Comments on: Spaced Repetition Goes Mainstream? http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream You don't learn a language, you get used to it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:27:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: YesforSRS http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-33101 YesforSRS Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:07:07 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-33101 Best way to motivate yourself to use a SRS: Use a SRS for a few months. Pay attention to how the things you put in become very familiar and hard to forget. Quit using your SRS, but keep studying. Notice after awhile that things have become hard to remember and that the SRS is a great tool. Go back to your SRS. Learn to use it in moderation/style that is adaptable to you. Love your SRS. Best way to motivate yourself to use a SRS:

Use a SRS for a few months. Pay attention to how the things you put in become very familiar and hard to forget.

Quit using your SRS, but keep studying. Notice after awhile that things have become hard to remember and that the SRS is a great tool.

Go back to your SRS. Learn to use it in moderation/style that is adaptable to you. Love your SRS.

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]]> By: Xamuel http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-33067 Xamuel Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:15:47 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-33067 I've been promoting Anki to all my calculus students for about a year now :) I’ve been promoting Anki to all my calculus students for about a year now :)

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]]> By: All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. » Other People’s Perceptiveness (OPP): What It Takes To Be Great http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-11330 All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. » Other People’s Perceptiveness (OPP): What It Takes To Be Great Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:01:09 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-11330 [...] reader (Gav) has sent me a link. You know, one of those external links that comes up every once in a while, and just so resonates with the kind of things you read here, that it simply has to be [...] [...] reader (Gav) has sent me a link. You know, one of those external links that comes up every once in a while, and just so resonates with the kind of things you read here, that it simply has to be [...]

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]]> By: Dan R http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8900 Dan R Fri, 23 May 2008 22:10:57 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8900 What got me wired on the SRS thing, besides the fact that I read all about the abysmal failure of the learning industry to do anything with it all the time (since that's my profession), is a neat little app in facebook called Kanjibox. It has some drilling algorithms in (best described as "SRS-y") but its quiz function, with repeated testing and scoring is a great motivator as you get to see how you are doing against others. If Anki, which is great on usability, could be mashed up with some kind of social sites so you could track progress against other people in some meaningful way, that would kick ass, and give a real external motivation that I suspect would help some of the correspondents here. What got me wired on the SRS thing, besides the fact that I read all about the abysmal failure of the learning industry to do anything with it all the time (since that’s my profession), is a neat little app in facebook called Kanjibox.

It has some drilling algorithms in (best described as “SRS-y”) but its quiz function, with repeated testing and scoring is a great motivator as you get to see how you are doing against others.

If Anki, which is great on usability, could be mashed up with some kind of social sites so you could track progress against other people in some meaningful way, that would kick ***, and give a real external motivation that I suspect would help some of the correspondents here.

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]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8765 khatzumoto Mon, 12 May 2008 03:23:52 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8765 @Alec @vgambit You guys are my heroes...Way to tough it out! (LoL). @Alec
@vgambit
You guys are my heroes…Way to tough it out! (LoL).

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]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8762 khatzumoto Mon, 12 May 2008 03:09:45 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8762 @Marilyn Don't mean to be mean to Pimsleur but, I personally feel that there's too much English and it's not natural enough -- too stilted. And, it plays to the whole "buy language skills in a box" desire without fulfilling it. Just what Ramses said. I play around a little bit with language tapes for Mandarin and Japanese speakers to learn Cantonese, buuuut...the bulk of my listening (and skill) has come from watching Cantonese things by and for Cantonese speakers. That's what this is all about: "keeping it real". It's real Japanese that you need to be able to understand and real Japanese speakers talking at real speed...with whom you need to be able to communicate. So...I'd say it's much more worth it to watch a drama or the news and then rip the audio. But that's only my opinion and maybe other people have made good progress with tapes like that; it's just that I personally didn't use them for Japanese. I find them a little too dry, too boring. Funnily enough I was having a conversation with this Japanese guy, and I explained the method I used, and he said: "That's genius...You know why that works? Because the things you watched and listened to had EMOTION". I thought that was an interesting (and very accurate) insight on his part. Anyway...whatever. Do what's fun. @Marilyn
Don’t mean to be mean to Pimsleur but, I personally feel that there’s too much English and it’s not natural enough — too stilted. And, it plays to the whole “buy language skills in a box” desire without fulfilling it. Just what Ramses said.

