硫酸 = sulfuric acid, vitriol
博愛座 = priority seat
燧石 = flint
咬人貓 = stinging nettle
鎖骨 = collarbone
嗎啡 = morphine
獅身人面像 = sphinx

I don’t need to know these words, and one can be technically fluent without them, but these are all words a native would know. The reason I care to know these words is because many words like these may be referenced in conversation, as a reference, as a metaphor, a joke, and in a room full of natives I would be the only who doesn’t quite get it.

Thus, to reach native level within the shortest time possible requires some way to guarantee frequent enough exposure to these kind of words.

Just something to think about.

To reiterate, technical fluency without SRS is absolutely possible. The reason I suggest that being native level within the same timeframe is not is because there are tons of words, names of objects, places, allusions and so much infrequently used vocabulary that the average native would know. No matter how much exposure one gets, there will still be many infrequent words you may not get enough exposure of to remember within a certain timeframe.

SRS provides enough frequent exposure to certain words within a shorter timeframe than would be possible otherwise.
Now one may think one can just read a certain topic intensively, problem solved – but there’s only so much of so many topics one can read within a certain timeframe.

So to sum up: SRS is not necessary. If one wants to maximize the amount they remember within a certain timeframe, I am confident a spaced repetition system is the best way to do this (this depends on how much time one is dedicating to the SRS, of course, which is why I recommend spending mere seconds on it here and there).

Anyhew, I don’t wish to convert anyone, just sharing information that may be of use. I only mention this as in future you may find SRS to be useful for you, I wouldn’t write it off altogether.

Have fun. =-)

No truer words have been spoken.

I’ve no quarrels with you my friend. Best of luck.

I guess my message came across or was written poorly. In any case, no worries.

~ フレヂィー

“the beauty of the SRS is that it allows one to memorize the language at a much quicker rate than would be possible without it because it guarantees frequent exposure – you might come across a few new words today and forget them by morning, and it may be some time before you see those words again.”

I think this is the fundamental part I disagree with. I’m not trying to memorize anything. When I used to try to memorize words, with and without Anki, I would remember them for a short period of time. Once the reviews started getting really spaced out, I started forgetting a lot of words because I treated Anki as my main source of language learning.

To guarantee frequent exposure to certain words, there are several ways to remedy this that people have been using long before SRS. One method is intensive reading. You will see those words a lot while intensively reading a novel. Another is to read extensively about a specific topic. For example, reading a lot of baseball articles will reinforce the baseball terms that I learn. It works in other areas too.

“Most importantly for me, I dare say if one wants to reach native level within a few years an SRS system is necessary. I don’t believe it is necessary for technical fluency within a few years at all, but if one wants to become a native within the same timeframe, it is absolutely necessary.”

Is it absolutely necessary despite people attaining native fluency in another language within a few years for thousands of years. No, it’s just another tool that can assist you in becoming natively fluent, but the SRS alone will not make someone natively fluent in a language.

I think it’s great that SRS helps people. However, I don’t think the time a person has to invest into creating cards is worth the effort. I personally prefer a lot of reading and listening while looking up words in a dictionary preferable to an SRS. I get much more input and I’m not trying to memorize 100% of a small number of words as I learn them. For me, I’d rather see a lot more words and sentences in that same amount of time. It’s just a difference is preferences and I don’t see what the big deal about people not liking the SRS is. Not everything works for everyone.

I only dedicate 30mins a day to SRS and somedays I don’t add anything but I always SRS, everyday. Like some have said (above) I always stay glued to something L2; audio, blog, manga, etc.

I find myself deleting more cards now and my decks are low because I’ve memorized those deletions.

Whatever works for you, just keep doing it. No need to get all pissy about the next man’s/woman’s way of doing things. To each his own.

Most importantly for me, I dare say if one wants to reach native level within a few years an SRS system is necessary. I don’t believe it is necessary for technical fluency within a few years at all, but if one wants to become a native within the same timeframe, it is absolutely necessary.
An adult native has 18+ years on a none-native, we’ve all got a lot of catching up to do.

Khatz still uses SRS for that reason, /khatz-if-youre-fluent-why-do-you-still-srs

Here’s some tips to make SRSing less painful:
Don’t add any words you don’t understand, wait until you’ve seen them enough times in context. Use the SRS for maintenance, not learning.
Don’t bother searching for sentences specifically to add to the SRS. Do L2 stuff, add whatever you deem worth adding.
Most importantly, don’t dedicate a set amount of time to SRS. Instead, Do 1 or 2 at your leisure. SRSing became such a breeze when I started doing this, I was able to do hundreds a day with ease. Maybe you read a few pages of a manga, have a quick flick through a few cards in the SRS, go back to reading your manga. Maybe you watch a movie, have a quick flick through 2 or 3 more during uneventful scenes, or perhaps during intermission. Make SRSing a part of your day instead of some project you need to get out of the way before a deadline.

You don’t have to SRS at any time or within any amount of time. All the SRS has to do is be there.

I think you’re right, seeing as how my comment has three dislikes because the “almighty Anki” didn’t work for me.

My decks were always made by me, but after getting a few thousand cards in, it seemed more like a hindrance than something that was actually helping me. It just took too long to find sentences worth putting in the SRS and I dreaded reviewing the cards. I personally like reading a lot and looking up words as opposed to trying to remember everything via the SRS. If I only retain 60-70% of 100 words I see in a day, I see that as more effective than spending more time trying to memorize 100% of 30 words.

I also agree with about “how to learn” vs “memorization”. I’ve always used rote memorization and have attained good grades. I’m also able to talk about the things I memorized in depth during class discussions or in papers that I have to write. I think the “how to learn” gimmick is for people who just don’t want to try to memorize anything and are trying to look for an easy way out.

What these blithering fools fail to realise about Anki or any other spaced repetition system is that it’s near impossible to learn from it, because everything that you put in it is in a bubble. It works great if you don’t want to forget something though. But only when your input is something you enjoy, have just learned, and entered by you especially for you because it’s actually cool, interesting or sophisticated. It’s never a replacement for enjoying actual media, just something that can make your life easier. What this means for you–yes, you–is that you probably don’t need it now.

Also, as an aside, those “critical thinking” exercises. The ones that are ostensibly based on teaching someone to “learn how to learn” instead of “memorising facts”, but are suspiciously more like the latter. Somehow I think that Meredith is just wasting my time.