Introduction
Have you ever read a page in a textbook, nodded your head because it made sense, and then realized ten minutes later you couldn't remember a single thing? This happens to almost everyone. It is not because you aren't smart. It is because reading is often a "passive" activity. Your eyes see the words, but your brain doesn't have to do much work to process them.
To really learn something, you have to make your brain sweat a little bit. One of the strangest but most effective ways to do this is to talk to yourself. It might look funny if you do it in the library, but explaining topics out loud is a secret weapon for getting better grades.
In this post, we will cover:
Why reading your notes over and over is a trap.
The "Feynman Technique" and why it works.
The science behind why speaking helps your memory.
How to use AI to test your explanations.
Simple steps to start "teaching" your wall or your cat today.
Let's dive into the simple reason why opening your mouth can help open your mind.
The "Fluency Illusion" (Why Reading Isn't Enough)
When you look at your notes, you recognize the words. You remember writing them. This creates a feeling called the "illusion of fluency." It means you think you know the material just because it looks familiar. But recognizing something is very different from understanding it.
Think of it like recognizing a song on the radio. You know the tune, and you might hum along. But if someone cut the music and asked you to sing the next verse alone, you might freeze. You recognized the song, but you didn't actually know the lyrics.
Studying by just reading is like listening to the radio. Explaining it out loud is like singing a cappella. It forces you to perform without a safety net. If you don't really know the material, you will get stuck immediately. That feeling of getting stuck is actually a good thing. It is the only way to find the "holes" in your knowledge before the test finds them for you.
What is the Feynman Technique?
There was a famous physicist named Richard Feynman. He was a genius who won a Nobel Prize, but he was also famous for being able to explain very hard math problems in very simple language. He believed that if you couldn't explain something simply, you didn't understand it.
He came up with a method that is now used by students all over the world. It is called the Feynman Technique.
Here are the four simple steps:
Pick a topic you want to learn. Write it at the top of a blank sheet of paper.
Explain it out loud as if you were teaching it to a 12-year-old student. Do not use fancy words or jargon. Use simple sentences.
Notice where you get stuck. When you can't find the right words, or you forget how two ideas connect, stop. That is your "knowledge gap." Go back to your book and re-read just that part.
Simplify it again. Once you fix the gap, try explaining it again. Make it even simpler this time.
The key here is the "12-year-old" rule. If you use big words like "mitochondria" or "economic inflation" without saying what they mean, you are cheating. You have to say "the part of the cell that makes energy" or "when money loses its value." This forces you to understand the idea, not just the definition.
For a deeper dive into how this method works, you can read more about The Feynman Technique on Farnam Street.
The Science: Why Talking Works Better Than Thinking
You might be wondering, "Why do I have to say it out loud? Can't I just explain it in my head?"
The answer is: not really. When you think in your head, your thoughts are fast and "mushy." You can skip over parts you don't understand, and your brain won't catch you. But when you speak, you have to form complete sentences. You have to put things in order. You can't skip the connecting words.
There is actual science behind this. It is called the "Production Effect." Research shows that saying words aloud creates a "distinctive memory trace." Basically, your brain records the memory in two ways: the idea itself, and the memory of you making the sound. This double-record makes it much easier to recall the information later.
There is also the "Self-Explanation Effect." This is when you explain why something is true. For example, instead of just memorizing "The capital of France is Paris," you might say, "Paris is the capital of France because it has been the center of government for centuries." Adding the "because" forces your brain to link new facts to things you already know.
You can read more about the research on the Self-Explanation Effect at Harvard's Learning Lab.
How to "Teach" an Empty Chair
So, how do you actually do this? Do you need a study partner? Not necessarily. In fact, sometimes it is better to do it alone so you don't feel embarrassed.
Here is a step-by-step guide to your first "out loud" session:
Find a quiet space. You don't want to distract others, and you don't want to feel watched. Your bedroom or an empty classroom is perfect.
Set up your "student." This can be an empty chair, a stuffed animal, your dog, or even a rubber duck. Programmers actually call this "Rubber Ducking"—they explain their code to a toy duck to find errors.
