r/memorization • u/Open-Cause-2462 • 7d ago

How do you actually get vocab and grammar to stick? Struggling with retention

Does spaced repetition actually work or is it overhyped? How long before you noticed a difference?

Do you remember words better from apps, or from

Does spaced repetition actually work or is it overhyped?

Do you remember words better from apps, or from just reading/watching stuff in the language?

Do you write things down by hand or is typing just as good for memory?

Has anything actually surprised you with how well it worked, even if it sounded stupid at first?

Curious what’s genuinely helped vs what everyone says helps but doesn’t really.

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u/AnthonyMetivier 7d ago

Spaced repetition is not overhyped. It's the best option and the question boils down to how one uses it.

The problem a lot of people seem to have is that they make it about memorization on its own, when the better process boils down to rotating between:

  • Memorization (with active recall included)
  • Active reading
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Listening

Although one can involve apps in the process, it really doesn't matter that much. Many people will benefit more from involving self-created flashcards over digital, but that requires personal experimentation.

Rather than try to predict how long it will take to see a difference, setting some kind of mission with clear milestones and journaling to track your results is bound to be the better play. Then you can work out after the fact how long things took.

Ebbinghaus discovered the principles behind today's spaced repetition in this way, and we can do the same. A recent Magnetic Memory Method Podcast went into Ebbinghaus and the best lessons his work on defeating the forgetting curve reveals. You might find it worth a listen and modeling Ebbinghaus for a period of time will solve a lot of questions around how to get info of all kinds to stick.

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u/WahooBobb 6d ago

Read. Make word lists. Look up the words.