Flashcards have remained one of the most effective study tools ever since paper was made! To create a flashcard, write a question on one side of a small index card and write the answer on the opposite side of the card. When you have many flashcards, you can go through the stack and the answer is only on the other side of the index card. Flashcards are best used in situations where most questions and answers are simple and static—learning Japanese is perfect for flashcards! Do not use flashcards to studying for an essay answer English exam.
My favorite part about flashcards is they can be grouped. For instance, when I am studying I go through the pile (about 50 cards) and separate out the correct and incorrect answers. Then I will usually put away the correct answers and work through the pile of incorrect flashcards a few more times. Flashcards have made my study time more efficient because I am focusing on my weak spots. Flashcards are essentially highly efficient organizers of information. You can organize questions you do and do not know easily.
Flashcards are the most diverse study technique. They can even fit inside your wallet! They can be taken anywhere—perfect for those 10 minute breaks or gaps in your day. Once you create the cards studying becomes very easy. You are no longer hit with that wall of text from your textbook or online software program, but instead are looking at focused individual questions. For many, more can be done for maximum retention of words. Here are some extra tips for using flashcards.
Flashcard Tips
ColorsDifferent colors of flashcards can establish a psychological relationship. For example, Japanese index cards with formal questions/answers could be green and index cards with informal or casual questions and answers could be red. These coloring differences will stack up in the mind to make the small changes in wording seem like a much bigger deal.
Sizing and DrawingsThe sizing on the note card can also come to play. Different sizes in writing can signify how important the question is. In addition to sizing, you can even draw on the cards to begin a whole other chapter on memorization. Drawings instead of questions to signify Japanese word relationships. Perhaps you could even draw parts of objects (as a hint) in addition to a question.
GuidelinesMake your flashcards with only 1 question and answer on each. Sometimes it is tempting to stack up a flashcard with a few questions (there’s just so much white space!) but don’t do it! Stacking up notecards makes it so looking for the answers for one question will let you see the answers for the others. It is too difficult to keep your eyes focused on one answer. If you can see the other answers, this will defeat the purpose of the flashcards.
Writing the cards is the most time consuming process of all. If making them is too much of a time commitment there are online resources out there or even products you can buy (see below).
Conclusion
Grouping the cards is another good idea. Grouping will also cause you to make associations with words. Think when you are taking the test on the material, and for no specific reason, you have a funny feeling a certain word is related to another certain word (this could be the grouping at work).
In general, all of these tips help you create associations with words. Associations with words will make your study time the most efficient. The better you can associate words, the less time you have to spend studying to retain the same information.
I Hope these tips have helped, good luck!
Flashcard Products
Declan’s Japanese Flashcards
Declan’s Japanese notecards feature over 4000 Kanji words. The software also features native speaker audio on the flashcards. The speaking feature makes the product truly worthwhile. To learn Japanese you will need to put in some serious effort with textbooks, lessons, or software, and this memorization tool is a great addition to any learning technique. All things considered–especially the speaking feature– this is a quality product for supplementing learning Japanese.
