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For years I have been told by teachers and students that the best method to study vocabulary for a foreign language class is to make flash cards and go over them every day.

While there may be some benefits to making and using flash cards, there is more effective methods to learning a foreign language. So before you go and make all those flash cards, take a moment and really think about what you are doing. Are flash cards the smart way of studying?

Let’s first examine the goals of a foreign language course.

1. Learn a large amount of vocabulary
2. Know and understand the grammar
3. Be able to speak in the language
4. Be able to write in the language

Now what are the different study methods?

1. Flash Cards and Workbooks
2. Integration

Flash Cards – The Method

Over the course of a semester, you will probably be required to learn about 400 words. Most students don’t even make the flash cards ahead of time. They usually write them up the night before and then cram the words in their head. At about 25 seconds to create one flash card, that is an accumulated duration of 2 hours and 45 minutes just making flash cards.

Now if we assume it takes you a total of 2 minutes to memorize each card(which is probably a bit generous), you would spend about 13 hours memorizing the words throughout the semester.

That is not too bad, only about 16 hours to memorize 400 words. The problem is that flash cards only accomplish one of the goals mentioned above: learning the vocabulary. Now after learning the vocabulary you need to go through the work book to figure out how the grammar works. No telling how many hours that would take.

The Flash Card Method gets a “D” in efficiency.

The Smart Way of Studying

The quickest way to learn a foreign language is to go live in that foreign country. Unfortunately, that can be very expensive and cause inefficiencies in other aspects of your life. But there are ways to integrate yourself into a foreign language, and the first step in doing so is throwing away those flash cards.

Instead of spending time making flash cards, use that time to write sentences using the vocabulary. By writing sentences you guarantee that you satisfy three of the goals. You will learn the vocabulary, just as well, if not better, as you would by using flash cards. Because you are using the words in context and not just “flashes” of images in your head. Then, by writing a sentence you have to pay attention to the grammar; therefore, you will improve your writing skills in the given language. You can even satisfy the fourth objective by reading the sentences out loud.

I hear the complaints already. This will take longer! Yes, it probably will. However, you are covering all the necessary material that you need to. And there is a good chance that when you are writing your sentences you will want to be creative, and to do so you will have to look up additional words, which you will therefore learn, creating a good possibility that you are learning words you will need to know in the future.

More Efficient Ways – Other Integration Methods

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Music – You are working out four times a week, right? Well why not find some music to listen to that is in the foreign language you are studying. Music is the language of the world.

Movies – Watching a movie in a foreign language is always fun. Unfortunately, if there are subtitles, I never seem to actually listen to the actors. I just end up reading the subtitles. So challenge yourself, try watching the real thing. No subtitles. If there are subtitles then you can watch the movie during a movie night with a bunch of friends.

Books – Do it the old fashion way. Get a book in the foreign language and in its English counter part, and begin comparing the two. I always found this method entertaining, but I have a feeling that is something a limited amount of people would enjoy. Maybe it’s the historian in me.

Become a Kid Again – When we are a kid every word we learn is by actually recognizing the word as something in reality. Rosetta Stone is a language learning software that uses an integration method. When you first start out with the software you are given a picture of a boy and then “Jungen” (if in German). You are never shown the English word “boy.” You will then only associate the picture of the boy with “Jungen.” The software will teach the foreign language the same way you would learn your first language.

Go to Class – Take advantage of the foreign language class. Yes, it may be different speaking in class in a foreign language, but if you don’t, you are missing out on a great opportunity to solidify your speaking skills.

How do you study for your foreign language course? Are you using flash cards? What do you think? Do you agree that flash cards are inefficient?