So, I just wanted to jot down some ideas here really quickly in my native language. I was reading someone else's post on Journaly about how to acquire vocabulary, and another commenter mentioned the Goldlist method.
I went to the website that was mentioned to check it out and now I'm pretty excited. I've played around with SRS, but I tend to find it tedious and boring...
And if we know anything about language learning, as soon as something is boring we're in trouble. I still occasionally will pop open Anki and mess around on some vocab, etc., but it is far from a daily practice...
The one method I have been able to make a daily habit is using Assimil. And when I use Assimil, it involves writing things out long-hand for my second wave. I also have a "1.5 wave" where I simply copy down lessons (I started this at lesson 40). I love having that notebook around, even if I don't look at each lesson in it, it feels great to have something organized that shows all my work.
Well, what do you know? The Goldlist method is ALL about physically writing out material and this is something I can get behind. It's also basically spaced repetition. After I read the Fluent Forever text I was all jazzed about spaced repetition. However, I just am not an SRS/Anki type of guy. In the book, there's also an explanation about how to make an SRS box thingy. Too much. Too complicated. I bought a ton of smallish notecards with BIG plans.
Not. Happening.
But you know what might take off? Goldlist.
So, OK. What exactly is the Goldlist method?
It's fairly simple. You learn vocabulary by not actively trying to learn, but by jotting down. And then jot some of them down again later. My explanation sounds stupid. OK, here are the steps:
1. You choose 20 phrases (I think you're looking for phrases that contain some known words and some unknown ones)
2. Write them down along with the translation in a notebook, the "bronze book."
3. Do the same thing the next day with 20 more phrases on another page...wash, rinse...
4. Two weeks out, test yourself on the first 20, evidently, you'll know 30% of them.
5. Write the remaining 70% in another section...do this with each set.
6. Two weeks out, test on that 70% (translating primary to target language). You should recall another 30%...etc.
7. You'll end up with the fourth section of phrases/words that aren't sticking. Eventually, they are gathered together to form the first section of an entirely new book...the "silver book."
8. You work this way until some phrases are put into a "gold book."
Well, that's the method in a nutshell. After I initially heard about it, I went and read a scathing critique of the method. And, who knows, it could be nonsense, but then again... I'm generally of the opinion that the techniques in and of themselves are much less important than the enjoyment level of the process. So, if this isn't fun for me, I'll drop it. But, what I'm saying is, I don't think there's a language-learning panacea in existence. Although, if I were to create something that sounds like it and market it right, I'm bound to make some moola.
My one remaining concern about this technique is--in my primary set, once I test that original 20, am I supposed to believe that the 30% I recalled is really stuck in my long-term memory? Seems spurious...
Vielleicht werde ich das auch probieren. (Ich schreibe auf Deutsch weil Sie auch in ihrer Muttersprache geschrieben haben - etwas formell, aber ich wusste nicht ob ich Du schreiben darf)😉
:) Since, I only have had two lessons in German, I had to put this in Google translate.
Hey J! I know you said you're not an "Anki" kind of guy, and neither was I (Anki's UX is horrible huh?). But I started to make my own flashcards on my Notion workspace, and so far I have incredibly kept up with them almost every day! Maybe it is because I feel I am more in control of the words that I revise, I don't know. I'm actually planning on making a post in here about my Notion template of it. I would recommend you to try it out and see if you like it! Maybe it can help. I also found it suspicious that this method just assumed that the first 30% is already stuck in your memory hahaha
@Annie Thank you! I looked into Notion briefly a while back (I remember seeing some information somewhere about making something like this) but at the time it seemed complicated to figure out how to use it. I'm really excited to read your post!
"I'm generally of the opinion that the techniques in and of themselves are much less important than the enjoyment level of the process." I feel this way about it as well. I'm also trying the Goldlist method for the first time this year, I feel like I will benefit from it simply because I enjoy writing things down so much that it causes me to study more. I feel that the most optimal technique for me is not necessarily whichever one is scientifically proven to have the highest possible efficacy, but rather the technique which I actually have fun using and can enjoy doing every day.
I found anki very useful personally. I now solidly know around 400-500 words in Turkish within 10ish months of casually studying and I attribute that largely to watching tons of videos and anki to reinforce that. It's not my end all be all. I study grammar a lot too, watch videos, do some writing etc. but anki is just a very quick and easy way to expose your self to words and prime your self to more easily spot them when hearing them in a real life sentence.
I tried the goldlist method for a couple of months when I first started learning korean, but gave up on it after that. It seemed like a waste of time and I've since developed methods that work a lot better for me. The only good thing was that it forced me to write Korean every day and learn the script that way. That was most likely useful, but I haven't been interested in trying it with any other language. I'm interested in hearing if it works for others, though!
I think if I do it, I'm going to used a modified SRS schedule:
First repetition: 1 day Second repetition: 7 days Third repetition: 16 days Fourth repetition: 35 days
I'm not exactly how I can make this fit with the concept of Goldlist, so I might just try it as is at first...taking sentences from Old Glossika.
@Annie: it would be awesome to see your post on Notion. As a matter of fact, I've discovered it today but I wouldn't know how to make flashcards there. Or aren't you talking about flashcards at all?
Thanks for mentioning this method! I have heard it before but forgot about it. I have always used vocab notebooks, it was just how we learned any language in school and it did work. When I started to learn Spanish some 1,5 years ago I thought I might need to start using something "better" and potentionally faster, so I started on Quizlet. I love to fill the vocab in, it's all so orderly etc - but I never repeat with it. So not faster by any means. Handwriting is what I like better anyways, so will give the Goldlist a try now. Cheers!