From intensive language study notes from 2010:
A lot of these are adapted from my newly acquired LANGENSCHEIDT BASIC GERMAN VOCABULARY, which I love. I'm going to try them out with the language I'm studying but know the least, German.
1. AMAP study your vocabulary by topic. (More below re this.)
2. At least after you've learned the most common terms you need, go 1st in your vocab books/lists to topics you like or require most.
3. What works best for me is to learn 1 page or 1 spread of most vocab books at a time, though it depends on the list....
a. They suggest you study all of that portion, then
b. cover either the foreign or the translation and see if you remember them.
c. Work on any necessary.
d. Then quickly review your whole portion again.
4. DO memorize any example sentences that you find really helpful for difficult words.
5. Whenever you need a good portable review, of any words you keep forgetting -- from vocab books, from your reading, etc. -- consider
a. the homemade wide paper flashcards I described in an earlier post that you can fold in half with the foreign on eg the left and the translation on the right. (Both on the same side of the actual paper so you can open them up to see the whole story.)
b. Add any really helpful example sentences to the cards, per #4. (Which side is up to you if you don't need the translation.)
c. Organize the cards by topic for when you're learning them, clipping them together. (Choose whatever topics are most helpful for you, and change as you wish.) (Though this does give you a clue, it's supposed to stick in your head better that way. You can always mix them up for a super review time.)
d. To keep track of what you already have cards on so you don't redo them, type up just the foreign term in eg MS Word and use the software to alphabetize it; occasionally print out a fast-print small copy if you often work on your cards away from your computer. (If you're making and using them in the software of course just keep an alphabetized copy for reference.)
6. After you're done with 1 topic in a vocab book/list, review old topics. (This is a good reason to do most-required/wanted 1st, so they get the most reinforcement.) IN add new cards per #5 for important stuff you're forgetting.
7. Put into your calendar to review quite old but necessary cards you've pretty much learned and set aside. After a while if you keep reading/otherwise using words, you'll probably be able to set some/many cards aside permanently.
