Lesson 4: Simple Word Association Games
Connecting Words in Your Mind
Your brain is like a giant spiderweb. Every time you learn a new word, you add a new point to the web. The best way to make that point strong is to build a connection1 to other points. This lesson will teach you fun "word association2" games to create strong connections between the words you know and the new words you are learning.
Why Play Association Games?
- It Builds Faster Recall3: When you have strong connections, thinking of one word helps you remember many other related words quickly.
- It Improves Speaking Fluency: You can speak more smoothly because related words will come to your mind4 more easily.
- It's Creative and Fun: This strategy feels less like studying and more like playing a creative game.
- It Deepens Your Understanding: You have to think about the *meaning* of the word to make a connection.
Three Simple Word Association Games
- The "What's Next?" Game: Start with one word you know (e.g., "food"). What is the next word you think of? (Maybe "rice"). What does "rice" make you think of? (Maybe "farmer"). Try to make a long chain5 of words!
food ➞ rice ➞ farmer ➞ work ➞ tired... - The "Topic Burst" Game: Choose a topic from your notebook (e.g., "Animals"). Set a timer for one minute. In that minute, write down all the English words you can think of related to that topic. Try to beat your score next time!
- The "Adjective Association" Game: Take a noun you learned (e.g., "market"). Write down three adjectives you associate with it (e.g., "big, noisy, crowded"). Now try another noun, like "coffee" (e.g., "hot, black, delicious").
In Conversation
Srey and Bora are playing a quick English game.
Srey: Bora, let's play 'What's Next?'. It's a word association game.
Bora: Okay, how do we play?
Srey: I'll say a word, and you say the first word you think of. I'll start with "school".
Bora: Hmm, 'school' makes me think of "teacher".
Srey: Good! 'Teacher' makes me think of "book".
Bora: 'Book' makes me think of "story".
Srey: And 'story' makes me think of "family" because my mother tells good stories.
Bora: This is fun! It really makes you think about the connections between words.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. Word association helps you remember words by...
- a) writing them 100 times.
- b) creating connections between them.
- c) learning only one word a day.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) creating connections between them.
2. In the "Topic Burst" game, what do you do?
- a) Write words about food, no matter the topic.
- b) Set a timer and write all the words you know for one topic.
- c) Draw pictures of a topic.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Set a timer and write all the words you know for one topic.
3. If your starting word is "rainy", which of these words is a good association?
- a) hungry
- b) umbrella
- c) handsome
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) umbrella
edit Your Mission
- Play 'What's Next?': Start with the word "home". Write down a chain of at least 5 associated words in your notebook.
- Play 'Topic Burst': Choose the topic "Food & Drinks". Set a timer for one minute and see how many English words you can write down.
- Speak Your Associations: Your mission is to look at an object around you (e.g., a chair). Say three words you associate with it out loud (e.g., "sit, wood, desk").
book Lesson Glossary
- Connection (noun) - Khmer: ការតភ្ជាប់ - A relationship in which a person or thing is linked with something else. ↩
- Word Association (noun phrase) - Khmer: ការផ្សារភ្ជាប់ពាក្យ - The connection of one word to another in your mind. ↩
- Recall (verb) - Khmer: រំលឹក - To bring a fact or event back into your mind; to remember. ↩
- Mind (noun) - Khmer: ខួរក្បាល / គំនិត - The part of a person that enables them to think, feel, and be aware. ↩
- Chain (noun) - Khmer: ខ្សែសង្វាក់ - A series of connected things. ↩