How important is developing good memory skills to language learning? It depends on who you ask.
Some people swear on its value. After all, the faster you can take in vocabulary, the sooner you should be able to build up a store of useful words. A lot of traditional language mediums, after all, are based on absorbing plenty of information.
When you start off memorizing basic phrases, you use your memory skills. When you read through phrasebooks and vocabulary lessons, you do it with the intent of remembering as much as possible. Memory skills are an integral part of many forms of language learning – one that you’ll do well to develop.
However, there are new breeds of language learning software that veer away from memory techniques, choosing to focus instead on other areas that promote retention. These materials treat language learning as an immersive process, looking to recreate the experience of being thrust amidst a crowd of native speakers.
So, how important are memory skills in language learning? The answer is, it depends on what kinds of material you are using to develop proficiency. If you try to gain it using more traditional methods, then it’s crucial. If you decide to embrace one of the more modern techniques that promote simulated immersion, though, then it’s likely not necessary. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to develop them, would it?