I play around a little bit with language tapes for Mandarin and Japanese speakers to learn Cantonese, buuuut…the bulk of my listening (and skill) has come from watching Cantonese things by and for Cantonese speakers. That’s what this is all about: “keeping it real”. It’s real Japanese that you need to be able to understand and real Japanese speakers talking at real speed…with whom you need to be able to communicate.

So…I’d say it’s much more worth it to watch a drama or the news and then rip the audio.

But that’s only my opinion and maybe other people have made good progress with tapes like that; it’s just that I personally didn’t use them for Japanese. I find them a little too dry, too boring.

Funnily enough I was having a conversation with this Japanese guy, and I explained the method I used, and he said: “That’s genius…You know why that works? Because the things you watched and listened to had EMOTION”. I thought that was an interesting (and very accurate) insight on his part.

Anyway…whatever. Do what’s fun.

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]]> By: Alec http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8735 Alec Sun, 11 May 2008 08:02:10 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8735 I recently thought about switching to the more user-friendly Anki but decided to stick with Supermemo. It may not be pretty but it does whatever I want it to do and more. Someone said they had problems putting audio in the question; I've just done it with just a little bit of fiddling around. Long live Supermemo! Having said that, I really do hope they get someone on board to make the program less buggy! @Daniel It might be hard to do SRS everyday, but definitely not impossible. I've been running Supermemo everyday for about 3/4 years now and have plugged in everything from Japanese to Physics to Maths to English. Yes, there have been days I've missed or rushed through, but doing it properly 20 times a month is better than not at all! I recently thought about switching to the more user-friendly Anki but decided to stick with Supermemo. It may not be pretty but it does whatever I want it to do and more. Someone said they had problems putting audio in the question; I’ve just done it with just a little bit of fiddling around. Long live Supermemo! Having said that, I really do hope they get someone on board to make the program less buggy!

@Daniel
It might be hard to do SRS everyday, but definitely not impossible. I’ve been running Supermemo everyday for about 3/4 years now and have plugged in everything from Japanese to Physics to Maths to English. Yes, there have been days I’ve missed or rushed through, but doing it properly 20 times a month is better than not at all!

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]]> By: vgambit http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8732 vgambit Sun, 11 May 2008 05:43:10 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8732 After reading this article, I think I'm gonna start using SuperMemo instead of Mnemosyne or Reviewing the Kanji. I mean, Piotr Wozniak lives his life by SuperMemo (literally). He's also the creator of the algorithm and the lead programmer for the project (which he has been working on since before I was born). To be honest, I wasn't really all that confident about SRS (as many times as I have attempted to use it in Mnemosyne) until I read this article and tried out SuperMemo. After doing the demonstration cards, I'm hooked. After reading this article, I think I’m gonna start using SuperMemo instead of Mnemosyne or Reviewing the Kanji.

I mean, Piotr Wozniak lives his life by SuperMemo (literally). He’s also the creator of the algorithm and the lead programmer for the project (which he has been working on since before I was born).

To be honest, I wasn’t really all that confident about SRS (as many times as I have attempted to use it in Mnemosyne) until I read this article and tried out SuperMemo. After doing the demonstration cards, I’m hooked.

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]]> By: Daniel http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8729 Daniel Sun, 11 May 2008 05:24:29 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8729 As an American, when I hear 'spectacles,' I think of those glasses attached to a thin rod, where the person uses the rod to hold them in front of their face when they want to read something. I also find that human nature makes it hard to successfully employ an SRS. Just like we say "I am going to exercise every day" or "I am not going to drink any Pepsi today", there are always obstacles and without an iron will, practicing with an SRS everyday is VERY difficult. As an American, when I hear ‘spectacles,’ I think of those glasses attached to a thin rod, where the person uses the rod to hold them in front of their face when they want to read something.

I also find that human nature makes it hard to successfully employ an SRS. Just like we say “I am going to exercise every day” or “I am not going to drink any Pepsi today”, there are always obstacles and without an iron will, practicing with an SRS everyday is VERY difficult.

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]]> By: Ramses http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8723 Ramses Sat, 10 May 2008 19:33:50 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8723 Man, I hate those typos. 'Now' must be 'not' and 'sound' 'sounds', 'if' 'is' etc. etc. ;). Man, I hate those typos. ‘Now’ must be ‘not’ and ‘sound’ ‘sounds’, ‘if’ ‘is’ etc. etc. ;) .

