Interactive methods 

of teaching

We only remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear and 30% of what we see – so it seems we don’t remember much of this, do we? This is because we are verbally or visually receiving the language rather than using it.

Once we bring in other people and experiences, the amount we remember goes up considerably. We remember 50% of things we see and hear together with others, for example watching a movie, a concert or seeing a demonstration. Here things are more involved, as there is perhaps more interaction between us and what’s happening.

The next stage is where we start to remember most of what’s happened, with us remembering 70% of what we say even after two weeks. This means that after giving a speech or having a discussion, we’re very likely to remember it.

And the final stage is that we remember a massive 90% of things we say and do together with others, such as participating in a real-world activity.

You can see that the more actively we use language and engage with other people, the more likely we are to remember what’s happened, and I’m sure this is something you’ve noticed yourself in your past studies.