9/20/25, 11:01 PM Want to Learn Something?
Use the Feynman Technique | Engoo Daily News
Engoo / Materials / Daily News
Want to Learn Something? Use the
Feynman Technique
September 20, 2025
First published February 12, 2019
6 Intermediate
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
technique /tɛkˈniːk/
Noun a way of doing a particular task or achieving something,
especially one that involves special skills or knowledge
Our teacher taught us some helpful techniques for
multiplying big numbers.
memorize /ˈmɛməˌraɪz/
Verb to learn something so that one can remember it easily
I don't know how actors manage to memorize all those
lines!
explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/
Noun
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9/20/25, 11:01 PM Want to Learn Something? Use the Feynman Technique | Engoo Daily News
a statement that makes something clear; a reason given for
something
I can never follow my math teacher's complicated
explanations.
gap /gæp/ a difference between two situations, positions, etc.
Noun
There's a five-year age gap between my two sisters.
unsure /ˌʌnˈʃɔː(r)/ not confident or certain about something
Adjective
I'm really unsure about what I should study at university.
Exercise 2
Article
Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.
Want to Learn Something? Use the Feynman Technique
Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. He is thought to have
been one of the greatest teachers — and one of the greatest students — of all
time.
Feynman believed that the best way to learn something was to try to explain it
using simple language. This is often called the Feynman Technique.
Feynman used his technique to learn about math, music, art, biology, and
more. You can even use it to improve your skills in another language. It's a
great way to make sure you're not just memorizing vocabulary and grammar,
but that you actually understand how to use the language.
The Feynman Technique:
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9/20/25, 11:01 PM Want to Learn Something? Use the Feynman Technique | Engoo Daily News
Step 1: Choose a topic or subject that you can describe in your own language,
but could be difficult to explain in another language. For example, you might
choose "how to take a good photo" or "how to make a perfect sandwich."
Step 2: Imagine that you're teaching a child or someone who doesn't know
anything about your topic or subject. Then, using only simple words, write an
explanation of the topic in the language that you're learning.
Step 3: Review your explanation and try to see if there are any gaps in your
knowledge. If you're unsure about something, do some research and then
rewrite that part of your explanation. This is perhaps the most important step.
Step 4: Finally, check to see if your explanation is simple and easy to
understand. If your explanation uses any difficult words, try to remove them.
Richard Feynman in 1988.
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9/20/25, 11:01 PM Want to Learn Something? Use the Feynman Technique | Engoo Daily News
Exercise 3
Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.
1. What are your thoughts on the Feynman Technique?
2. Would you be interested in using this technique to try to improve your English
skills?
3. What would you say is the most difficult thing about learning a language?
4. If you could take English lessons from anyone in the world, who would you
choose?
5. What do you enjoy most about learning English?
Exercise 4
Further Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.
1. Do you think you'd make a good teacher?
2. Who would you say was the best teacher you ever had?
3. What were your favorite subjects when you were in school?
4. What subjects did you dislike when you were in school?
5. There's a big difference between knowing the name of something and knowing
something. — Richard Feynman. What do you think Feynman meant by this?
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9/20/25, 11:01 PM Want to Learn Something? Use the Feynman Technique | Engoo Daily News
Source
This lesson is based on an article by Joe McCrohon and Guy Williams.
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