They say a picture paints a thousand words. For EFL/ESL students learning vocabulary, we only need our pictures to paint one word, but they must paint it well.
I’ve used images for deep vocabulary memorisation for years, both in my personal language learning and with students in schools and private classes. I’ve learned which pictures work best and how to find them online. In this article, I’ll share everything I know.
First, we’ll explore why pictures are vital to remembering information, then I’ll give step-by-step instructions to applying the concept to your classes.
Using images to memorise vocab is one of the 9 steps in my Best Method to Improve EFL/ESL Students’ Vocabulary guide, so make sure you check that out to see the whole process.
Images create powerful, deep-rooted connections
Humans have used the written word for over 5,000 years, with the Sumerian language considered the first form of writing.
Words are great. They’re easy to produce and don’t take up much space. Without the written word, we wouldn’t have The Lord of the Rings or the Great Gatsby, or any of your favourite novels or non-fiction books, let alone newspapers, magazines and, indeed, this website.
But writing is limited. Essentially, it’s a codification of language, and codes take time and effort to understand. There’s a reason it takes kids years to learn to read and write. It’s not instinctive. Even with the highest level of literacy, it takes time to decode the information.
Pictures, on the other hand, are instant and innate. Our brain has evolved to process visual information in milliseconds – that’s how our prehistoric ancestors survived danger and thrived as hunter-gatherers.
While some people may have more visual minds than others, we all have an inbuilt pattern recognition which allows us to understand a complex idea in the blink of an eye (pun intended).
Faces are an obvious example of this. I could write all the details of what someone looks like, using carefully crafted words and rich adjectives, in several paragraphs of flowing prose to create a magnificent description. Or I could just post a photo of their face and you’d instantly know exactly what they look like.
So how does this help with learning vocabulary? Well, pictures are memorable. Our brains have the capacity to rapidly store and access visual information, much better than we do with words. Remember the face of your 2nd grade maths teacher? Easy. Remember the first three sentences of your favourite novel? Thought not.
Not everyone has a photographic memory. But we all have a strong capacity to recall vivid images, and that’s what we’re taking advantage of to boost vocabulary learning.
We associate the target word with an image. The image gets embedded in the student’s mind next to the word, so when it’s time to remember, the student can go straight to the image and it’s just a tiny jump to the connected word.
This idea is nothing new in the world of memorisation. Harry Lorayne, often called “The Yoda of Memory Training”, has written about the benefits of image association since the 1950s, and countless others have followed in his footsteps.
However, language learners haven’t always been able to take advantage of images. This is due to the difficulty in acquiring relevant, quality pictures while writing has always been popular because it’s quick to produce and requires no artistic ability.
But now we have Google Images. With just a few clicks, we can find dozens of amazing pictures. With technology, our world is becoming more visual, with everyone having a phone on their camera, and social media users finding they can transmit their message far more effectively with a photo or emoji than a long piece of text.
I think it’s time we teachers caught up.
Oh, and by the way, remember the Sumerian language, thought to be the first writing in human history? It was mostly just a sequence of pictures and symbols.
Pictures prevent interference from the mother tongue
The benefits I’ve described above relate to memorising information in general, not just vocabulary. However, there’s one aspect of using images that’s unique to language learning.
This relates to the effect of the mother tongue while learning new vocabulary.
Translating from the mother tongue to the target language can get messy, as words often carry several meanings or nuances in one language which don’t apply to the other.
This can interfere with the way we learn the new word. We associate the sounds and intonations of the mother tongue with the target word, but these are often inapplicable to its own language.
To avoid confusion, we can replace the mother tongue word with a picture which carries the desired meaning.
A word of warning. Sometimes you can’t find a picture to accurately represent a word. Imagine trying to find a picture that unambiguously depicts the words “therefore” and “to heal”. Sometimes you need a written definition, or even the word in your student’s own language.
Now you know why images are so important, let’s get to the practical steps of how to implement them in your classes.
Step 1: Use more pictures in games, activities, and vocab practice
The question “when to use pictures?” is easy to answer. Whenever you can.
Beginner learners do especially well with images, as the vocabulary tends to be concrete nouns like animals, sports, school materials, etc.
Games like “Say and Draw” and “Monster Factory” have students drawing their own pictures, while you can use plenty of images in “Hot Seat” and “The Price is Right”. Print some pictures or get some flashcards and play classic games like “20 Questions” and “Pairs”.
If you’re looking for more games, I’ve got lists of the best ones for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners. And here are 9 of my favourites specifically for practicing vocab.
The method I use which relies on images most is Anki. It’s a brilliant spaced-repetition app with the flexibility to include your own images, audio, and definitions. Once you get it set up, it can transform your students’ vocabulary gains.
It uses digital flashcards, with one side of the card being an image and the other side is the word in English. What sets it apart is the algorithm. It adjusts to how well your student knows the words, streamlining the repetition process and ensuring maximum recall.
All you have to do is drag and drop the image from Google into the app, write the word, and you’ve made a flashcard.
For my detailed explanation on Anki, read Supercharge EFL/ESL Vocab With Spaced Repetition (Anki).
Step 2: Find pictures online
Google Image search. Do I need to say much more? Well, I guess there are a few things I’ve learned over the years to make this process easier.
