The Role of the SRS

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Part 1: SRS in a Vacuum
08:01 - Part 2: Immersion in a Vacuum
11:20 - Summary
12:24 - Part 3: The Proper Role of the SRS
12:53 - Part 3, Section a: Mental Dictionary Entries
16:58 - Part 3, Section b: Increasing Comprehensibility
20:29 - Part 4: Conclusion

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[mattvsjapan]

TL;DR: The role of the SRS within the greater process of language acquisition is to help you efficiently *learn* the basic meanings of words, in order to greatly increase your capacity to _notice words_ and _understand sentences_ in your *immersion*, and in turn vastly accelerate the process of *acquisition* . Knowledge is just knowledge; it can never _directly_ transfer to acquired ability. That's why SRSing with no immersion is a dead-end. But, by helping your brain make sense of the language, knowledge can _indirectly_ lead to acquisition when combined with immersion. This is why combining SRSing with immersion leads to faster progress than immersion alone.

Also, what I say about “words” applies to grammatical structures as well. In reality, most of what is commonly referred to as “grammar” can be viewed exactly the same as words from a language learning perspective. Probably should have talked about this in the video.

[Rimmer]

For the longest time I thought you had a barcode on your shirt. Then I realized it was sushi.

[goodmorningsocks]

This video just saved me from addicting to making cards. Matt you're the goat

[iamri]

I think your summary of SRS is on point. Our brains are very adept at recognizing patterns, and the SRS (or any repetition system) play into this. It gets to the point where you see the card, and you're not seeing what's on the card, your brain is recognizing the pattern of the card and spitting out the answer to pass this hurdle.

[キラキラくりくり頭]

Just to say, I learned a language, with no SRS (it didn't exist at the time), went through a basic textbook, then acquired the language purely through immersion, and I can pass as native over the phone.
One big thing though, I married someone who would actively pick up every mistake I made (people always say "that must have been annoying" - it really wasn't.

[russelsimmons]

I'm reminded of an old AJATT quote that made a strong impression on me: "Knowing, understanding and using a word in one context is the first and only possible step in knowing it in more contexts." When I first encountered sentence-cards, they seemed like a bad idea because it was obvious that my knowledge of the word would be (somewhat) dependent on the context of that single card. But it's still a better starting point than trying to memorize the "full meaning" with a vocabulary-card. As you explain, a sentence card at least gives you a dictionary entry and single context from which to broaden to more contexts via immersion.

[AECH_CH]

I just passed the 50% on the Lazy Kanji deck. That means I've seen 50% of them. About 19% are old cards (I did some days without adding new cards but I've reviewed the old ones like 99% of the time.).
I am so super motivated beeing able to write and recall Kanji that seemed to difficult a month ago. Matt your attitude just rocks and that you are doing this basically for free is so nice in this day in age.

[RGNZ]

This video is exactly how I learned English.

I mean, I had classes since I was a kid, the usual vocab and grammar stuff, but that only helped filling in the blanks for the instances where I really acquired the language; playing and replaying SNES Roms with a dictionary on top of the desk. That, and the subbed movies on cable TV.


To see all of that in the form of a structured, well thought and well explained video put a huge smile on my face.

BTW, I can't thank you enough for doing such a good job giving immersion based learning a solid structure to follow. You're doing God's work, did you know that?

[squallada]

This is one of the most valuable pieces of content you have made so far. Thank you, Matt.

[adamblance]

This feels like some forbidden knowledge for some reason. Thank you!

[Emi-ehet]

I wish the example by Krashen was in another language than my mother tongue. 🙁
Great video btw, I recently started SRSing less and reading/listening to natural speech more and it has so far helped a lot 🙂

[DanGamano]

You sir.. are the ultimate resource on language learning… 100% . I hope you know how many people you help and inspire.

