Certainly, every language learner has ever encountered a way of learning, which is flashcards. They are an effective method of memorizing vocabulary. However, they aren’t just for learning words. In this article, you will learn how to learn well with flashcards and what are their advantages.
What are flashcards?
Sebastian Leitner was the man, who described the flashcard method. He stated that in order to remember some material it is enough to repeat it very often, but rarely enough not to waste time repeating what we have already remembered.
Flashcards are small pieces of paper on which we write a word on one side and its translation on the other. Cards are mainly used to learn vocabulary. However, they can also be used to learn grammatical structures or definitions. Of course, flashcards will be useful not only for learning languages. They’re also useful for learning history – well suited for learning dates. Flashcards are an extremely capacious scientific aid. You can write anything on them, use them to learn different languages, at different levels of advancement.
Types of flashcards
The flashcards are easy to prepare. It is enough to cut out a large number of small pieces of paper and write down the words you want to learn on them. Ready-made flashcards are also popular, you can buy it for example in bookstores. However, they are not as effective as hand-made ones. Already while writing our own cards, we learn the meanings of individual words. Often without realizing it, we learn by rewriting. However, the ready-made flashcards that we can buy are usually professionally prepared. They create ready-made thematic groups, e.g. business vocabulary. Flashcards are a very handy form; you can take them with you anywhere and view them at any time. Flashcards also appear as phone applications. In this case, it is even more convenient – you always have the cards with you. Usually, in addition to words, they also contain an example of their use in a sentence. The electronic version of the flashcards is also a tailored learning system, words that we already know appear from time to time as part of the revision.
How to learn languages with flashcards?
Learning with flashcards is very easy. You just need to read one side of a card, think about what’s on the back, then turn it over and see if you guessed it correctly. Additional help in remembering words can be associated with pictures of the word. The repetition method is one of the best learning methods. It is active learning that triggers the work of the brain and improves memory. Repetition at intervals is one of the most effective ways to learn.
Flashcards are a fun and effective method of learning foreign languages. They are especially useful for learning complicated vocabulary. You can create your own flashcards from the phrases we present in our videos. Visit the languagefreak channel on youtube and learn with us!