Mastering Spaced Repetition

Welcome to Readably's Spaced Repetition feature, your key to efficient and long-lasting vocabulary retention! If you're new to Readably, we recommend starting with our Getting Started guide to create your account. Once you're set up, let's explore how you can leverage this scientifically-proven technique to supercharge your language learning.

Accessing the Spaced Repetition Feature

To begin your spaced repetition practice, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Readably account and navigate to your dashboard.
2. Locate and click on the "Spaced Repetition" feature.
3. On the next page, you'll see two options:
   • Select a specific wordbank to practice
   • Choose "Review All Words" to practice words from all your wordbanks that are due for review

Don't have any wordbanks yet? No problem! Creating a wordbank is a straightforward process that allows you to customize your learning experience. Click the plus (+) button to add a new wordbank, then start adding words you'd like to memorize. For a more detailed guide on creating wordbanks, check out our Creating Your First Wordbank tutorial.

Understanding Spaced Repetition

Before we dive into the practice, let's briefly explain why spaced repetition is so effective:

• Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at gradually increasing intervals.
• It's based on the psychological spacing effect, which demonstrates that we learn more effectively when we space out our learning over time.
• This method helps move information from short-term to long-term memory, making it ideal for language learning.
• Readably's spaced repetition system adapts to your performance, scheduling reviews at optimal times to reinforce your memory.

Engaging in Your Spaced Repetition Session

Once you've selected a wordbank or chosen to review all words, here's what to expect:

1. You'll be presented with a set of up to 10 words for review. These are chosen based on your past performance and when they're due for review.
2. For each word, you'll see a prompt asking for the translation.
3. Type your answer in the provided textbox.
4. Hit the Enter key or click "Check Answer" to submit your response.
5. The system will evaluate your answer:
   • If correct, the textbox will turn green.
   • If incorrect, the textbox will turn red and then display the correct answer.
6. Click "Next" to move to the next word, or "Previous" to review a previous word.
7. At the top of the screen, you'll see a progress bar with circles representing each question. These circles change color based on your answers (green for correct, red for incorrect).
8. After answering all questions, click "Get Results" to see your performance summary.

Understanding Your Results

The results page provides valuable insights into your performance:

• You'll see the total time taken for the review session.
• A chart will display your score (number of correct answers out of total questions).
• You can review the specific questions you got wrong, along with their correct answers.
• Use this information to focus on areas that need more attention in future sessions.

The Science Behind Readably's Spaced Repetition

Readably's spaced repetition system is more than just a simple flashcard tool. Here's what makes it special:

• Adaptive Scheduling: Based on your performance, the system adjusts the review schedule for each word. Words you find challenging will appear more frequently, while those you know well will have longer intervals between reviews.
• AI-Powered Answer Evaluation: We understand that words often have multiple valid translations. Our AI evaluates your answers contextually, allowing for synonyms and alternative phrasings.
• Comprehensive Word Coverage: The "Review All Words" option ensures you're regularly practicing words from all your wordbanks, preventing any vocabulary from falling through the cracks.
• Email Reminders: To help you stay on track, Readably sends email reminders when you have a significant number of words due for review.

Maximizing Your Spaced Repetition Practice

To get the most out of this powerful feature, consider these tips:

• Consistency is Key: Try to engage in spaced repetition practice daily, even if it's just for a few minutes.
• Don't Cram: Trust the system's scheduling. It's designed to optimize your long-term retention, so resist the urge to over-practice words that aren't due for review.
• Use Context: When reviewing words, try to recall or create a sentence using the word. This helps reinforce the word's meaning and usage.
• Combine with Other Features: Use words from your spaced repetition sessions in the Listening Practice and Reading Practice features to reinforce your learning in different contexts.
• Review Missed Words: Pay extra attention to words you consistently miss. Consider creating example sentences or mnemonic devices to help remember them.

Integrating Spaced Repetition into Your Learning Routine

While spaced repetition is a powerful tool on its own, it becomes even more effective when integrated into a comprehensive language learning strategy:

1. Start Your Day with Review: Begin your language learning sessions with a quick spaced repetition review to warm up your brain.
2. Use New Vocabulary Immediately: After learning new words in your spaced repetition session, try to use them in the Personalized Conversations feature.
3. Create Themed Wordbanks: Organize your vocabulary into themed wordbanks (e.g., "Business Terminology", "Travel Phrases") to make your learning more focused and contextual.
4. Combine with Reading: After a spaced repetition session, read a text in the Reading Practice feature that's likely to contain some of the words you just reviewed.
5. Listen for Reviewed Words: In your next Listening Practice session, pay special attention to any words you've recently reviewed in your spaced repetition practice.

Understanding the Forgetting Curve

The spaced repetition system is designed to combat the natural forgetting curve, a concept crucial to effective learning:

• The forgetting curve illustrates how information is lost over time when there's no attempt to actively recall it.
• Typically, we forget about 50% of newly learned information within an hour, and up to 70% within a day.
• Spaced repetition interrupts this forgetting process by prompting you to recall information at strategic intervals.
• Each time you successfully recall a word, the rate of forgetting for that word decreases.

By understanding this process, you can appreciate why consistent engagement with the spaced repetition feature is so important for long-term language acquisition.

Tracking Your Progress

Readably's spaced repetition feature includes tools to help you track your progress:

• Performance Metrics: Review your overall accuracy rate and see how it improves over time.
• Word Mastery Levels: Words are categorized into different mastery levels based on your performance. Watch as words move from "New" to "Mastered" status.
• Review Schedule: See how many words are due for review each day, helping you plan your study sessions.
• Long-Term Trends: Observe how your retention rate improves over weeks and months of consistent practice.

Customizing Your Spaced Repetition Experience

While Readably's default settings are optimized for most learners, you can customize certain aspects of your spaced repetition practice:

• Session Length: Adjust the number of words reviewed in each session based on your available time and concentration levels.
• Review Direction: Practice translating from your native language to your target language, or vice versa.
• Notification Settings: Customize how often you receive email reminders about due reviews.
• Difficulty Settings: For advanced learners, you can opt to make the system more strict in its answer evaluation.

Spaced Repetition for Different Learning Styles

Readably's spaced repetition feature can be adapted to suit different learning preferences:

• Visual Learners: Create wordbanks with image associations for each word.
• Auditory Learners: Use the text-to-speech feature to hear the words pronounced as you review them.
• Kinesthetic Learners: Incorporate physical gestures or actions associated with each word during your review sessions.

Overcoming Plateaus and Maintaining Motivation

Even with an effective system like spaced repetition, learners sometimes hit plateaus or struggle with motivation. Here are some strategies to help:

• Set Micro-Goals: Celebrate small victories, like mastering a certain number of words each week.
• Use the Pomodoro Technique: Break your study sessions into focused 25-minute intervals with short breaks in between.
• Reward Yourself: Set up a reward system for consistent practice or achieving certain milestones.
• Join the Readably Community: Connect with other learners to share tips, challenges, and successes.
• Visualize Your Progress: Regularly review your progress metrics to see how far you've come.

Conclusion

Readably's Spaced Repetition feature offers a scientifically-proven, adaptive approach to vocabulary acquisition and retention. By consistently engaging with this tool and integrating it with other Readably features, you're setting yourself up for long-term success in your language learning journey.

Remember, language learning is a marathon, not a sprint. The power of spaced repetition lies in its ability to build your vocabulary steadily and sustainably over time. Trust the process, stay consistent, and watch as your language skills flourish!

Happy learning, and here's to your continued success with Readably!