I find Anki/spaced repetition extremely useful for mastering the vocabulary of a foreign language (or, in non-language settings, getting the basics down pat)
But speaking fluently requires—un(?)-surprisingly—actually speaking
But mastering those basics is extremely useful!
As Michael Nielsen puts it: imagine trying to write a French sonnet if you have to look up the translation for every word you think of using. Mastering the rote basics is essential, in many settings, for mastery of the larger project—and that’s what spaced repetition does well.
It’s a complement, not a substitute:
I find Anki/spaced repetition extremely useful for mastering the vocabulary of a foreign language (or, in non-language settings, getting the basics down pat)
But speaking fluently requires—un(?)-surprisingly—actually speaking
But mastering those basics is extremely useful!
As Michael Nielsen puts it: imagine trying to write a French sonnet if you have to look up the translation for every word you think of using. Mastering the rote basics is essential, in many settings, for mastery of the larger project—and that’s what spaced repetition does well.