I've found that the more I can make my examples funny or goofy, the more students will remember and use them. For instance, when I explain the vocabulary word "ostracize," I tell my class to picture Oswald the Ostracized Ostrich who is excluded by the other birds because. I'm AMAZED at how many people remember such a silly example! Plus, the alliteration in the example makes it more catchy and thereby memorable.