Put your notes away. This is crucial. If you are looking at your notes, you are just reading. You need to look at your "student."
Start with the big picture. Say, "Okay, today we are going to talk about Photosynthesis. Basically, this is how plants eat sunlight."
Break it down. Go step by step. If you stumble, don't stop. Try to find a different way to say it.
Check for understanding. Ask your imaginary student questions. "Does that make sense? Okay, moving on."
It will feel silly for the first two minutes. That is normal. Push through the awkwardness. Once you get into the flow, you will be surprised at how much clearer the topic becomes in your head.
Use AI as Your "Student"
Sometimes talking to a rubber duck isn't enough. You might want feedback. You might want to know if your explanation is actually correct. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a huge help.
You can use AI not to give you the answers, but to listen to your answers. You can treat the AI like a student who doesn't know anything, and your job is to teach it.
We have a specific tool for this called the Active Listener prompt. It turns the AI into a curious student. You paste the prompt into ChatGPT or Gemini, and then you start explaining your topic. The AI will listen, and then ask you clarifying questions like, "Wait, I didn't understand that last part, can you give me an example?"
This is powerful because it forces you to clarify your thoughts. If you explain it poorly, the AI will tell you it is confused, just like a real teacher would.
You can find this prompt in our library: Active Listener Prompt.
What If You Get Stuck?
Let's go back to that moment when you freeze. You are explaining history, and you say, "The war started because... um... well, there was a guy... and a treaty..."
You are stuck. This feels like failure, but it is actually the most valuable part of studying. You have just identified a "Blind Spot."
When you read your notes, you glide right over that blind spot. But when you talk, you trip over it. Now you know exactly what you need to study. You don't need to re-read the whole chapter. You just need to look up the specific details about "why the war started."
Once you look it up, close the book and try to explain that specific part again. If you can say it smoothly, you have fixed the hole in your memory.
If you struggle to find exactly what you don't know, you can check out our blog post on Using AI to Find What You Don't Understand Yet for more tips on spotting these gaps.
Group Study vs. Solo Talking
Should you do this with friends? It depends on how focused you are.
Solo Talking (You vs. The Wall)
Pros: You can go as fast or slow as you want. You don't have to worry about looking stupid. You can repeat the same sentence five times until it sounds right.
Cons: You don't have anyone to correct you if you are wrong. You might accidentally memorize the wrong fact.
Group Study (You vs. A Friend)
Pros: Your friend can catch your mistakes. Teaching a real person is more engaging than teaching a chair. They can ask questions you didn't think of.
Cons: It is easy to get distracted and start talking about weekend plans. Also, if your friend knows less than you, you might end up confused by their questions.
The Best Approach: Start solo. Get your explanation as good as you can on your own. Then, meet with a friend and try to teach them the "final version." This gives you the best of both worlds.
Quick Tips to Get Started Today
You don't need to overhaul your entire study routine to use this. You can start small.
The "Shower Talk": Explain a concept to yourself while you are taking a shower. It’s quiet, private, and you are already thinking anyway.
The "Commute Lecture": If you walk or drive to school, turn off the music for 5 minutes and explain what you learned in class yesterday.
Record Voice Memos: Use your phone to record your explanation. Listen to it back. Do you sound confident, or do you sound confused? If you sound confused, you probably don't know the material well enough yet.
Use Visuals: Draw a diagram while you talk. Pointing to the paper and saying "This moves here, which causes this to happen" engages your hands, eyes, and voice all at once.
For more ideas on how reading aloud benefits learning, check out this article on The Benefits of Reading Out Loud.
Conclusion
Talking to yourself isn't a sign that you are losing your mind; it is a sign that you are using your brain correctly. By moving from passive reading to active speaking, you force yourself to truly understand the material. You break the "illusion of fluency" and expose your weak spots while you still have time to fix them.
To recap:
Don't just read: Reading is too easy. Your brain needs a challenge.
Use the Feynman Technique: Simplify complex ideas into plain language.
Speak up: The physical act of speaking helps lock memories in place.
Get Feedback: Use a friend or an AI tool like our Active Listener Prompt to check your work.
