Why we forget the things we learn - 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute English

from BBC Learning English.

I'm Georgina.

And I'm Rob.

Do you have a good memory, Rob?

Can you remember people's names,

or where you left your car keys?

Well, I can remember people's

faces, but I have a terrible

memory for names. And sometimes

I'll be eagerly reading a book

but then a week later I can't

remember a single thing about it!

Well, you're not alone.

Many people find it hard to

remember things they've read

or learned while other,

sometimes useless, information

sticks with them.

In this programme, we'll

be finding out why we forget

the things we've learned,

whether that's someone's name,

a word in English or where

you put your wallet.

But first let me ask you

my quiz question, Rob - before

I forget. You and I might

struggle to remember someone's

phone number but Chinese student,

Chao Lu, has a record-breaking

memory. In 2005, she recited the

numbers of pi, the mathematical

equation describing the

proportions of a circle - but

how many digits did she manage

to remember? Was it:

a) 48,000 b) 68,000 or

c) 88,000?

Wow! It sounds like Chao Lu has

an incredible memory! I'll

say she remembered

b) 68,000 digits of pi.

OK, Rob, let's remember to

find out the answer at the

end of the programme.

OK, will do. Someone like

Chao Lu might have a

photographic memory - the

ability to remember things

in exact detail, like

looking at a photograph.

But for the rest of us,

things are more complicated.

Dr Jared Horvath is an

educational neuroscientist at

the University of Melbourne.

According to him there are two

rules which explain how we

remember information.

Listen to Dr Horvath talking

to BBC World Service programme,

The Why Factor, and see if you

can hear the two rules he mentions:

Rule number one is repetition is key.

The odds of remembering something

after a one-off are incredibly slim,

unless you can immediately link it

to something you already understand.

So, my middle name is Cuney, if I

ever meet someone named Cuney,

I'll never forget

that 'cos I have an immediate

link, but if I meet someone named

Joe... so a one-off, we all pretty

much suck at it - unless we focus.

So then rule two then becomes,

we remember what we focus on.

The first rule for remembering is

repetition. The odds - meaning the

probability, of remembering

something are low if you learn

it as a one-off - something

that only happens once.

Dr Horvath's second rule is

about focus: we remember what

we focus on. This involves

making links between new

information and something

you already understand.

These are the most effective

methods of remembering, and

most of us suck at - or are

bad at - other ways of

remembering things.

Now, of course, one group

of people who need good

memory is students. Do you

remember cramming for

school exams, Georgina?

Ah yes, staying up late

trying to revise everything

the night before an exam.

I remember doing that,

but it didn't work!

Yes. Dr Horvath's research

found that students who cram

for tests forget around 90%

of what they studied

within 72 hours.

He thinks education shouldn't

be about trying to cram

students' heads with facts

and figures. It should

involve something more

meaningful, as he explains

to BBC World Service's,

The Why Factor:

The thing that I like about

education is its really moving

from a model of 'just memorise

as much as you can' into what

we now call deep learning

which is, instead of giving

you a hundred things and I

just need to know that you

can remember them, I'm going

to give you ten things and

instead of just being able to

remember them, I want you to

be able to describe it deeply

and come up with new ways

of looking at it.

Traditionally, education involves

memorising - learning information

exactly as it is so that

you can repeat it later.

But being able to repeat

something like a parrot

doesn't always mean you

understand it. Dr Horvath advocates

a technique called deep

learning - a complete way

of learning something that

means you fully understand

and will not forget it.

So, remember: repetition,

focus and deep learning are the

memory muscles we need. Maybe

that s how Chinese student,

Chau Lu, developed her record-breaking

memory. You do remember your quiz

question, don't you, Georgina?

Yes, thank you, Rob - my memory

isn't that bad! I asked you how

many digits of the mathematical

equation, pi, she could remember.

And I said b) 68,000 digits.

Which was the correct

answer! Actually,

the number was so long it took her

over 24 hours without a

break to recite it all!

Oh Wow! Her brain must have

be aching after all that. OK,

let's recap the vocabulary from

this programme starting with a

photographic memory which is

the ability to remember things

in exact detail, like

looking at a photograph.

The odds of something happening

mean the chances that

it will happen.

A one-off is something that

only happens once.

To suck at something is an

informal way to say 'be bad at

doing something'. It's more

common in American English.

If you memorise something, you

learn it exactly so that

you can repeat it later.

And finally, deep learning

describes a complete way of

learning something so that you

fully understand it and

will not forget it.

OK, well, that's all from us,

but don't forget to join us

again soon for more trending

topics and top tips to help

you remember useful and everyday

English vocabulary. Bye for now!

Bye!