[fransmith]

Excellent! That is exactly how I use Ankie! It is ONLY my dictionary and reminder to ensure I don't forget words that I have superficially learned. If I find that I have forgotten a word in Ankie, I add it (re-add it) to my separate learning list and relearn it. Ankie is ONLY a memorisation tool, a tool to ensure that I don't totally forget any words I have learned - and it's a nice way to keep a personal dictionary of them. Memorisation is just the beginning thing for STARTING to learn that word. Memorisation is the easy part. It's only the very beginning of your relationship with that word - it gets you maybe...1% there, so that you can start to add to your understanding of that word, like adding a computer folder in which to start a document collection, really. After I've learned it I'm listening to that word on my word listening list for a long time until I get an immediate REACTIONARY IMAGE of the meaning or feeling of understanding. A REACTIONARY IMAGE in my head - NOT an English word or translation - I don't want to think of English words at ALL in fact - if I'm still getting English translation words in my head when I hear a word, it's a LONG way from being ready for hearing from a native speaker and from even starting the acquisition process, in my opinion. When that happens, when I get a reactionary image or feeling of the word, I take that word off the word listening list. (In my opinion, from the very minute you've established a base meaning, you need to start DISASSOCIATING your target word from the English translation and make it stand, with meaning, on it's own. And it doesn't really take that long if you listen every day - you get a relationship with each word - some words click immediately, but some don't. Taking them off the list is okay, because I am, hopefully, ready to start HEARING that word in conversation in the future, or my native listening pursuits - then, each time I hear it, I'm one more step to having acquired it. Only one more step - I've acquired it when I hear the word and understand it immediately and automatically without even trying (or even when my concentration is elsewhere), just like I do with my native language. For me this is happening VERY SLOWLY. This crap about people acquiring a language within a few months...well, I'm sure they THINK that is acquisition, but it's not. Anyone who claims that type of stuff is misunderstanding the definition of 'acquisition', and lying to themselves, and thus others that they acquired a language in such a short time, particularly for very distantly related or unrelated languages.
I ALSO limit Ankie to a maximum time period. When I first started, I limited Ankie to a few months, then I extended it to a year. It is STILL one year. It takes me maybe half and hour to go through 50 words (actually 100 words altogether - 50 English to target, 50 listen target to English). A 1 year limit means that I can learn up to 18, 000 odd words at 50 words per day reminders. I'm never likely to learn that many words, so the 1 year limit is fine. And words I know very, very well? Well they are very fast to review indeed. And if I get anywhere near 18, 000 words, well, most of those words will be very well known indeed by then - 50 words (or 100) would probably only take about 10 minutes per day - and by then I won't be using Ankie anyway. I think everyone should be limiting Ankie in a similar way. There is no real point to having words with 2 or 5 year reminders. You won't need them anyway.
Of course, listening to words is also only a small part of the required listening to acquire the language. Words alone is not sufficient. I do a TONN of other listening - native speakers and full sentence and speaking content. You have to hear words in sentences and conversations.

[TheWishDragon]

The retirement addon has retired 1734 cards so far which means I won't bogged down by old reviews coming up again and again! I am thrilled to be able to use this add on that you have developed. Thank you so much!

I'm also glad to finally know how to describe that phenomenon of noticing something more very suddenly.
Every time I review new cards, it feels like a new pathway opens. Sentence mining and making the cards myself helps me retain the meanings for long enough until I get to review the card itself as well. It's a very nice feeling.

I do get frustration when I forget a word (and I know I should know it) but it's good to see that this is a normal part of the process and looking it up will help to hook the word into my memory.

[silvershot]

26:55 Let’s always keep this in mind when immersing. Don’t fall for this trap of “I’m done” like I did.

[DanGamano]

What a stud! You sir are so smart and great at educating people on how to acquire a language. You do it better than the other authorities, like the two Steve’s

[itsdanwild]

Basically, Anki is roids and comprehensible immersion is working out.
If you work out you get slow results, but roids speed it up.
If you only take roids, you just get useless bloat.
Thanks, Matt!

[evagenesiz]

Rewatching this video answer all my current problem.

[Senraikai]

Thank you for making this video. I'm currently learning Japanese and I have learned so much about language acquisition from watching your videos and reading the MIA website. I hope you continue to make great content.

[EistrollWie]

alright seriously, ever since your patreaon and you taking all this about language learning etc more serious, making sense of it and sharing it with other people, your understanding about it, even the samll nuances, has become sooo fokken deep mate, great respect, and THANKS SO MUCH for sharing.