How to Use English Flashcards to Retain New Vocabulary

Every language has new vocabularies and a larger lexicon with more complex words. However, it is necessary to learn vocabulary lists, specifically words in English by knowing how to use English Flashcards to retain new vocabulary. Although the process of learning new words would improve the language aspects of English-learners, it can become monotonous, making it difficult to incorporate new words in speech over time. Therefore, flashcards are one of the most enhanced and enjoyable ways to learn new vocabulary. Not only are they a straightforward way to acquire the knowledge but also helps in remembering the new learnt material while making the process interesting. 

In this blog, we will discuss how flashcards can help in learning new English words, various ways to help people maximize their use of flashcards, and various methods of how to use flashcards in real life on a daily basis.

Why are Flashcards important?

Flashcards are cards that have a single question on one side and an answer on the back side. They have virtual spaces to write an explanation where there is a word on one side and its definition, translation, or an image representing the word on the other side. These are easy and effective learning tools for foreign languages like English because they help retrain your brain. 

The idea is to gradually increase the time between reviews till you are able to strengthen your memory without forgetting any word. Flashcards are very much useful in terms of retaining memory while learning a new vocabulary word. Below are some of the advantages of using these while learning new terms.

• By actively recalling the words from flashcards, you would be able to retrieve information from memory instead of just reading a list of words. This helps in spelling a word while remembering its meaning or pronunciation and builds confidence. 
• Use spaced repetition in Flashcards where the words would cycle in random spacing. Pacing and focusing on chunks that are reviewed incrementally regularly can help help use the words for the long term. 
• Flashcards are visually appealing and can be modified by adding pictures, colors or any extra information that will assist learning the new language. This makes learning new words more enjoyable since it adds an element of fun to your learning journey.
•  The best aspect in flashcards is that they are portable and flexible and can be used at any time as well as place. Place does not matter and does not interrupt your journey as flashcards are handy and easy to carry about.

How to effectively use English Flashcards?

When using flashcards for studying, there are certain techniques which can be incorporated. Below are some tips on how to use English flashcards in order to to remember the vocabulary words:

1. Give Meaning To the Flashcards

In order to use your flashcards as effectively as possible, make sure that they are easy, simple, but important. In other words, you can look for the vocabulary word on one side and write its definition or translation on the opposite side. Secondly, use an example sentence in order to acquire the knowledge on how the word can be used in a sentence. 

With that, you can also include an image or a picture on the card that depicts what the word means. Remember that images are helpful in remembering and even recalling what the word means. Finally, keep a track of the pronunciation mistakes, especially for those which are hard to pronounce. Make use of phonetic symbols and you can write a pronunciation pointer for the word in question. Always give a personal touch to the words to deepen your understanding, making them easier for you to recall.

2. Apply Spaced Repetition Technique

One of the important tools offered by flashcards is spaced repetition. It is important that when you first make your flashcards, you study them every day. Once you are able to master certain target vocabularies, you can widen the gap by studying each word. In order to determine the understanding level for each word, you can introduce a spaced repetition system. If a word comes to your mind right away, you can space it out. In case you have some difficulties with a word, increase the frequency of the word. This will be beneficial for you as it allows you to manage the words on which you need to work on and the list of words that you have already mastered.

3. Review on a daily basis

With flashcards, it is all about repetition where you need to determine a fixed time every day when you will go through your flashcards. Time frame doesn't matter since a short interval of 10 to 15 minutes every day can also help you with the maintenance of the learnt vocabulary in the long run. Practicing regularly will get you acquainted with more words and as a result, the retrieval becomes a lot easier. Therefore, it is advisable that your learning sessions could be divided and spread over a period of time, making you focus more and avoid exhaustion on one task.

4. Practice in Different Contexts

Use the flashcards and put the words in a  sentence to recall them better. This will help you to learn the vocabulary and also have an idea of how it is used in different contexts. Try relating the words and use them together by grouping them like all the particular types of nouns, verbs relating to emotions, and adjectives related to personality. This will allow you to become aware of the relationships and patterns that exist between the different words.

5. Stay Organised

If  you are increasing the number of flashcards in your collection, then it is also important that you remain organised in your approach. You may keep the physical flashcards stored in boxes or in card holders or even in digital medium to make it easy to search for and find what you want. There are three factors which are important with your flashcards such as categorisation by topic, difficulty level, and the number of days after which it should be reviewed. This will make learning easier and track your progress.

Flashcards are efficient tools which would help you recall the words learnt and use them as and when needed. This will not only increase your English Proficiency Skills but also enhance your knowledge.