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.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Anki and Its Drawbacks

The paragraph introduces Anki, a flashcard app that utilizes spaced repetition to aid in memorization. It claims to make remembering easier and more efficient than traditional methods. Despite its popularity, the speaker, Luca Lampariello, a language coach fluent in 14 languages, expresses his disapproval of Anki. He outlines five reasons why he doesn't recommend using Anki, starting with a brief history of memory studies by Hermann Ebbinghaus, whose 'forgetting curve' is the theoretical foundation for Anki's effectiveness. Ebbinghaus' experiments with 'nonsense syllables' demonstrated how memory retention is enhanced by reviewing information just before it's forgotten. Anki aims to optimize this process by determining the ideal times for review. However, Luca argues that while he appreciates the concept of spaced repetition, he doesn't use Anki or similar software due to various reasons he will discuss.

05:05

🚩 The Time-consuming Nature of Anki

This section emphasizes the time-consuming process of creating Anki flashcards, which involves typing in card details, adding media files, and formatting. The speaker argues that this task detracts from the time that could be spent engaging with the language in a more authentic and immersive way, such as through reading, listening, and conversing. The potential time 'saved' by Anki's memorization efficiency is overshadowed by the initial investment of time required to set up and manage the flashcards. The speaker also suggests that Anki's complexity can further increase the time spent learning how to use the software effectively.

10:06

🔄 The Risks of Anki Addiction and Review Overload

The paragraph discusses the potential for addiction to creating new Anki flashcards, which becomes easier as the deck grows. The speaker warns of the risk of accumulating an overwhelming number of cards, leading to a tedious review process. Anki's algorithm determines when to review cards, but as the number of cards increases, so does the time required for reviews. This can lead to a cycle of constant review, which can be demotivating and may cause learners to abandon their language studies. The speaker suggests that the tools used for language learning should encourage ongoing learning rather than creating a burden that leads to giving up.

15:11

🏫 The Contextual Disconnect of Flashcards

Luca argues that flashcards, by their nature, remove language from its natural context, which is essential for understanding and learning. Language is a network where words and phrases are interconnected, and removing them from context can lead to a loss of meaning. While flashcards can be effective for learning in general, they do not align with how language functions. The speaker gives the example of the word 'light' to illustrate how context is necessary to understand meaning. He suggests that learning through immersion in context-rich materials is more effective than isolated vocabulary memorization.

🧠 Brain-Friendly Learning as an Alternative to SRS Apps

In this section, the speaker explains that despite not using Anki, he still benefits from spaced repetition through his own learning strategies. He suggests that the key to spaced repetition is regular exposure to information over time, which can be achieved without the need for Anki's precise scheduling. Luca shares his Bidirectional Translation Method, which involves deeply engaging with language content through various activities over a week, allowing for natural absorption and recall. This method, he claims, is more enjoyable and effective than managing digital flashcards.

🔗 Conclusion and Further Resources

The final paragraph offers a recap of the reasons against using Anki and invites viewers to explore the speaker's language learning courses for more on his Anki-free strategies. The speaker provides links to his courses in the video description and comments, encouraging viewers to continue their language learning journey with his recommended methods.

Keywords

💡Anki

Anki is a flashcard app that utilizes Spaced Repetition Systems (SRS) to help users memorize information more efficiently. In the video, the speaker expresses skepticism about using Anki for language learning, arguing that it can be time-consuming and take language out of context. The script mentions Anki's claim to 'make remembering things easy' and help users 'study less, learn more,' which the speaker challenges with his personal experience and alternative methods.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time, which is said to enhance long-term memory. The video references the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus and his 'forgetting curve,' which forms the basis for SRS. Despite this, the speaker argues against using software like Anki for SRS, advocating for alternative learning strategies that are more immersive and context-rich.

💡Forgetting Curve

The Forgetting Curve, as discovered by Ebbinghaus, illustrates how information is forgotten over time without review. The video uses this concept to explain the rationale behind SRS but also to critique Anki, suggesting that the app's reliance on this curve can lead to an overemphasis on memorization at the expense of contextual understanding.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are a study tool where information is written on cards, typically with a question or term on one side and the answer or definition on the other. The video criticizes the use of flashcards within Anki for isolating language from its natural context, which the speaker believes is detrimental to effective language learning.

