Anki & Flashcards: Enhancing Long-term Memory and Self-learning with Spaced Repetition Software

Abstract

As teachers and researchers of the 21st century, it is imperative that we explore the use of new technologies in the classroom to create methodologies which, in concordance with the research done in fields such as cognitive and educational psychology, may enhance students’ innate language learning mechanisms. In the present article we propose the application Anki as an exceptional tool for students to increase their long-term acquisition of new vocabulary and grammar, thanks to the spacing effect. Furthermore, when integrated as autonomous homework into teachers’ syllabus, Anki becomes complementary to the communicative practice conducted in the classroom, instilling in students good study habits, selflearning strategies, and the confidence and autonomy necessary for them to take control over their own language learning process. In this paper we conclude that this principle which comes from the realm of cognitive sciences, together with the use of new technologies, are two crucial elements for the creation of new methodologies aiming at enhancing (as well as working in concordance with) the true nature of 2L acquisition.