Why I Don't Use Anki to Learn Vocabulary (And Why You Shouldn't Either)

Summary

In this video, language coach Luca Lampariello, who speaks 14 languages, challenges the popular use of Anki, a flashcard app for language learning. He argues against Anki, citing five reasons: it wastes time creating flashcards, can lead to an unhealthy addiction to adding new cards, turns reviewing old cards into a chore, removes language from its natural context, and makes SRS apps unnecessary when brain-friendly learning strategies are used. Lampariello advocates for his Bidirectional Translation Method as a more effective and engaging alternative for spaced repetition in language learning.

Takeaways

• 📚 Anki is a flashcard app that uses spaced repetition to help users remember information more efficiently.
• 🔍 The concept of spaced repetition originated from the work of Herman Ebbinghaus, who discovered the 'forgetting curve'.
• ⏰ Anki's algorithm is designed to show information at the optimal time to maximize retention, based on your recall performance.
• 🕒 Creating Anki flashcards can be time-consuming, involving data entry and formatting for each card.
• 📈 The ease of adding new cards in Anki can lead to an addictive cycle of constant expansion of the deck.
• 📉 Reviewing a large number of cards can become burdensome, potentially overwhelming users and detracting from language learning.
• 🗣️ Flashcards, by their nature, remove language from its natural context, which can diminish the meaning and utility of the words and phrases.
• 🧠 There are alternative learning strategies that can harness the benefits of spaced repetition without the need for software like Anki.
• 🌟 Luca Lampariello, a polyglot and language coach, advocates for more immersive and context-rich methods over digital flashcards.
• 🔗 For those interested in learning more about language learning strategies without Anki, Lampariello offers courses on his Bidirectional Translation Method and overcoming the intermediate plateau.

Q & A

What is the main claim of Anki regarding language learning?

Anki claims to 'make remembering things easy' and help users study less, learn more, and do so more efficiently than traditional memorization methods.

Who is Hermann Ebbinghaus and what is his contribution to the concept of memory?

Hermann Ebbinghaus was a 19th-century German psychologist who conducted experiments on memory and forgetting. His work led to the discovery of 'the forgetting curve,' which illustrates the rate at which information is forgotten over time.

What is the forgetting curve and how does it relate to language learning?

The forgetting curve is a graph that shows how quickly information is forgotten over time. It suggests that information reviewed shortly before it is forgotten strengthens the memory and slows the rate of forgetting, which is a principle used in language learning and memorization techniques.

Why does Luca Lampariello not recommend using Anki for language learning?

Luca Lampariello does not recommend Anki because he believes it can waste learning time, create an addictive cycle of adding new cards, turn reviewing old cards into a chore, take language out of context, and make SRS apps irrelevant when compared to brain-friendly learning strategies.

What are the five reasons Luca Lampariello gives for not using Anki?

The five reasons are: (1) Making flashcards wastes learning time, (2) Adding new cards can become an addiction, (3) Reviewing old cards can become a chore, (4) Flashcards take language out of context, and (5) Brain-friendly learning strategies make SRS apps irrelevant.

How does Luca Lampariello suggest using language in a natural way for learning?

Luca Lampariello suggests using language in a natural way by reading authentic texts, listening to authentic podcasts, watching authentic films, and having authentic conversations with native speakers.

What is the Bidirectional Translation Method that Luca Lampariello mentions?

The Bidirectional Translation Method is a language learning technique where learners deeply engage with a piece of content by translating it into their native language and then back into the target language, using various review methods over a week.

How does the Bidirectional Translation Method work in practice according to the script?

The method involves a cycle of activities over six days: reading and listening to content, analyzing phonetic patterns, reviewing content in a new way, translating the content into the native language, translating it back verbally, and finally re-translating it in writing, noting any errors or omissions.

What alternative does Luca Lampariello propose to Anki for spaced repetition?

Luca Lampariello proposes using brain-friendly learning strategies and his Bidirectional Translation Method, which leverage the power of spaced repetition without the need for maintaining an Anki deck.

What are the potential downsides of using Anki as described in the script?

The potential downsides include wasting time on creating flashcards, the risk of addiction to adding new cards, the chore of reviewing old cards, the removal of language from its natural context, and the irrelevance of SRS apps when compared to more engaging learning strategies.