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]]> By: Ramses http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8719 Ramses Sat, 10 May 2008 18:11:42 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8719 Try analyzing the sounds. I find a lot of people now analyzing the sound, and then they wonder how come they sound so American/Dutch/etc./etc. Also, input if very important to get a good accent, because eventually you begin imitating the speech of natives. Try analyzing the sounds. I find a lot of people now analyzing the sound, and then they wonder how come they sound so American/Dutch/etc./etc. Also, input if very important to get a good accent, because eventually you begin imitating the speech of natives.

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]]> By: Marilyn http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8707 Marilyn Fri, 09 May 2008 21:23:38 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8707 ^Yeah, thanks for your comments, guys. I'm just going to complete Pimsleur while I'm doing Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji", since it's decent enough. Plus, I still am shaky about pronouncing Japanese words/sentences with a Japanese accent...I still sound so American. =P ^Yeah, thanks for your comments, guys. I’m just going to complete Pimsleur while I’m doing Heisig’s “Remembering the Kanji”, since it’s decent enough. Plus, I still am shaky about pronouncing Japanese words/sentences with a Japanese accent…I still sound so American. =P

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]]> By: きのこ http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8700 きのこ Fri, 09 May 2008 09:20:52 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8700 Pimsleur drills you repetitively on very basic sentences like "どこに行きますか?" so it's good for polishing your pronunciation if you still have some lingering accent trouble. I don't recommend it as the sole method of learning Japanese (heaven forbid) but it can be a good supplement. The woman on Pimsleur II doesn't sound Japanese, though. Her "すみません" is all wrong. Pimsleur drills you repetitively on very basic sentences like “どこに行きますか?” so it’s good for polishing your pronunciation if you still have some lingering accent trouble. I don’t recommend it as the sole method of learning Japanese (heaven forbid) but it can be a good supplement. The woman on Pimsleur II doesn’t sound Japanese, though. Her “すみません” is all wrong.

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]]> By: captal http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8698 captal Fri, 09 May 2008 03:56:17 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8698 Great idea Rob! I'm going to steal that idea, thanks! I also like to see how many stars I've gotten for stories I've shared :D Great idea Rob! I’m going to steal that idea, thanks!

I also like to see how many stars I’ve gotten for stories I’ve shared :D

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]]> By: Rob http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8695 Rob Thu, 08 May 2008 18:31:40 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8695 This may seem silly, but one thing I did when I was plowing through RTK was on the RTK website you can view other members and their progress as well. So I would just pick another member at random that was a little bit ahead of me in terms of progress and then imagine I was in a race against them. I would imagine that I hated them and I had to beat them no matter what. Silly yes, but it was fun and it helped to push me to get done faster. This may seem silly, but one thing I did when I was plowing through RTK was on the RTK website you can view other members and their progress as well. So I would just pick another member at random that was a little bit ahead of me in terms of progress and then imagine I was in a race against them. I would imagine that I hated them and I had to beat them no matter what. Silly yes, but it was fun and it helped to push me to get done faster.

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]]> By: Nivaldo http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8693 Nivaldo Thu, 08 May 2008 17:38:18 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8693 I understand what you're feeling and I think everyone who went through RTK understand too. It's not easy to just go through 20xx kanji. I would recommend reading the article "Calm down, hurry up" and "Strategies for overcoming burnouts"(I think it's that, don't remember well). But yeah, the strategy I used was just to focus on each kanji individually. This way I managed to "calm down my spirit"(sounds a little bit religious :) ).Maybe I'm just repeating what Anokさん said. Anyway, If you're enjoying learning kanji, good, if not, bring fun to it so as to enjoy it. :) I understand what you’re feeling and I think everyone who went through RTK understand too. It’s not easy to just go through 20xx kanji. I would recommend reading the article “Calm down, hurry up” and “Strategies for overcoming burnouts”(I think it’s that, don’t remember well). But yeah, the strategy I used was just to focus on each kanji individually. This way I managed to “calm down my spirit”(sounds a little bit religious :) ).Maybe I’m just repeating what Anokさん said. Anyway, If you’re enjoying learning kanji, good, if not, bring fun to it so as to enjoy it. :)