Some words are easy. You just type them in and get hundreds of great pictures to choose from. Others are a little trickier.
For example, “chase”. When I type in “chase” in Google Images, I get a load of pictures of Paw Patrol and some kind of financial services app. Not what I want.
But when I type in “to chase” I get cartoons of a police officer running after a criminal, a dog running after a man, and kids playing tag. Perfect.
When the initial search doesn’t give you the right results, use a different form of the word, or add more detail. With verbs, use the infinitive form (to chase), or the gerund (chasing).
If I’m teaching about hair colour, and I want a picture for “ginger”, my initial search just comes up with the spice, so I have to search “ginger hair” to let Google know what I want.
If you’ve done all of this and still got nothing, try a synonym or something with an adjacent meaning. Often you can find the perfect picture with a little creativity.
Step 3: Choose clear pictures relevant to your students
Now you’ve found lots of pictures for your word, which one do you choose?
This is going to depend on your students. Consider their culture, background and personal interests and imagine what they will relate to best. Especially with children, be aware of the limits of their life experience to this point.
Don’t stress. Most of the time, any picture will do, as long as it’s clearly depicted.
Cartoons often work best. So do photos with a white/transparent background – it makes the idea stand out. In some cases, e.g. prepositions and time words, diagrams might be a good option.
And be careful not to include pictures which have the word written on them already. I’ve made this mistake multiple times by not paying attention!
Advanced Tip: You can get older students to find pictures independently. In the long run, I want my students to have the skills to learn on their own, and training them to find suitable pictures for Anki, or other memorisation methods, will serve them long into the future.
At first, I have them find pictures for concrete nouns and other easily visualised words. Then I challenge them to gather more complex ideas in picture form, and I always check what they come up with to make sure they’re on the right track.
I wouldn’t do this with anyone younger than 16, and even then only with mature and dedicated students.
Step 4: Take photos for a personal connection
Ideally, all the pictures I use would be photos I’ve taken with my students. A good elicitation activity is a Word Hunt. Get your class to search the room for things they don’t know how to say in English. Take a photo and add it to the list of words to learn.
For more techniques like this, click here to learn my 7 Best Activities for Elicitation.
Photos add a personal connection which increases the value of the word. If it’s a photo of something they own, or they’re familiar with, it’s easier to memorise than a random picture from the internet.
If you’re teaching kids, they love to get in the photos and make them even more personalised.
Obviously, this technique doesn’t work with every word. Some things just don’t exist in the classroom. But there are quite a few things you can photograph which you might not have thought of: emotions, physical action verbs, prepositions of place, and colours, to name a few.
Feeling adventurous? Head out into the garden/street/park and take photos of things you see as you walk around!
Step 5: Add definitions for words which are difficult to display visually
Sometimes, you just can’t find a picture which clearly displays the word. Abstract nouns, certain verbs, and many adverbs are the common culprits, think: “joy”, “to consider”, and “easily”.
Does that mean you shouldn’t use an image? No. The image doesn’t always have to specifically depict the meaning of the word because it can still act as a memory anchor, as I described at the start of the article.
The strong neural connection can still be formed, but you need something else to indicate to the learner what the image is referring to when they see it.
To do this, use a definition. In English. You can either take it from a dictionary, or write one yourself. I prefer the latter because I can word it to suit my students’ abilities (so it doesn’t include words/structures they’re unfamiliar with), and it can reflect the specific meaning of the word I want them to learn.
Get the picture?
The steps above will help you ace vocabulary learning, especially using the Anki flashcard app. There’s plenty more to boosting vocab, though, including physical hooks, or gestures. To find out more about them, click to read my article on the topic.
Images and gestures make up two steps in the memorisation phase of my Best Method to Improve EFL/ESL Students’ Vocabulary: 9 Steps. In that guide you’ll also learn the acquisition and retention phases, so make sure to check it out.
However you decide to use images in your EFL/ESL classes, you can do so with confidence. It may take a few sessions to get the hang of finding the perfect picture, but once you do, you’ll be providing your students with one of the most powerful memorisation tools available.
The next step in the process is using gestures for memorisation. Go straight to that article here: How to Use Gestures to Embed Vocab in EFL/ESL + 2 Games
For all the information you could ever possibly want on teaching EFL/ESL vocab, take a look at all my articles on the topic.
BIG OVERALL GUIDE: Best Method to Improve EFL/ESL Students’ Vocabulary: 9 Steps
Why EFL/ESL Students Forget Vocab: Causes and Solutions
How to Elicit Vocabulary in EFL/ESL: 7 Effective Activities
What Vocab Should You Teach in EFL/ESL: Organic acquisition
How to Use Images for Deep Vocab Memorisation in EFL/ESL
How to Use Gestures to Embed Vocab in EFL/ESL + 2 Games
How to Test EFL/ESL Vocabulary: Best assessment methods
Sounds and Audio Hooks for Lasting Memorisation in EFL/ESL
How to Teach Vocab in EFL/ESL with Memorable Moments
Supercharge EFL/ESL Vocab With Spaced Repetition (Anki)
How to Make Vocab Last Forever: Reinforcing connections
9 High Energy EFL/ESL Games for Boosting Vocabulary
