Learning vocabulary with(out) flashcards.

I've been exploring various methods to expand my vocabulary, and so far, I haven't found anything more effective than reviewing Anki cards. Allow me to explain how I utilize Anki cards for language learning: Spanish (Intermediate): For Spanish, I have a Google document where I enter the word, its definition, and one or two example sentences (refer to image 1). On one side of the Anki card, I input the definition, while on the other side, I include the example sentence with the word in question. I also incorporate relevant pictures on both sides (see image 2). German (Beginner): Similarly, for German, I have a Google document, primarily focused on sentences since I've already added the most common words into my Anki deck. The process in Google Docs is quite similar, so I will not provide a picture as it follows a similar format as with Spanish. In Anki, however, while I do include images on both sides of the card; on the reverse side, I replace the example sentence with its English translation (you can check picture 3 here as well). These setups have proven to be incredibly rewarding for me. But here's the thing: creating the cards can be time-consuming. I find that I add more words to my Google docs in a day than I can realistically enter into my Anki deck during the same day. While reviewing the cards takes around 20 minutes, adding all the new words I learn in a day can take literal hours. I've started questioning whether this time investment is truly worth it. It feels like I spend more time inputting words into Anki than actually learning them. It's becoming a never-ending cycle that just seems... somewhat futile. But hey, I might be doing something wrong, so I would appreciate hearing from others: Does anyone here learn vocabulary without flashcards? And for those who do use Anki or similar tools, how do you structure your flashcards? Considering my current level in Spanish, which I am rather satisfied with, I feel like building new vocabulary without flashcards, is not an unachievable goal. A challenging one, that's for sure. But when it comes to German... well, that's a different story altogether, since I'm just beginning. Image 3: What my cards look like. (German) Image 2: What my cards look like. (Spanish) Image 1: The Google Document. (Spanish) submitted by /u/off-to-the-race [link] [comments]

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