Have you ever thought about how to improve proficiency of memorizing knowledge when you are studying a non native language? Some people came up with a method of memorizing vacabulary according to Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, do you think it works for you?
I did something which made me memorise over 25 words per day. I wrote the words which I want to memorise on a small whiteboard, then I put the whiteboard in my room (because I enter it a lot). When I want something from the room, I go there and of course I see the whiteboard. After I go out, I repeat the words in my mind, and so on. I don't need a spaced repetition system, because I enter my room more than using anything else! But reading a lot and using the new words is the most important thing. Because learning too many words in a short time means that you'll forget them in a short time.
I know this curve. It give you some indication. I am using use Spanish Pimsleur course. But do it once is not enough. I finished it and I repeat it again . I plan to repeat the whole course 4 or 7 times. By this way, I will be sure that I repeat it in long pace . And this is good way to keep your vocabilaries. The trick is keep repeating what you've studied.
I have tried spaced repetition for learning new words but it didn't work for me.
What I do now is I pick a topic that really interests me and I try to translate my thoughts into Japanese. Along the way I might use some new words, and because they're related to something I am passionate about, they're easier to memorize. The problem with doing this is that my vocabulary is biased towards my own interests, but I don't think it's a bad place to start :)
Kapil, Anki and other spaced repetition software didn't work for me either. With my own index cards though I went from not being able to learn one new word a day to being able to learn over 100 with some serious concentration and will power.
The Pimsleur courses are based on Professor Pimsleur's findings but not exactly. Those courses are great for learning how to speak a new language without an accent, but to learn more advanced vocabulary I went back to Pimsleur's original findings and it has been miraculous.
Yes, it works, it most defintely works. I thought Professor Pimsleur came up with this, but you taught me something! I use Pimsleur's spacing and it's miraculous.
