FLASHCARDS - learning vocabulary

6 days ago3 min read

Flashcards are a study tool that helps with memorization and active recall. They consist of small cards with a question, word, or concept on one side and the answer or explanation on the other.

My personal take on flashcards:

I’ve been using flashcards for French, Spanish, and Turkish. I started with English though and back than I did not know it had a name or that it was a learning method used by polyglots too.

Types of Flashcards

Paper Flashcards – Classic index cards or small pieces of paper. You write a new word on one side and its meaning, a picture or a drawing that will help you to remember it. You can do it in your native tongue (beginners) or the target language (intermediate).
Digital Flashcards – Online or app-based flashcards (e.g., Anki, Quizlet). These often include spaced repetition and multimedia (images, sounds).

How to Study with Flashcards

Active Recall – Look at the question side, try to remember the answer before flipping the card.
Spaced Repetition – Review difficult cards more often and easy ones less frequently to strengthen memory.
Mix Up the Order – Avoid memorizing based on card position rather than actual knowledge.
Say Answers Out Loud – Helps reinforce learning and correct pronunciation for language study.
Use Both Directions – If learning vocabulary, test both foreign-to-native and native-to-foreign translations.

SRS (Spaced Repetition System)

SRS (Spaced Repetition System) is a learning method based on the principle of gradual repetition at optimal intervals. It is derived from psychological studies on forgetting, particularly Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve.

Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

The German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered in his research that:

Without repetition, we forget most new information very quickly – after just one day, we remember only about 30% of what we learned.
If the material is reviewed at regular intervals, forgetting slows down, and the information is better stored in long-term memory.

How SRS Works

SRS applies the principles of the forgetting curve and schedules repetitions at gradually increasing intervals:

First review – right after learning (e.g., after a few minutes or hours).
Second review – after one day.
Third review – after a few days.
Further reviews – after weeks or even months if the information is still remembered.

The system works in such a way that if we easily recall something, the interval before the next review increases. If we struggle to recall it, the review is scheduled sooner.

Uses of SRS

SRS is often used for learning languages, medicine, or any factual knowledge. Some of the most well-known applications include Anki, Quizlet, SuperMemo, and Memrise, which automatically schedule reviews based on user responses.

This method helps us learn more efficiently because we spend more time on information that we find difficult and less on what we already know.

Leitner System

The Leitner System is a specific method that applies SRS principles for effective learning using flashcards. It was developed by the German journalist Sebastian Leitner in the 1970s.

How the Leitner System Works

Flashcards are divided into several boxes depending on how well we remember the information.

All new flashcards start in the first box.
If answered correctly, the card moves to the next box (with a longer review interval).
If answered incorrectly, the card moves back to the first box (for more frequent repetition).

BOX	Review interval
1st box	Every day
2nd box	Every 2-3 days
3rd box	Every week
4th box	Every 2 weeks
5th box	Every month

Connection to SRS and the Forgetting Curve

The Leitner system automatically prioritizes reviewing flashcards that are harder to remember while reducing time spent on those that are already well-known. This optimally follows Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve, ensuring that more difficult information is reviewed more frequently until it is stored in long-term memory.