💡Language Learning

Language learning is the process of acquiring new languages. The video's theme revolves around effective language learning strategies, with the speaker arguing against Anki and advocating for methods that involve more natural and contextual use of the target language.

💡Addiction

In the context of the video, addiction refers to the potential for users to become obsessive about adding new flashcards in Anki, which can detract from more holistic language learning practices. The speaker warns that this behavior can lead to an imbalance in study habits.

💡Context

Context is the situation in which something exists or happens, and in language learning, it refers to the environment in which language is used. The video argues that Anki's flashcard method removes words from their natural context, which can hinder understanding and usage of the language in realistic scenarios.

💡Bidirectional Translation Method

The Bidirectional Translation Method is a language learning technique mentioned in the video, where learners translate content between their native language and the target language in multiple ways over a week. This method is presented as an alternative to Anki, focusing on deep understanding and contextual learning.

💡Chore

In the video, the term 'chore' is used to describe the potential for Anki's review process to become burdensome and routine, which can negatively impact motivation. The speaker suggests that the repetitive nature of reviewing flashcards can detract from the enjoyment and effectiveness of language learning.

💡Brain-friendly Learning Strategies

Brain-friendly learning strategies refer to methods that align with how the brain naturally processes and retains information. The video suggests that such strategies can make SRS apps like Anki irrelevant by incorporating spaced repetition in a more organic and less rigid manner.

Highlights

Anki is a flashcard app that uses spaced repetition to aid memory, but the speaker doesn't recommend it for language learning.

The speaker, Luca Lampariello, is a language coach proficient in 14 languages and advocates for efficient language learning methods.

Anki's effectiveness is based on Hermann Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve, which shows how quickly information is forgotten over time.

Ebbinghaus' experiments with 'nonsense syllables' demonstrated the importance of review timing for long-term memorization.

Spaced Repetition Systems like Anki aim to identify the optimal moments to review information to maximize retention.

The speaker appreciates the concept of spaced repetition but chooses not to use digital tools like Anki for language learning.

Creating Anki flashcards can be time-consuming, diverting time from more immersive language learning activities.

The ease of adding new cards in Anki can lead to an addictive cycle that may overwhelm learners with excessive review tasks.

Flashcards, by their nature, remove words and phrases from their natural context, which can diminish their meaning and utility.

The speaker introduces brain-friendly learning strategies that can harness the benefits of spaced repetition without the need for SRS apps.

The Bidirectional Translation Method is one such strategy that involves deep engagement with language content over a week.

The speaker's courses, 'Become a Master Language Learner', offer detailed instruction on effective, Anki-free learning techniques.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of using language in context and avoiding the isolation of words and phrases.

Anki's algorithm for reviewing cards can lead to a daily chore that may detract from the joy of language learning.

The speaker suggests that the effort required to maintain Anki decks could be better spent on actual language use and practice.

The video concludes with a recap of the five reasons presented against using Anki for language learning, advocating for more natural and context-rich methods.

Transcripts

Have you ever wished there were a magical way to easily remember foreign language words

and phrases, with little effort?

Nowadays, many language learners claim that there is such a way, thanks to a flashcard

app called Anki.

Anki claims to "make remembering things easy", and help you study less, learn more, and do

all that a lot more efficiently than you would with traditional memorization methods.

Despite Anki's widespread popularity, many people are shocked when I tell them that I

don't use Anki.

In fact, I don't recommend it at all!

And in this video I am going to tell you why.

Hi, I'm Luca Lampariello.

I'm a language coach who speaks 14 languages.

On this channel, I help people learn foreign languages faster, more efficiently, and in

a fun way.

In this video, I'll share five reasons why you shouldn't use Anki to learn foreign language

words.

Before we dive into the reasons why you should not use ANKI, I want to first give you a little

more information about exactly what Anki is, and why it claims to be so effective at helping

you memorize words.

