Learning tips - How to learn your vocabulary efficiently?

Students are always complaining about the amount of words to learn each (or every other) week, and yet acquiring new vocabulary is paramount to enrich your expression and enable you to express complex ideas in the various exam tasks. There is no way around it, you have to learn it!

So how can you make this task less tedious, more engaging and, most of all, efficient?

There are a number of traditional vocabulary-learning techniques (hiding the left- or right-hand side column, quizzing yourself or your classmates, preparing your own vocabulary tests as you learn the words and re-taking them the next day...)

Recently, an intelligent-learning device was brought to my attention: ANKI - "Powerful, intelligent flashcards", fast and easy-to-use, tailor-made to make you learn from your mistakes, and, by all accounts, quite addictive!

You can download the software on your main computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) for free, or use the paid iPhone/Android app.

Install it, create a pack of flashcards for each vocabulary chapter (simply enter each word and its translation) then let the app quiz you! It will systematically identify your weaknesses and quiz you again on the words you have failed.

Now you have no excuses, let's get to work!!