Memrise

Apologies if the writing is a bit rubbish today, I'm not really in the mood to write, but equally I don't want to leave this post too long, or the blog will die!

So for another free resource that has completely blown my mind, Memrise.  Memrise is one of many 'flash card' sites that have popped up over the last few years to aid in all sorts of study. Like many of those sites, Memrise is not specific to German learning, however the subjects are clearly signposted and there is a wealth of German language courses to select from.

Of course, all (or maybe the majority, but I haven't found a memrise created set) the cards on the site are created by the users of the site, meaning that there are different styles for different courses. This isn't the worst thing in the world, but does mean that you have to have a bit of a browse to find a set that suits you. The course that I am motoring through at the moment is based on the GCSE syllabus. It has a great range of vocabulary separated over more than 50 sensible groupings. You have to admire the people that put this together, there are nearly 1500 words an phrases to learn.

So why am I posting about Memrise as opposed to any other one of the many similar sites out there? In one sense it's because one has to be first! But the first highlight is that I have already bookmarked two or three courses that look really well constructed. The other sites have their own learning strategies, each with their own strengths but Memrise is unsurpassed in my experience in making it easy to find well constructed sets.

Memrise also has a good system for refreshing your memory. It is themed on the growing of a plant, with an analogy drawn from each stage of your practice. First you plant a word, and when you have got it right enough times the skill grows and then needs to be maintained  with regular watering. The length of time between practices varies with how well you do with the word or phrase you've memorised. Add this to a leader-board that tracks the amount of points gained by all people studying that set, and you end up with a formula that drives you to continue practicing and improving.

So that's Memrise. The set I've linked above is a really good starting point, but if you find any other sets that are worth studying, please let me know in the comments below. Tschüss!