Comments on: Flashcards http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/ language-related musings - one language is never enough / dydy un iaith byth yn ddigon Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:34:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Steve Young http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-83836 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:45:09 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-83836 I used picture flashcards for learning Azerbaijani a few years ago. The time consuming part was finding pictures that adequately convey the meaning of the words/phrases. I have over 1000 words and pictures available for free at www.foreignlanguageflashcards.com that you can check out. There are several languages available, and blank ones so you can make flashcards in any language. Let me know what you think. This is the best blog I have come across that gives really good information about some of the online/software flashcard programs around. Thanks. I used picture flashcards for learning Azerbaijani a few years ago. The time consuming part was finding pictures that adequately convey the meaning of the words/phrases. I have over 1000 words and pictures available for free at www.foreignlanguageflashcards.com that you can check out. There are several languages available, and blank ones so you can make flashcards in any language. Let me know what you think.

This is the best blog I have come across that gives really good information about some of the online/software flashcard programs around. Thanks.

]]> by: Jessica Sztaimberg http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-75331 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:11:17 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-75331 Well, I have personally tried many different ways of study methods to improve my grammar and vocabulary. I have tried flash cards, I have tried small pieces of paper which I made into flash cards, so that I would be able to carry them wherever I went, much like Polly says, and I have tried lists of written words and phrases. I believe that lists for me, worked really well, but only when I had someone to study with. After my Spanish classes in Spain, I studied with a friend every afternoon, for an hour before we had dinner… and this really improved not only our knowledge, but also our accent. We would tell each other when we were pronouncing something wrong, and we would be sure to quiz each other on words that we had trouble remembering. I think flash cards and written lists can both work great, but you definitely need to invest time in memorizing! I also liked how Polly mentioned reading novels- because I think this is also very helpful if you are not the type of person to sit and go over a list of words for a few hours a day. Reading was another great way that I improved my knowledge of the Spanish language. I would read a paragraph, circle the words that I did not know, write them down, and then look them up straight away, so I would remember the new word and meaning. To be honest I had not heard of Mnemosyne before…but it does not hurt to try a new way of learning! Thanks for the information…hope that mine also helps out! Well, I have personally tried many different ways of study methods to improve my grammar and vocabulary. I have tried flash cards, I have tried small pieces of paper which I made into flash cards, so that I would be able to carry them wherever I went, much like Polly says, and I have tried lists of written words and phrases.

I believe that lists for me, worked really well, but only when I had someone to study with. After my Spanish classes in Spain, I studied with a friend every afternoon, for an hour before we had dinner… and this really improved not only our knowledge, but also our accent. We would tell each other when we were pronouncing something wrong, and we would be sure to quiz each other on words that we had trouble remembering. I think flash cards and written lists can both work great, but you definitely need to invest time in memorizing!

I also liked how Polly mentioned reading novels- because I think this is also very helpful if you are not the type of person to sit and go over a list of words for a few hours a day. Reading was another great way that I improved my knowledge of the Spanish language. I would read a paragraph, circle the words that I did not know, write them down, and then look them up straight away, so I would remember the new word and meaning.

To be honest I had not heard of Mnemosyne before…but it does not hurt to try a new way of learning!

Thanks for the information…hope that mine also helps out!

]]> by: Gary Wolf http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-75101 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:16:20 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-75101 I'm a fan of Supermemo, by Piotr Wozniak. I wrote a story about Wozniak for Wired that will be coming out soon; discovered the program by accident while searching for flashcard programs and became fascinated by the history of the concept of spaced repetition. I’m a fan of Supermemo, by Piotr Wozniak. I wrote a story about Wozniak for Wired that will be coming out soon; discovered the program by accident while searching for flashcard programs and became fascinated by the history of the concept of spaced repetition.

]]> by: e-zuka http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-74567 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:18:29 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-74567 Hi, I’m the one who hooked in learning languages. Especially european languages. (I’m a Japanese) And I want to improve my language learning process, I made up a web service which should be helpful to everyone who learn languages. In my web site, there's not yet flash card feature but I implemented word search feature, which you have read or analyze with texts. Try once. Won’t you visit my site to see what I’m going to do? And if you like my site or concepts, please register! Hi, I’m the one who hooked in learning languages. Especially european languages. (I’m a Japanese)
And I want to improve my language learning process, I made up a web service which should be helpful to everyone who learn languages.

In my web site, there’s not yet flash card feature but I implemented word search feature, which you have read or analyze with texts. Try once.

Won’t you visit my site to see what I’m going to do? And if you like my site or concepts, please register!