The story starts (believe it or not) with a 19th century German psychologist named Herman

Ebbinghaus.

Ebbinghaus was fascinated by the human memory.

In particular, he wanted to understand how learning and forgetting play a role in the

memorization process.

So, Ebbinghaus devised an experiment.

He would attempt to learn a set of completely new information, and then test his ability

to recall learned items over time.

To make sure he couldn't rely on existing knowledge, Ebbinghaus decided to learn "nonsense

syllables"—three-letter chunks of sound that had no significance in his native German.

He would make long lists of these syllables—for example, "wid, zof, taz, bok, and lef", learn

them, and then document his journey towards reciting each list perfectly from memory.

Crucially, Ebbinghaus tracked a number of important variables in the process, including

number of repetitions, time between repetitions, number of syllables, in the list, and so on.

These experiments revealed to Ebbinghaus something that we now call "the forgetting curve".

The curve is a graph that reveals the rate at which information is forgotten over time.

Through Ebbinghaus' work, we know that information that is not reviewed is forgotten quickly,

but information that is reviewed (or "repeated") shortly before it is forgotten gets a "boost"

in your memory.

This reviewed memory will then be forgotten at a slower rate than it was before.

If additional reviews are completed, this rate of forgetting will slow further and further

until we can consider the piece of information effectively memorized.

The forgetting curve reveals that the timing of repetitions can be hugely important for

long-term memorization.

It even leaves an enticing mystery: if we knew exactly when we were about to forget

a piece of information, couldn't we then determine when to review it, for maximum retention power?

That mystery is exactly why software programs like Anki exist.

These programs (called Spaced Repetition systems), use data and algorithms to supposedly pinpoint

the ideal time to review a learned piece of information.

Following that logic, if you learn with such software, you would then be memorizing information

in "the most efficient way", because you're aligning your review sessions with your brain's

natural forgetting curve.

Here's the thing: I have no gripes with Ebbinghaus, or his forgetting curve.

I'm actually a huge fan of the concept of Spaced Repetition, and I use it all the time

in my learning.

What I do not do, though, is use Spaced Repetition software.

I don't use Anki, Memrise, Supermemo, or anything like it.

I never have.

Actually to be fair, I have given ANKI a shot.

I have toyed with it for a while to make this exact video.

And now I know I will never use it for my language learning.

Why?

Well, I've got five reasons why, which are: Making flashcards wastes learning time

Adding new cards can become an addiction Reviewing old cards can become a chore

Flashcards take language out of context Brain-friendly learning strategies make SRS

apps irrelevant Let's dive right in:

Making Flashcards Wastes Learning Time One of the hardest parts about learning a

language as an adult is finding the time to get it all done.

The demands of work and family life often leave us precious few hours to devote to our

target languages.

For that reason, I strive to spend most of what language learning time I have actually

absorbing and using the language in a natural way: by reading authentic texts, listening

to authentic podcasts, watching authentic films, and having authentic conversations

with natives.

If I were to inject Anki into my language practice, I'd have to devote a chunk of that

time to inauthentic tasks, most of which boil down to tedious data entry.

To create a good-quality Anki card, you need to:

Type in what goes on the front of the card Type in what goes on the back of the card

Add an image file (if you can find one) Add an audio file (if you can find one)

Decide what other information you want to include, like tags, formatting, and different

card formats.

Save the card That's at least several minutes of work, and

only just for one card!

If you're creating a deck of tens, or hundreds, or even thousands of cards (as some people

do), that's A LOT of time lost!

Even if Anki does help speed up your memorization process on the other side, that's a huge amount

of time spent up front just creating and managing your flashcards.

And that's if everything goes well!

From what I've been told, Anki isn't the simplest and most functional piece of software, so

you'll probably lose even more time just figuring out how to get everything working the way

you want!

Not at all worth it, in my opinion.

Save that time, and apply it directly to using and absorbing your target language.

Adding New Cards Can Become an Addiction Despite the work that it takes to put together

a good deck of flashcards using Anki, a lot of that setup is front-loaded.

