。 Look at the English。
Suppose it says “shoe。” Say to yourself something like； “What a great moment in my life。
I presently do not know the word for ‘shoe’ in my target language。 Within seconds that
infirmity will be erased！ I will get a look at the word and； though it may not lodge in my
memory after one single flash； that word will eventually be mine。” Make a big deal out of
it。 Indeed； it is a big deal when you expand your vocabulary。 Now flip the card。 If your
target language is Spanish； the other side of the card will reveal the word for shoe as
zapato。 Once we hand you the ultimate vocabulary memory weapon； the one developed
by Harry Lorayne； you will put that word through a mental process that will make it
easier to retrieve。 Right now； just try to remember it any way you can； even by rote。
Proceed to the next card； or the next word on that card。 You should have enough
cards with you so the same word doesn’t pop up so quickly that you haven’t really tested
your retention； but not so many cards that you don’t meet the same word for another two
or three days。
The fun comes when you meet the word again。 Imagine the word is your opponent
in a duel。 Is it going to be you or he？ Look only at the English。 Try to remember。 Don’t
flip the card until you’re certain you’re defeated and cannot possibly come up with the
word。
Even grizzled multilingual veterans who’ve used this system successfully will find
themselves letting their guard down and moving from the English word on the flash card
to the foreign word too quickly。 No challenge； no effort； no gain。
There’s no memory glue better than standing there； in the line at a bank or
wherever； looking at the English side of a flash card； not knowing the word immediately；
trying hard to bring it back； fearing you can’t； and refusing to give up。 Suddenly you
think you have it。 You flip the card over and see that you were； indeed； correct！
That word has no more chance of escaping you than your middle name。
Eye…Ear and Ear Only Moments
So far your hidden moments have been those that could be utilised either for reading
（flash cards） or listening （cassettes）。 Let’s call them eye…ear moments。 When you’re
walking through town or through the park； jogging； riding in a bus or train too crowded
for reading； or driving or riding in a car at night； obviously you can’t play with flash
cards。 These are； however； also hidden moments that offer exquisite opportunities for
foreign language infusion。
Let’s call them ear only moments。
A good rule is to use eye…ear moments for eye functions （flash cards； grammar
book； newspaper） leaving ear functions （cassette listening） for those moments when you
couldn’t be reading anyhow。 More simply； when you can listen or read； read。 Save your
listening for when you can only listen。
Cassettes En Route
When I dramatize this system of language learning at seminars for the Learning Annex in
New York and other educational organisations； displeasure clouds the brows of the
students when I urge them to “wrap the university around their heads” （put on their
headphones） and study their cassettes as they walk； run； amble； or do errands around the
neighbourhood。 There’s an attitude of “Enough； already。 I’ve done my language workout
for the day。 Let me enjoy my walk or my run and take in nature and the landscape。”
This claim may sound inflated until you test it； but leisurely strolls and nature
walks； far from being dampened； are actually enhanced by cassette learning en route。
You can invent little listening games that make it fun。 I； for instance； may start the
cassette and listen until I reach the first word in the target language I don’t already know。
I’ll then stop the cassette player and concentrate on capturing that word for the remainder
of the city block。 When I reach the curb of the next block； I’ll start the tape until I reach
another word I don’t know and repeat the process。
There’s a happy kind of synergy when you realise you’re exercising and you’re
learning； you’re enjoying the beauty of the surroundings and you’re growing。 You can
slow down。 You can settle for “collecting a few new words” as you might collect a few
blossoms a few seashells。 You can turn off the tape for a while and throw the headphones
back over your neck and inhale and enjoy。 Don’t separate your life into “fun” and
“study。” Harmonise language study with your activities。
Get your cassettes into action when you wake up； stretch； make the bed； fix
breakfast； brush teeth； dry off after a bath or shower； wash dishes； and so on through all
the moments when those less ambitious turn on the radio or TV。 Don’t forget； passive
listening is better than nothing； but not by much！ Engage the English mentally and try to
beat the voice on the cassette to the foreign word。
“Harnessing hidden moments” is a three word course in language learning all by
itself。 It offers a side benefit that has nothing to do with learning languages but has a lot
to do with enjoying life。
Look at those other people； those unfortunates who； unlike you； have no intention
of harnessing their hidden moments to learn languages or anything else。 Look how they
wait like zombies in line； their faces masks of boredom and pain。 Your boredom and pain
will vanish the instant you get into line and whip out your flash cards。
Learning languages can become incidental to daily life。 It’s often fulfilling enough
just having something useful to do！ Remember what Dean Martin said to the slowly
sipping starlet： “I spill more than you drink！” Just by using the minutes you’d otherwise
spill； you can learn another language。
Harry Lorayne’s
Magic Memory Aid
How does a farmhand feel the day the tractor arrives； after he’s plowed by hand for
thirty…one years？ Undoubtedly the way I felt when； after decades of memorising foreign
vocabulary the old way； I suddenly discovered Harry Lorayne and his methods。
Harry Lorayne became well known some years ago as the world’s leading “memory
magician。” His feats of memory for names and faces； complex numbers； and hundreds of
objects he could repeat forward； backward； or in scrambled order enlivened many a late
night TV show。
Harry Lorayne was to be a guest on my WOR radio show one night to talk about his
book on improving memory。 It was his seventeenth or eighteenth book on memory and；
as I was looking it over； I saw a short； almost hidden chapter entitled “Memorising
Foreign Language Vocabulary。”
I sped to that chapter and my language learning life changed completely from that
moment forward。 I think I actually cried in rage at all the time I’d wasted attempting rote
memory