]]> by: Patrick http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73568 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:03:15 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73568 I've been a heavy user of Mnemosyne for awhile - and jMemorize for a bit before that. They helped me become confident in my german for sure. Now I want to get back to irish and really learn all the vocab I'm missing. Spaced repetition works. There are websites that have spaced repetition (without fee) (Rememberize.com, FlashCardDb.com). I wish Quizlet had that - otherwise its good too and has some good irish word sets. Here's a story on rte's new daily irish news: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single10420 http://www.rte.ie/nuacht/ I used to read the news in german a couple of times a week and add any "unknown but high-value or interesting" words to my flashcards. I’ve been a heavy user of Mnemosyne for awhile - and jMemorize for a bit before that. They helped me become confident in my german for sure. Now I want to get back to irish and really learn all the vocab I’m missing. Spaced repetition works. There are websites that have spaced repetition (without fee) (Rememberize.com, FlashCardDb.com). I wish Quizlet had that - otherwise its good too and has some good irish word sets.

Here’s a story on rte’s new daily irish news:

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single10420

http://www.rte.ie/nuacht/

I used to read the news in german a couple of times a week and add any “unknown but high-value or interesting” words to my flashcards.

]]> by: Ian http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73523 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:10:05 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73523 I've found that I only use flash cards when I start learning a language <i>and</i> I'm not living in the country itself at the time. Lots and lots of input through reading things in context and guessing the meaning first has worked best for me. I’ve found that I only use flash cards when I start learning a language and I’m not living in the country itself at the time.
Lots and lots of input through reading things in context and guessing the meaning first has worked best for me.

]]> by: Rmss http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73452 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:49:05 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73452 Yes, I use a flashcard program. Ever since I started studying languages seriously I used a flashcard program. My all-time favorite is Anki (http://www.ichi2.net/anki) which is a freeware program with lots of useful updates on a regular base. Although, I abandoned the use of it for words as I found out that adding sentences are just way more powerful. Also, Anki has an online feature which I can use with my mobile phone. So while traveling daily to and from college I can do my daily sentences review. It's just great. Yes, I use a flashcard program. Ever since I started studying languages seriously I used a flashcard program. My all-time favorite is Anki (http://www.ichi2.net/anki) which is a freeware program with lots of useful updates on a regular base.

Although, I abandoned the use of it for words as I found out that adding sentences are just way more powerful. Also, Anki has an online feature which I can use with my mobile phone. So while traveling daily to and from college I can do my daily sentences review. It’s just great.

]]> by: Thomas (babelhut.com) http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73446 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:36:46 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73446 My spaced repetition flashcard program of choice is <a href="http://ichi2.net/anki/" rel="nofollow">Anki</a>. You can add sound, format text and it produces the most wonderful stats and graphs. My spaced repetition flashcard program of choice is Anki. You can add sound, format text and it produces the most wonderful stats and graphs.

]]> by: Farrioth http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73443 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:01:20 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73443 Great to see someone else is using Mnemosyne. I use it for the various languages I'm learning (Esperanto, Japanese and Russian currently). I've also found that <a href="http://quizlet.com/" rel="nofollow">Quizlet</a> is a good source of vocabulary lists. I've been thinking about making printed cards too, however, since I often have a couple of minutes where I could practice, but I don't want to get my laptop out (or don't have it with me). I've used paper cards in the past, but it becomes difficult to manage all of them, especially with sets for a few different languages. This time, I'll probably print them out and perhaps use a database to manage them. Could anyone recommend a good source of recorded words/phrases to use with a program like Mnemosyne? The phrase pages on Omniglot might be a good place to start. Great to see someone else is using Mnemosyne. I use it for the various languages I’m learning (Esperanto, Japanese and Russian currently). I’ve also found that Quizlet is a good source of vocabulary lists.

I’ve been thinking about making printed cards too, however, since I often have a couple of minutes where I could practice, but I don’t want to get my laptop out (or don’t have it with me). I’ve used paper cards in the past, but it becomes difficult to manage all of them, especially with sets for a few different languages. This time, I’ll probably print them out and perhaps use a database to manage them.

Could anyone recommend a good source of recorded words/phrases to use with a program like Mnemosyne? The phrase pages on Omniglot might be a good place to start.

]]> by: David Snopek http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73430 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:15:21 +0000 http://www.omniglot.com/blog/2008/03/06/flashcards/#comment-73430 I use flash cards extensively in my study of Polish. I recently wrote my blog about how I am using flashcards to help me read Harry Potter in Polish: http://www.hackyourlife.org/?p=25 I'm using Memorati, an online flash card program, of which I am the primary author (so consider this a shameless plug!): http://www.memorati.org/ Its still in the "beta" stage but the underlying code is Open Source and I have big plans for the future. I'm almost finished reading Harry Potter now and have over 2,200 flash cards. If it wasn't for the aggressive spaced-repetition algorithm and my Nokia N800, I probably would have died from flashcard overload. ;-) I use flash cards extensively in my study of Polish. I recently wrote my blog about how I am using flashcards to help me read Harry Potter in Polish:

http://www.hackyourlife.org/?p=25

I’m using Memorati, an online flash card program, of which I am the primary author (so consider this a shameless plug!):

http://www.memorati.org/

Its still in the “beta” stage but the underlying code is Open Source and I have big plans for the future.

I’m almost finished reading Harry Potter now and have over 2,200 flash cards. If it wasn’t for the aggressive spaced-repetition algorithm and my Nokia N800, I probably would have died from flashcard overload. ;-)

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