Once you've planned the structure of the deck, configured the layout of individual flashcards,

and then added enough cards to get started, growing the deck actually becomes pretty easy.

Assuming you know where all of your card data is coming from, adding a new card can take

anywhere from a couple seconds to a minute.

And while the ability to quickly add new cards might seem like a good thing (and often is),

it's something that can quickly become addicting.

The whole value proposition of Anki is that it can help you remember anything you want.

Since Anki flashcards are entirely digital, this actually seems feasible—nowadays, modern

smartphones make it trivial to carry card decks containing thousands of cards or more,

anywhere you go.

Essentially, Anki removes nearly all costs associated with adding new flashcards to your

card deck.

Assuming you have the time to make the additions, there's nothing else preventing you from adding

every phrase you hear in your target language right to your virtual "memory bank".

There's even software out there that can make this simple process even easier.

Using programs like subs2srs and voracious, you can turn an entire movie or television

show into an Anki deck of thousands of cards, in just a few clicks of a button.

You might wonder what I'm complaining about here.

Certainly having a fast way to turn movies and TV shows into learning material is a good

thing, right?

Yes, of course it is!

But if you don't know how to do all this in moderation, the size of your Anki decks can

quickly spiral out of control.

This is because once you've got a deck of Anki cards, you need to actually learn them

and review them.

This, incidentally, brings me to my next point: Reviewing Old Cards Can Become a Chore

If you recall my explanation of the Forgetting Curve, you'll remember that each time you

learn or review something, there's an ideal point at which you should review it again.

This helps you strengthen the memory and slow the speed at which you'll forget it in the

future.

As a software program, Anki's job is to show you a piece of information (a flashcard),

and then algorithmically determine when that next ideal review should occur.

So, for example, it might show you a card for the first time, and test you on its contents.

Based on that result, it could then decide that you need to review again in a few hours,

or a few days.

When it comes time for you to actually do that review, Anki will show the card to you

automatically; you don't need to do any extra work.

This is fine for one card.

But as you go through and learn dozens or hundreds of cards, these reviews will start

to pile up.

Before you know it, you could be spending more than an hour each day going through your

Anki reviews—and that's before you even get to learning new cards for that day.

And if that sounds bad, then you shouldn't even think about taking a day off.

Because while you're taking your break (because you're busy, sick, or just unwilling to review

that day), your Anki reviews are still piling up.

When you come back to Anki (assuming you will, which is not guaranteed), you'll have a mountain

of reviews to work through.

And that's terrible for motivation.

People first become addicted to adding new cards, but then become opposed to actually

reviewing them.

This becomes a vicious cycle which ultimately causes learners to feel overwhelmed and give

up their language learning.

I've seen it time and time again, and it's not good for anyone.

The tools you use should not only motivate you to learn, but help you stay on the learning

path for as long as possible.

Anki doesn't seem to do that for the vast majority of people, which is a major reason

why I don't recommend it.

But I'm not done yet.

Let's move on to the next reason.

Flashcards Take Language Out of Context My next gripe against Anki is one that I have

against flashcards in general: by definition, they remove the language you are learning

from its natural context.

Just think about it.

When you picture a flashcard in your head, what do you see?

A simple card with a word or phrase in your target language on one side, and the equivalent

expression in your native language on the back.

For all its bells and whistles, Anki boils down to just that: a way to take foreign language

content and chop it up into small, isolated pieces, so that each piece can be absorbed,

reviewed, and tested individually.

Breaking down a lot of information into small chunks is a great way to learn in general,

but it goes against how language inherently works.

Language is not just a series of isolated words and phrases placed neatly next to each

other in a row, like so many beads on a string.

Rather, language functions as a network.

Each word in a phrase, each phrase in a sentence, and each sentence in a paragraph or utterance

serves to reinforce everything else around it.

If you remove any one of those things from its network—the natural context that it

finds itself within—it begins to lose meaning.

In fact, the loss of meaning can become so great that in many cases, when you remove

a word from its surrounding context, it becomes essentially meaningless.

You see this practically anytime you look up a word in a dictionary.

Most words you know have more than one meaning.

But to determine which meaning is actually being used in a given situation, you have

to look at the surrounding context.