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]]> By: captal http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8692 captal Thu, 08 May 2008 12:08:48 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8692 ok ok, I'm remembering the dream- which currently is to be better at kanji than natives... which reminds me, I need to be off doing kanji... but the problem is that kanji can be a chore!!! Luckily I find a lot of it quite fascinating, but a lot of the learning comes down to- ok, put stuff in Anki, think of clever/gross/funny story, or steal one from RTK, and if all else fails, think of a clever rhyme or something. But coming up with clever stories even gets boring after a while. I know I can push through it- I'm at 1100 right now- I just need to better allocate my time (this bloody MBA keeps getting in the way). Sheesh, if I only do 20 a day that's only 47 more days, and I know I can do more than that (I'm no Wan though- if I do 50 in a day I get warm, fuzzy feelings.) がんばる！ ok ok, I’m remembering the dream- which currently is to be better at kanji than natives… which reminds me, I need to be off doing kanji… but the problem is that kanji can be a chore!!! Luckily I find a lot of it quite fascinating, but a lot of the learning comes down to- ok, put stuff in Anki, think of clever/gross/funny story, or steal one from RTK, and if all else fails, think of a clever rhyme or something. But coming up with clever stories even gets boring after a while.

I know I can push through it- I’m at 1100 right now- I just need to better allocate my time (this bloody MBA keeps getting in the way). Sheesh, if I only do 20 a day that’s only 47 more days, and I know I can do more than that (I’m no Wan though- if I do 50 in a day I get warm, fuzzy feelings.) がんばる！

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]]> By: Ramses http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8691 Ramses Thu, 08 May 2008 10:51:27 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8691 @Marilyn: I don't know what Khatz things, but so far I know Pimsleur is onoy good for pronounciation. It doesn't teach you much vocabulary nor it has much advanced grammar in the sentences. Also, there's waaaay too much English in it, and English is bad when you want to learn another language, besides English :) (ok, with the sentences there's English aswell (or your native language), but it has a clear reason that it's there, with Pimsleur there's al ot of unnecessary English).. @Marilyn:
I don’t know what Khatz things, but so far I know Pimsleur is onoy good for pronounciation. It doesn’t teach you much vocabulary nor it has much advanced grammar in the sentences. Also, there’s waaaay too much English in it, and English is bad when you want to learn another language, besides English :) (ok, with the sentences there’s English aswell (or your native language), but it has a clear reason that it’s there, with Pimsleur there’s al ot of unnecessary English)..

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]]> By: Marilyn http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8689 Marilyn Thu, 08 May 2008 05:13:45 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8689 Khatz- With all the talk there is about SRS, I've tried them (such as Anki for sentences and the spaced repitition on the Remembering the Kanji website), and I'm currently going through Pimsleur's Japanese I, which has an SRS approach. Of course, no Japanese audio listening is a waste, but I was kind of wondering: what do *you* think about Pimsleur and its potential effectiveness in the long-run, especially opposed to alternative speaking/listening programs for Japanese? ~Marilyn Khatz-
With all the talk there is about SRS, I’ve tried them (such as Anki for sentences and the spaced repitition on the Remembering the Kanji website), and I’m currently going through Pimsleur’s Japanese I, which has an SRS approach. Of course, no Japanese audio listening is a waste, but I was kind of wondering: what do *you* think about Pimsleur and its potential effectiveness in the long-run, especially opposed to alternative speaking/listening programs for Japanese?
~Marilyn

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]]> By: Anok http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/spaced-repetition-goes-mainstream#comment-8688 Anok Thu, 08 May 2008 02:47:23 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=248#comment-8688 Like Khatz says, you just gotta enjoy the journey and stop focusing on getting "there". Remember the dream and measure yourself by what you DO know not what you don't. You likely know a lot more now than you did a month ago. Try to always do something fun - Japanese shouldn't be a chore. If it is, why are you even bothering to learn it? You should be enjoying yourself as much as possible. Crush your hindering thoughts and conquer your motivation. Like Khatz says, you just gotta enjoy the journey and stop focusing on getting “there”. Remember the dream and measure yourself by what you DO know not what you don’t. You likely know a lot more now than you did a month ago. Try to always do something fun – Japanese shouldn’t be a chore. If it is, why are you even bothering to learn it? You should be enjoying yourself as much as possible. Crush your hindering thoughts and conquer your motivation.

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