English learners can improve their ability to remember and use new words by testing themselves. Source<> http://www.edubilla.com/blog/tips-to-improve-your-english-by-testing-yourself/

1. Tips to Improve Your English by
Testing Yourself

2. English learners can improve their ability to remember and use new
words by testing themselves. This idea comes from Sarah Lynn, an
educational consultant and teacher at Harvard University's Bridge
Program. She adds that self-testing improves retrieval – the ability to
use and remember new words. Beyond improving the learner's ability
to retrieve information, self-testing improves the learner's confidence,
too.
Language learners think they understand a topic. Yet when asked to
use what they learned, they are not able to remember the information.
Not being able to retrieve new ideas could happen on a test or even in a
conversation. The basic problem is this: Learners did not learn
something as well as they thought they did.
Learning takes effort. It takes effort because the learning process
changes the brain, says Sarah Lynn. One way it changes the brain is by
creating connections. These connections, which we discussed in
previous education stories, are called dendrites.

3. Lynn suggests that dendrite connections are important for retrieval.
There are three main ideas about how to grow dendrites and improve
retrieval, says Lynn. We covered the first two ideas – making
connections and using repetition – in previous education stories. The
third method to grow dendrite connections is to test yourself.
Lynn is not the only expert who recommends self-testing. A paper in
the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition tells about
the benefits of testing yourself. The paper says one benefit of testing
practice is that it improves retrieval. Retrieving information once
makes retrieving that information easier in the future. In addition, the
paper says, when students test themselves as part of studying, they
learn what they do not know. When students know what they do not
understand, they can pay attention to improving their weaknesses.
Lynn recommends that learners test themselves by getting away from
what they are studying. Then, they should test themselves by thinking
about what they have learned.

4. She recommends that learners make themselves write or speak
something. Lynn suggests reading something or watching a video on
the topic, then summarizing it. This will allow learners to test what they
know: But actually, if you close the book, or turn off the YouTube video,
and then write down, or audio record yourself of what you remember,
and then you go back, and you see what it is, that's when you really
begin to construct your own understanding of the new knowledge. And
you begin to organize it, and control it, and eventually master it.
The benefits of such practice, Lynn says, are not just about improving
your ability to remember information. By testing yourself, you can build
confidence in the skills you have developed. When you test yourself,
Lynn says, you will see how much progress you have made. This
progress will satisfy and encourage you to do more in the future. What
can you do?
The next time you are studying English, try to test yourself. A simple
way to test vocabulary is to create flashcards with clues on one side and
the answer on the back. Flashcards in the past were small cards or

5. pieces of paper with a word or a question on one side and the meaning
or answer to the question on the other side. Students used them to quiz
each other or quiz themselves to review for examinations.
Now, many online services allow students to create digital flashcards.
You can match words and meanings, write a word after looking at a
picture, or listen to a word and write it. You can also play games with
the new words and meanings.
Another way is to ask yourself questions at the end of the day, at the
end of a study session, or at other times. Lynn recommends that
learners ask questions such as, What did I learn today? What were those
words I thought were interesting? What was that verb tense I learned?
How does it work?
The important point is this: Effective learning takes time, effort and
practice. Do not just assume that you can read something once or twice
and fully understand it. Even if you highlight important points or take
notes in a class, you probably do not fully understand what you learned.

6. After all, Olympic athletes cannot learn how to swim or run just from
reading a book. They have to practice swimming or running every day
for years. They often compete in races to test their skills. Like those
athletes, successful language learners practice as much as they can, and
test themselves to improve their skills. Self-testing is one way to
improve your retrieval and inform your future course of study.