To give a quick example, think of the word "light".

On its own, light could mean the visible radiation coming from the sun, or the relative weight

of an object.

But if you put just "light" on one side of a flashcard, you'd have no idea which of those

two kinds of "light" was intended—at least, not without more context.

However, if you had never heard the word "light" before, and I showed you a video about the

sun, you'd quickly learn one meaning of "light", and automatically connect it to dozens of

words and phrases which can give you context for that meaning, like "sun", "star", "solar

system", "radiation", "wavelength" and more.

There are ways to mitigate the loss of context that comes with taking target language content

and putting it on flashcards; however, that generally requires you to squeeze more information

onto each flashcard, which can then make the whole flashcard creation more laborious, as

I explored in my first point.

Given the issues that come along with creating and managing flashcards with Anki, wouldn't

it be great if we could get all of the benefits of spaced repetition, but without the extra

hassle?

We can!

Which is why, in my next point, I can say that...

Brain-Friendly Learning Strategies Make SRS Apps Irrelevant

You might remember that earlier, I mentioned that I don't use Anki at all.

You may also remember that after introducing the concept of Spaced Repetition, I mentioned

that I'm a huge fan of the concept, and that I use it all the time to learn languages.

So what gives?

How is it possible to gain all the benefits of Spaced Repetition, without also using a

program like Anki (and all the drawbacks that come with it)?

It's surprisingly not all that difficult.

Thinking back to Ebbinghaus' work on spaced repetition and the forgetting curve, the main

idea revolves around the benefits of getting repeated exposure to a piece of information

over a long period of time.

Though software like Anki optimizes exactly when you do your review, there's not much

benefit lost from just making sure you spread out your repetitions of a single piece of

learning content over the course of a week, or even a month.

By reviewing regularly, and giving yourself time to forget between reviews, you can leverage

the power of spaced repetition, without any of the maintenance that comes with creating

an Anki deck, and without getting sucked into the endless cycle of adding cards and declining

to review them.

This is exactly how I structure my Bidirectional Translation method, which is the method I

follow to learn new languages every year.

I take a short piece of content, learn it deeply, and then review it in a variety of

ways over the course of a single week.

Then, after that week, I trust that additional repetitions will just come through learning

and using the language.

Here’s a short breakdown of how it works: On day 1, I read the content and listen to

the audio, using the translation in my mother tongue to try to understand the text as deeply

as possible.

On day 2, I analyze the phonetic patterns of the text—the pronunciation, intonation,

and word stress.

On day 3, I review the content in a brand-new way—usually through just listening to the

audio, just reading the text, or something else entirely!

On day 4, I take the target language version of the text and make a personalized translation

of it, in my native language.

On day 5, I take my native language translation from the previous day, and try to verbally

translate it back into my target language.

And on day 6, I complete the cycle, by taking my native-language translation and re-translating

it IN WRITING back into the original language.

Then, I make note of any errors, forgotten words, or mistranslations.

This cycle of taking a piece of language content and “processing it” in various ways is

incredibly powerful, and a lot more fun than sitting in front of my computer, creating

digital flashcards every day!

And it's something you should definitely try, if you get a chance!

Alright, those are all of the reasons why I don't use Anki, and why I believe you shouldn't

either!

There are much better ways, which I'll explore in even more detail in a future video.

For now, let's recap the five reasons.

I believe you shouldn't use Anki to learn vocabulary in a foreign language because:

Making flashcards wastes learning time Adding new cards can become an addiction

Reviewing old cards can become a chore Flashcards take language out of context

Brain-friendly learning strategies make SRS apps irrelevant

If you want to take a deeper dive into my Anki-free strategies for Spaced Repetition,

definitely check out the courses in my Become a Master Language Learner series, both of

which use these strategies to full effect!

I've got a beginner course about my aforementioned Bidirectional Translation Method, and an intermediate

course about overcoming the Intermediate Plateau!

As usual I left a link in the description box and in the comment pinned on top in the

comment section.

That's all for now!

Thanks for watching, and I'll see you soon.

Happy language learning!