The snow, snow, snow, snow-waltz we dance …

Ohrwürmer, literally earwigs but also the German expression for catchy tunes, can be quite a nuisance. One of their secrets is that you can’t get the melody out of your head. Often it is only a single line that keeps on repeating itself mercilessly over and over again.

Isaline plays the snow waltz: Well done!

The phenomenon can be observed quite well with children: Parents can tell you a thing or two about it … Nevertheless repetition is the most important instrument in learning processes: What is often repeated turns into a routine and ends up being done entirely automatically.

Like dancing the snow waltz … learning content kept ‘in motion’ and captured by as many senses as possible will certainly not be forgotten.

So what can you do to remember something? A story from my school days comes to mind. A friend was having difficulties with the English word slow. Eventually we both made up a story, which went as follows:

Slow reminds one of snow – and as she had already memorized the meaning of «Schnee» because of its phonetic similarity, she could make the connection. Snow in turn reminds one of the snow waltz – and yes, the snow waltz is not danced too fast, in fact it is danced rather slowly … slow slow slow ‘snow-waltz’ we dance.

What can I say? To cut a long story short: She never forgot it again.

@ bine