Crank up vocabulary learning with flash cards (Part 2)

Still thinking about trying flash cards, but not keen on making paper cards?

Then grab your phone and start expanding your vocabulary.

In Part 1 I talked about using paper cards to learn new French vocab. My French is quite good and I’m comfortable mixing my new vocab in one pack of paper flash cards.

But my Polish is pretty basic and I want to learn vocab for a lot of different situations. So I’ve opted for a flash cards app on my phone.

I chose Flashcards Deluxe (no affiliation) because it’s easy and effective to use.

I can input my own vocab in my own categories. They include: ordering food and drink, expressions for greetings and small talk, days of the week and months, etc.

These categories are also helpful when I’m in a café or talking about dates. I can quickly search for relevant expressions from the index screen. And I don't have to shuffle through a stack of cards to find what I want to say.

While pre-made decks are available to download, I think personalised vocab is one of the benefits of flash cards.

I can take a photo and attach it to a card, which is great for us more visual learners. I also ask native-speakers to record phrases and attach the audio to my card.

I can experiment with different settings for spaced repetition (SRS). This learning technique repeats cards at the best interval to make the vocabulary stick in long-term memory.

As my phone is usually close by, I revise vocab while waiting for my coffee, the bus or my client. And whenever I feel like it.

For me, flash cards are fast, flexible and fun – both on paper and as an app.

I'd love to hear which version you prefer and how you use flash cards.

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