Some quick advice on using Anki

So, I just got Anki and started messing around with it (it’s SRS for those not familiar, and quite popular with language learners), it’s awesome and does precisely what I would want it to do but I’ve just got a quick tip for those thinking about using it:

If you’re going to use Anki, if at all possible, start doing it right when you begin learning a new language, because if you do you can likely download a premade deck of words/verbs/idioms/whatever to memorize and you won’t have to make your own initially if you don’t want to.

I can’t do this. Why? Because I’ve been working on Spanish for a couple years now and I’m well into the intermediate stage and the pre-made Spanish decks you can download all start off with really, really simple stuff like “el” = “the”, “de” = “of”, “si” = “yes”, etc. I’m not going to waste time wading through all of those (probably at least a few hundred) to get to the ones I don’t know yet. I’m at the point where I just need to make my own based on any words, expressions, or grammar rules I encounter while in the process of reading actual Spanish material that I don’t already know.

Just a tip, in case you’re just starting in on Spanish, or any other language, and you’re thinking “Meh, I’ll get around to trying that Anki thing in a few months or something…”: you probably shouldn’t, you’d be best off starting right now because those pre-made decks they’ve got start at the very beginning which is perfect for you now but not something you’re going to want to mess with once you’re a few months into the language.

Edited to add: There’s a really good series of videos on how to use Anki made by the founder starting with Part 1 of 7 here that you should absolutely watch if you’ve just downloaded Anki.

The secrets of how to use free online resources to teach yourself Spanish, from home, in just a few months - Also: Here are the internet's Top 33 free online Spanish-learning resources

I run a newsletter entirely about how to learn Spanish online for free where I send out every cool new tip and technique that I learn to my subscribers and not only do they get it before anyone else but frequently they get things that no one else ever does. Additionally, I've spent a great deal of time putting together a 3-part series of articles for you on the internet's best free resources for the Spanish-learner that you'll get when you sign up for my newsletter--in addition to all of what you get below, I'll be sure to send you any updates about cool new sites, resources, and learning tips and techniques that I come up with:

Part 1: An article called “Spanish Learning Systems: Should you bother?” about whether or not you should even bother with a pre-packaged Spanish-learning system (e.g. Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur) and, if you do decide you want to, where you can go online to find programs that are literally 1/10th the price of older, more common systems like Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur but actually work even better. Also, at the same time, you’ll get a separate e-mail with a very long list of my favorite Top 33 free online Spanish-learning resources (tools, references, sites with free lessons, articles, blogs, forums, etc.) that's far to long to include here, especially with all the other stuff I've got below that's just on this site alone, and I'd like to offer it to you (completely free, you don't have to do anything other than sign up) right now.

Part 2: I explain what language exchanges are (essentially they allow you free access to an unlimited number of native speakers to practice your Spanish with), why they're absolutely essential if you're teaching yourself (I'm serious when I say this: it's impossible to get fluent without them if you're learning a foreign language on your own), how to use them, and which ones are the best.

Part 3: I cover chat rooms which are specifically devoted to connecting you with native Spanish speakers who want to learn English so you can chat with them in Spanish (and they'll help and correct you) and then you do the same for them with their English (these are completely free to use, but rather hard to find, but I'll tell you where the best ones are!). Sign up below!



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Cheers,

Andrew

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