Well done! Peter
Henrik in Oslo <[email protected]> wrote: >Passed German exam. Happy, thankful to Mnemosyne-crew, and most of all: >I >will easily maintain or improve my skill-level in German in the future >:-) >/ Henrik > >On Monday, 22 April 2013 21:06:27 UTC+2, Henrik in Oslo wrote: >> >> (Inspired by Tom Catos posting about retention rate) >> >> I have for more than 10 years use Spaced Repetition Learning Software > >> (SRLS). >> >> For the past 12 months I have studied German. I have >> >> - followed two good courses at Goethe Institut ("B1" and "B2") >> >> - had some private tutoring >> >> - used Mnemosyne extensively: Entered ~ 9 000 learning items >(German), ~ 7 >> 000 of them active right now. >> >> - ~ 130 items per day (includes Italian and history) >> >> - used Mnemomsyne tags actively in order to prioritise >> >> - I intend to take an oral exam (German) in 2-3 weeks and I am fairly > >> confident I will pass >> >> - my German will keep improving the coming years >> >> I have previously learned Italian, more or less following the same >process >> (using Supermemo). It took a lot longer to learn Italian (I had no >> background knowledge, Italian is further from my mother tongue, >Norwegian, >> there is less material available). I have now also "learned more >about >> learning a language". Over the years I have adjusted my approach >> considerably. Below are my main points (learning is individual, we >all need >> to find out "what works for me"): >> >> *1) Using SRLS, my aim is a retention rate no lower than 95%.*** >> >> Supermemo uses the term "*leeches*" for the stubborn learning items >that >> one systematically tends not to remember. Now I periodically keep an >eye on >> my "leeches": Are they badly formulated? Do I have the necessary >> "surrounding" and "supporting" knowledge? Some I simply give a >> "Priority-2"-tag and put on hold until I am more ready. Others I >> re-formulate (would be nice if Mnemosyne allowed "copy-items" and/ or > >> "Reset learning"). I may also supplement with a different approach >(use >> picture/ sound). Some I write down (yes, good old handwriting) and >look >> through every now and then. I find that changing the learning-context >can >> do wonders... >> >> *2) For me, language is primarily spoken*** >> >> I listen to native-speakers. I search for learning situations (now I >have >> German friends, of course). I am not shy to make mistakes. Mnemosyne >with >> sound is for me powerful and useful. *Interesting how often I (in a >> real-life situation) cannot find a phrase that I really know well >when >> going through my daily Mnemosyne-lesson..*. >> >> *3) Some textbooks are really good*** >> >> For German I used an OCR scanner to grab excellent text-book material >into >> PC... and some of it all the way into Menmosyne learning items. I >tried to >> work ahead of classes and I was well prepared. And of course I still >repeat >> stuff we "learned" in August. *A pity so few text-books are digital. >* >> >> I also find good material online (one has to be critical of quality >> though). >> >> *4) "It is easier to learn a language when you already now it"*** >> >> Now I am really focused on learning basics and the easy stuff first. >That >> foundation then provides the platform to progress from. Therefore: I >reduce >> my leeches. I am not yet ready for them. >> >> I cram sentences like: "I am sorry, could you please repeat that/ >could >> you please speak very slowly/ do you think you could express it >> differently" etc. And I use them. >> >> *5) Language is context*** >> >> I have few single-word items in my database, put perhaps *10 small >> sentences *for *each important term. *I tend to build knowledge >clusters >> (areas of interest, developing from basic, primitive language to more > >> mature / advanced within this cluster. >> >> *6) Passive learning comes before active, and that is ok*** >> >> As children we were bombarded with language that we did not quite >> understood, only slowly were we able to understand it, *then *use it. >> >> Typically with Mnemosyne I try to find interesting texts and >> >> a) I start by making "Cloze" cards. If leechy: I provide hints. >Sometimes >> I start with easy-clozes in a difficult text and then add harder >clozes to >> same text (card) as time progresses >> >> b) Then I make more traditional "front-to-back" items (usually short >> sentences), nearly always first from foreign language to familiar >> language. Tab separated txt is very efficient for pre-editing and >input to >> Mnemosyne >> >> c) After a while Mnemosyne can inform me ("Easiness" and "Lapses") >which >> of the front-to-back items are ready to enter my "active" knowledge, >and >> stay there.... Browse, identify, right-click and convert card-type to > >> "front-to-back and back-to-front". >> >> *7) Grammar is language in use, not just rules to remember*** >> >> I learn both. Cloze is really useful in "filling in" the correct >> grammatical conjugation in a context. >> >> *8) Perhaps the main benefit for me of using Mnemosyne (and >previously) >> Supermemo:*** >> >> It has given me (a fairly untidy person) a much more *systematic >approach*to learning. >> >> Now I spend 10-20 minutes EVERY day (sometimes a lot more when >inputting >> stuff, tidying up etc) >> >> I feel that I spend time on useful and relevant learning material >(not >> stuff that is too easy or to difficult) >> >> Whatever interesting, useful pieces of knowledge I learn: It is >really >> nice to know that it is very unlikely that I will come in the >position so >> familiar to many of my fellow language course participants over the >years: >> "I took this course x, years ago, but I have forgotten most of it" >> >> Potential problem: Addiction.* I wonder if I can learn in any other >way*. >> >> *Thanks to Peter and all the rest of you for providing this excellent > >> learning tool. >> * >> >> I would like to hear other stories and experiences. >> >> / Henrik in Oslo >> > >-- >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >Groups "mnemosyne-proj-users" group. >To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >an email to [email protected]. >To post to this group, send email to >[email protected]. >To view this discussion on the web visit >https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mnemosyne-proj-users/da19fbde-4c2f-47a0-974b-d96a63ffff61%40googlegroups.com?hl=en. >For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mnemosyne-proj-users" group. 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