> The power of SRS (spaced repetition system) cannot be overstated
Speaking as someone who has used Anki the last 5 years, has built and sold Anki decks and is working on implementing various spaced repetition schedulers as we speak... unfortunately its importance can absolutely be overstated.
Definitely more language learners should be using an SRS, but there are lots of people who take it way too far (I have way too many stories).
Where things go wrong for most people is their understanding of the role of the SRS. The SRS to language learning is what protein shakes are to bodybuilding. But while no serious body builder would try to get ripped by drinking protein shakes and neglecting working out, there are unfortunately tons of language learners doing basically just that with the SRS. To acquire a language you need input! The SRS is just (very) helpful supplement.
> there are lots of people who take it way too far
I wrote in another comment that that’s exactly my issue. I can easily spend hours, days, weeks even just tweaking my card templates due to Anki’s extreme customizability. That stems from a (false!) belief that I can somehow find just the right card format that will impress the language in my head in no time. Took me a long time to reign in the impulse to endlessly tweak templates. I remember having days when I felt extremely frustrated after realizing I had spent pretty much my entire study time working on Anki and not exposing myself to the language.
yeah that's a trap I think a lot of people with an engineering mindset fall in to. Reminds me of the people who spend endless hours tweaking their note taking applications.
Sure - I don't think the article (or myself) are making the case that SRS is all you need - after all - its just flashcards on steroids, and nobody would make the case that flashcards are enough to become fluent in a language.
That's the same type of person who assumes you can become fluent purely through Duolingo.
Speaking as someone who has used Anki the last 5 years, has built and sold Anki decks and is working on implementing various spaced repetition schedulers as we speak... unfortunately its importance can absolutely be overstated.
Definitely more language learners should be using an SRS, but there are lots of people who take it way too far (I have way too many stories).
Where things go wrong for most people is their understanding of the role of the SRS. The SRS to language learning is what protein shakes are to bodybuilding. But while no serious body builder would try to get ripped by drinking protein shakes and neglecting working out, there are unfortunately tons of language learners doing basically just that with the SRS. To acquire a language you need input! The SRS is just (very) helpful supplement.