Posted on Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Annat Katz
Memrise – This vocabulary builder is unlike anything I’ve seen online thus far. I visited Memrise thinking I will use it to freshen up the advanced French vocabulary I learned back in college, but I soon found myself learning Mandarin. Memrise is a fast, easy and above all, enjoyable way to learn a new language and to enhance the ones you already speak.
What’s so special about Memrise? The team behind this innovative tool has mastered the science of new knowledge acquisition (especially the kind that’s involved in learning new words) to ensure long-term retention stays above 90%. How? Contributing users fluent enough in a given language give word association tips, and share their way of remembering what words mean. Association, according to science, is the best knowledge and memory retention method. Here’s a solid example of Memrise’s magic, showing how to remember the Mandarin word for Man.
The Memrise magic doesn’t stop there. By using a Farmville-like seed planting and greenhouse growing bait, the system gives you incentives to come back later and practice what you’ve learned. Even the quiz questions are built in a way that helps you remember the new vocab words better. I seriously believe Memrise is a must in every classroom across the country. Well done, Memrise team!
