Here you can find some of the most common and frequently asked questions. If you can’t find yours, send us an email via the Contact Us page.

Anki & Spaced Repetition

What is spaced repetition?

Spaced repetition is a method of learning new material and then reviewing and memorizing that material over spaced intervals. Spaced repetition is often carried out using flashcards. The cards that you memorize successfully (i.e., easy material) will be reviewed less often, whereas the cards that you stumble over and struggle to memorize (i.e., hard material) will be shown more often.

How much vocabulary do I need to speak a language?

Research done by Francis and Kucera in 1982 found that having a vocabulary size of 2,000 word families is sufficient to cover nearly 80% of a written English text. A word family is the base form, or root, of a word (e.g., break, breaker, broken, broke, etc., all count as one word family). A language learner who learns only 800 of the most common words in English can understand 75% of the daily-spoken language.

To understand dialogue in a movie or on TV, Stuart Webb, professor of linguistics at the University of Western Ontario, asserts that you need to know 3,000 of the most common word families. A similar assertion has been made by famous linguist Paul Nation, who defines 3,000 as the reasonable threshold of high-frequency words needed by a second-language learner.

With over 5,000 flashcards of verbs, nouns, and adjectives, as well as detailed grammar lessons, the book and the Anki package combined aim at getting you to that level where you can converse, understand, and speak each language in everyday settings.

What is Anki?

Anki is an open-source flashcard software that applies spaced repetition. Many software programs use algorithms to implement spaced-repetition learning. Anki is the most popular software among students and language learners. The word “Anki” in Japanese means “memorization.” Anki was developed by Damien Elmes in 2006. It uses an algorithm called SM-2, developed by SuperMemo. The software seems to offer many features while maintaining a reasonable level of simplicity.

Can I use Anki on my smartphone?

The Anki software can be used on:

Desktop device (AnkiWeb) or
Smartphone using Android (AnkiDroid) or iOS (AnkiMobile).

Is Anki free?

The use of AnkiWeb and AnkiDroid is free. AnkiMobile, unfortunately, is paid and can be purchased from the Apple Store. Alternatively, if you use an iPhone or iPad, you could install AnkiWeb on your computer and test it for a few days. If you like it, you can continue to use AnkiWeb or purchase AnkiMobile—if you deem it worthwhile.

Can I synchronize Anki on all my electronic devices?

If you create an account using your Anki software, you can synchronize your account on different devices, including multiple desktops and mobile phones.

How many cards a day should I study with Anki?

That depends on you; how fast you learn, how well you remember things, how much you already know of the language, etc.

We suggest you start with the default settings that we have. You can always tweak your Anki settings based on how often you forget your cards. These settings can be accessed by clicking on the settings icon on your deck page.

Refer to the Resources page or or watch the video on Setting up Anki & Importing the ADROS VERSE EDUCATION Anki Decks.

We also encourage you to learn from the plethora of resources online that teach you how to create and edit decks and notes on Anki.

Our Products

Do I have to get both the book and the cards?

No. However, it is strongly recommended to study the topic before practicing the cards. Although the Anki package is self-inclusive, we strongly recommend that you use the book for your self-study and as a reference to gain more perspective.

Do I have to buy all levels at once?

No. You can start with Level I Anki package. If you like it, and we are confident you will, you can decide later to purchase the remaining levels.

How is this product different?

A lot of Anki cards are available online. Some are free, and many others are on the costlier side. However, the issue with many of the available products is that they simply do not have progressive guidelines that go hand-in-hand with the cards. After all, memorization is different from knowledge acquisition, which requires an understanding of the material you are learning.

We attempt to solve this missing piece of the puzzle by providing the proper introduction, learning progression, and grammar knowledge to make sense of the information you are trying to memorize. With over 5,000 flashcards of verbs, nouns, and adjectives, as well as detailed grammar lessons, we aim at getting you to that level where you can converse, understand, and speak each language in everyday settings.

How can this product help me achieve fluency?

The Anki package of each language features an incredible collection of 5,000+ Anki flashcards and contains audio elements to help you pronounce words and use grammar like a native speaker.

Use the Anki deck with a book covering six graduating levels that aim at getting you at that level to be conversant, understand, and speak the language in everyday settings.

How to best use the book and the cards?

We recommend that you use this book to read the levels and lessons in the order that they are presented. You can, of course, go quickly over the lessons that you find familiar. Nevertheless, we do not recommend that you skip any lesson.

The best way to study using this book is to start with reading Level I, Lesson 1 in the book, then go to your Anki app and activate the cards of that lesson. If the lesson is easy compared to your level, you will be able to answer most of the cards as easy. As a result, you will see these cards less often in the future as they fade away in the memory of the app.

The vocabulary-building section of each level in this book is meant to serve as a reference rather than be used to read and memorize the content by rote. The Anki flashcards are intended to take away the dull and boring part of that process.

What languages are available?

As of now, the following languages are available:

Spanish
Italian
French

Hopefully, there will be more languages coming soon.

How do I set up Anki on my Desktop or smartphone?

Watch this video on Setting up Anki & Importing the ADROS VERSE EDUCATION Anki Decks, or follow the instructions here.

Do I need to change the ADROS VERSE EDUCATION Anki package settings?

You can always tweak your Anki settings based on how often you forget your cards. We recommend that you switch off the automatic audio play and keep the other default settings. However, feel free to experiment with the settings for a better personal experience.

It is not a requirement to know how to use Anki beyond the basics that we have covered in this introduction. However, if you are interested, we encourage you to learn from the plethora of resources online that teach you how to create and edit decks and notes on Anki.

Why can’t I see the cards after I downloaded the package?

As you successfully import the Anki package with all the lessons, you may realize that all the cards are suspended. This is done intentionally because you do not want to be presented with cards from all levels before you even start reading the book.

You are expected to start reading Level 1, Lesson 1. After you finish, you want to activate or unsuspend the cards associated with that lesson. To do this, follow the simple steps described in the instructions here, or watch the video on Setting up Anki & Importing the ADROS VERSE EDUCATION Anki Decks.

Are there lessons online on the website?

Yes. There are lessons for each language that you can access here. There is also a blog that discusses some of the most asked questions and common topics in many languages.

FAQ