Improving your memory ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Neil: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute

English, I'm Neil. This is

the programme where in just

six minutes we discuss an interesting

topic and teach some

related English vocabulary.

And joining me to do this is Rob.

Rob: Hello... err sorry Neil, how long did

you say this programme is?

Neil: Six minutes ... it's 6 Minute English, Rob.

Rob: Right. OK. Sorry, what's

your name again?

Neil: Neil! My name is Neil, Rob. What's

happened to your memory?!

Rob: Sorry, Neil - too many things on my

mind, it's affecting my short-term

memory, but what

I can remember is that in this programme

we're talking about improving

our memory.

Neil: We are and I think you might find it

quite useful! Storing information

is an important

function of our brains and scientists

are always looking at ways to

improve it but also to stop it

deteriorating - or becoming worse.

Rob: Yes, and we all know that memories -

that's the noun for things

we remember from the

past - are nice to have but also important

for remembering who people are,

where things are kept

and how things look.

Neil: Soon we'll be discussing a new idea

for improving your memory but not before

I've set today's quiz question.

There are many ways we can improve

our memory but one way

is through the type of food we eat.

According to the BBC Food website,

which type of food

supports good memory function? Is it...

a) eggs, b) spinach, or c) bananas?

Rob: Well, as a kid I was always told that

spinach was good for me - Popeye ate it

to make him strong - so I'll say b) spinach.

Neil: Well, I'll have the answer later on.

Now, let's talk more about

improving our memory.

Memory is the ability to encode, store and

recall information but a number of factors

can affect people's memory processes

including health, anxiety, mood,

stress and tiredness.

Rob: That's why, for example, if you're

taking an exam it's important

to get a good night's sleep

and to keep healthy. But Neil, when

you're revising for an exam, what helps

you to remember facts?

Neil: I tend to write things down again and

again and again and again.

Rob: Well, that's one way. But people have

different styles to help them remember.

According to the BBC's iWonder guide,

there are three different styles - visual,

auditory and kinaesthetic,

that's learning by 'doing' and practicing

something over and over again.

That sounds like me.

Neil: But recently, a new study has

come up with a method that could

possibly be the best way to improve your

memory and that's by drawing.

Daryl O'Connor, who's Professor

of Psychology at the University of Leeds,

has been speaking about it on

the BBC Radio 4 programme, All

In The Mind. See if you

can work out why...

Daryl O'Connor: The authors certainly

argue that one of the things that

happens by drawing

these particular objects, that it leads to

this increased contextual representation

of the object in one's mind...

It makes a lot of intuitive sense...

the idea that if you have encoded

something in a greater level of detail,

you're more likely to remember it...

It's much stronger than just remembering

writing down the words.

Neil: OK, so let's try to explain that.

Drawing something leads to increased

contextual representation of the object.

When something is contextual,

it is in the situation where

it usually exists.

Rob: So as you draw something you are

creating a picture in your mind

about what it is, how you use it and

where it is used. I wonder if

this means artists have good memories...

Neil: Maybe. Daryl O'Connor says that

when you draw you are encoding

something in a greater

level of detail, more than you would by

just writing things down.

Encoding is changing

information into a form that can

be stored and later recalled.

Rob: That's because as you draw,

you're thinking about different aspects of

the object. He says it makes

intuitive sense - intuitive means it is

'based on feelings rather than

facts or proof' - so, you just feel

it is the best thing to do.

Neil: Of course this is just one more way

to improve your memory. I've also

heard that doing

crossword puzzles and Sudoku

can help, especially when you're older.

Rob: Yes, as we get older we can often

have more difficulty retrieving information

from our memory - and people with

Alzheimer's find it very difficult

to encode information - so any way

to keep our memory working is a good

thing. Basically we need brain training!

Neil: Brain training and eating the right

food, Rob! You might remember that

earlier I asked you, according to

the BBC Food website, which type of food

supports good memory function?

Is it... a) eggs, b) spinach, or c) bananas?

And Rob, you said...

Rob: I do remember and I said b) spinach.

Neil: And that is sort of the wrong answer.

In fact they were all correct - they are all

examples of food that can help support

good memory. Apparently, foods rich in

B vitamins are important as they

provide protection for the brain as we age

and support good memory function.

I think it's time to change my diet!

Now on to the vocabulary

we looked at in this programme.

Rob: So today we've been talking about

our memory - we use our memory

to remember things

and 'memories' is the noun for things

we remember from the past.

Neil: Then we discussed a learning style

known as 'kinaesthetic', that is learning

by 'doing' and

practising something over and over again.

Rob: We heard from Professor

Daryl O'Connor, who talked about

contextual representation - when

something is 'contextual',

you see it in the situation

where it usually exists.

Neil: Next we talked about 'encoding'.

That is changing information

into a form that can

be stored and later recalled.

Rob: And we mentioned 'intuitive sense' -

having an intuitive sense means

doing something 'based

on feelings rather than facts or proof' - so,

you just feel it is the best thing to do.

Neil: And finally we mentioned

Alzheimer's - a disease affecting

the brain that makes it

difficult to remember things and

it gets worse as you get older.

Rob: Well, there are lots of new words

to remember there - but that's all

for this programme.

Neil: Don't forget to visit us on Facebook,

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and our website:

bbclearningenglish.com. Bye for now.

Rob: Goodbye!