Is there some sort of science behind them doing it this way that allows you to learn faster?? I dont understand how you learn from guessing?
Treat me like I’m 5, please.
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In general, experimentation and learning connections on your own work better than just being told something. It teaches you how to figure out the rules and apply them rather than memorization.
It also mimics how we learn languages as a kid growing up a bit. They’re a lot of trial and error involved. A little kid might say something like “I’m eats an apple” and then someone will correct them and tell them how to say it properly.
Success and failure are good learning tools – this is the core idea behind “test and retest” as a way of learning. You’re not “guessing”, you’re failing to get the right answer which you won’t like and you’ll then encouraged to remember and get it right the next time. But…mostly this is born from the recent idea of “gamification” – it’s trying to created games as a way of learning to keep you engaged and to keep you “playing” because being in a “play” mindset is known to be good for learning.
If it annoys it it’s probably not working well for you!
Yes there is. Testing is the best way to learn something.
People who *actively* study have higher scores than people who just read and re-read the same material. When you read something, it goes into your short term memory but not your long term. When you test yourself on it, you’re not just passively reading but *pulling* the answer from your brain. This helps it stay in your long term memory.
So by asking you questions that you have to figure out, you’re engaging your brain so much more. This helps you lock it in your long term memory.
It’s actually a really fascinating learning technique involving “active recall” and “spaced repetition”.
There is research backing both of these as some of the best ways to study and learn.
Basically, you making your brain think about the answer and solve it itself will help you remember. “Recalling the answer”, which is used for flash cards and quizlet.
Since this is an app that is for the general public, they try to teach in a way that is evidence based as the best way to learn.
Professional at language teaching here. I have a problem with your question : what do you mean by “instead of teaching you ?”. How would you want an app to “teach you” ?One thing I can say, is that the teaching you want is probably based on the teaching you’ve received at school and it’s usually very inefficient (learning by rote, new notions introduced without stakes, etc.)I don’t like learning apps for a simple reason : you don’t get a proper feedback and they usually introduce you to a language through grammar, which is the worst way of doing it. That said, the “question&answer” type has the advantage of engaging you, whereas the “listen& repeat” type is keeping you passive most of the time.
If you want “the science” behind it, here it is : in the “listen&repeat” type, the person asking you to repeat (teacher or app) has no means to know what you heard, and maybe you’re repeating EXACTLY what you heard, it’s just that you heard it bad. Basically, that kind of exercice is inefficient, detrimental to your motivation and doesn’t require you to try to understand the language, because you’re already offered the answer (= you just have to repeat what you’ve been told), whereas the Q&A type of app has you facing a problem : there is a sentence, and you’re asked something about it. So FIRST, to be able to answer the question, you have to be able to understand the question and the sentence that’s written/told. Then you have to elaborate an answer and provide it. This is a much more complex process than just asking you to repeat a sentence. Because of that active part (understanding + processing an answer), you’re more engaged in the language, hence the “better” learning.
This is of course a very poor “better” learning, but the “science” behind it is absolutely right : students should be very active and engaged in their learning. Having a teacher tell you stuff won’t do shit because **knowledge is not a skill**. Just because you know how to run doesn’t make you an athlete, training a lot does.
A number of answers here seem to agree on the same point, the gamification of the learning process. As a guy who tried this, I found using Anki’s spaced repetition flashcard app *much* less frustrating. I memorized about a thousand Spanish words, and can at least read at the first grade level, with about ten minutes study a night for a few months. Anki is free for Android and PC users. Apparently Mac users have cash ot blow, because there’s a cost to the Mac app.
Spaced repetition is the best way for second language acquisition, in terms of vocabulary.
Advertising companies spent no small sum in researching exactly how to make people remember their particular slogans and logos long term. In contrast to rote teaching where the class is talked at, passively absorbing the information, its far quicker.
What might seem painful is not knowing the answers, but forgetting is part of the process.
Passive learning where you are simply told information V active learning where youare engaged and working it out for yourself. Active learning studies prove to be more effective at retaining information as you make your own connections to the information you are learning (instead of somebody elses connections which might not work great for you). So yeah, basically it’s just a more effective way of learning.
rewarding you for recognition isnt teaching you the language as effectively as possible, therefore it forces you to recall words instead of just recognizing them, which helps you see the word as meaning a word you know instead of just fitting in a slot and being after another word. it helps with language comprehension
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