Spaced Repetition: How to learn vocabulary in a long-lasting and effective way

Spaced Repetition is a method for learning vocabulary of a foreign language, which aims to incorporate new vocabulary into everyday language use quickly, effectively and, above all, sustainably through targeted repetition of the vocabulary within a given time interval.

This learning method takes place over a longer period of time (for example, 1 month). You are free to choose the length of time, but it is divided into fixed learning phases. Within each phase you repeat the new vocabulary. The special thing about the Spaced Repetition learning method is that the period between each phase in which you do not repeat the vocabulary becomes longer. In this way, you build up your vocabulary in the long term. The following phases can be used as a basic building block for learning with Spaced Repetition.

In the first phase, you see the new vocabulary for the first time. You get to know the words you don't know yet. The aim of the first phase is to understand the meaning of the new words. You familiarise yourself with your new vocabulary, form sentences with it and build links between the new words and the vocabulary you already know. This will make it easier for you to recall the new vocabulary in the following phases.

In the first phase, you have already got to know your new vocabulary and can understand it fairly accurately. The second phase begins after only one day. You will repeat the vocabulary you learned the day before for the first time. You will quickly notice that you can already repeat some of the vocabulary rather easily, but that you still have problems with some of it. On this day, as on the first day, continue to learn the translation and meaning of the words.

The time span between the first and the second phase is about three days. You will notice that despite the somewhat longer period between the learning phases, you can already repeat the vocabulary better than was the case in the second repetition. In the third phase, you should continue not only to learn the words by heart, but also to link them in sentences. In this way, you will be able to use the vocabulary in your active vocabulary in the long term.

This time you leave more time between repetition two and three. Let about a week pass between phase 3 and phase 4. Because of the previous phases, you will already be relatively confident in repeating the vocabulary. Therefore, you can be a little more active in learning vocabulary in this phase. You can start by incorporating the previously unknown words into sentences you have made up. This will help you not only to recognise the new vocabulary, but also to actively integrate it into your language use.

The fifth and final phase of Spaced Repetition begins after one month. You have therefore paused for about two weeks between phase 4 and phase 5, during which you have not repeated the new vocabulary. The last phase can be seen as a test. If you still know the meaning of the words after two weeks without repeating them, you can be sure that you have successfully added them to your long-term vocabulary. If you still have problems with some of the words, you should continue to practise them and incorporate them into a new learning phase. For example, you could include the words you still have problems with after phase 5 in the third phase of a new cycle of Spaced Repetition. In this way, you are guaranteed to be able to incorporate problematic words into your vocabulary in the long term.

Spaced Repetition allows you to run several learning phases in parallel to each other. This way you can learn a great number of new words in a very short period of time. You can structure the Spaced Repetition learning method very flexibly. Create your own individual learning plan and set the intervals between the phases as well as the number of new words you integrate as you wish.

Learning vocabulary with flashcards is a particularly effective approach to memorising a lot of vocabulary quickly. However, many people find the preparation of flashcards too strenuous and run the risk of losing motivation to learn. In this case, digital learning aids in the form of apps are the perfect alternative to avoid the tedious copying of long vocabulary lists on flashcards. In the following, we will show you some apps with which you can easily use the Spaced Repetition learning method:

Implementing a new learning method opens up a number of questions. To help you make the most of Spaced Repetition in your learning, we've put together some of the most frequently asked questions about learning with Spaced Repetition.

Spaced Repetition is known for building up the vocabulary of a foreign language quickly and sustainably. In addition, you will be able to increase your learning speed with the help of this learning method and thus efficiently learn your new vocabulary. Due to the learning breaks, you will not overload yourself while learning. This will help you not to lose your motivation to learn.

However, so that you can not only recognise your new vocabulary, you should make sure that you can also integrate it into sentences. After all, you don't just want to be able to passively recognise your new vocabulary when you read or listen to it, but you also want to be able to actively use it when you write and speak. Do you have the urge to use the vocabulary you have learned through Spaced Repetition in conversations with native speakers? Then a language trip to the country of your target language is just right for you!