How to best remember new words

You can download such a version - Supermemo 7 was still available on the website, last I looked.

David,
Have someone helped & influensed U to write your last articels? Honestly! To me it looks alike that.

Quolta,

it seems to me that you see non-existent conspiracies all over the world of Supermemo-type programs.

Just on a sidenote, reading here about SM7, latest SM versions have an improved algorithm, compared to SM7.

Here's SuperMemo World's response to DaVinci's statement:

--------- DaVinci asked:

SuperMemo is always increasing the intervals at the same rate (given the
same series of grades), while FullRecall is smarter and adapts to the
learner

---------- SuperMemo Support responded:

This is false. The rate of interval increase is determined by the matrix of
optimum intervals and is by no means constant. Moreover, the matrix of
optimum interval changes in time depending on user's performance. You may
have an impression of a fixed or rigid algorithm only after months or years
of use (the speed of change is inveresely proportional to the available
learning data). This convergence reflects the invariablility of the human
memory system. It does not matter if you use algebraic or neural approach to
the optimization problem. In the end, you will arrive at the spaced
repetition function that reflects the true properties of your memory. In
that light, the speed of convergence should be held as a benchmark of
algorithm's quality. In other words, the faster the interval function
becomes "fixed", the better.

Tom,

where did you find that SuperMemo Support response?

Achab,
Look man, now that future will bring another SM with the ANN thingi...money makes world go around...I am just bit cautios like U! U want best Flashcard program, everyone wants. Everyone here praises SM almost like God. But where is scientific proov? Even in Yahoo Supermemo Group people from SM can only say they believe that SM is superiour.

There was earlier suggestion to do very fair and unbiased comparison of different programms that we can see difference if any. Sure, students who do their final work could be intersted to verify the differences objectivly!

Quolta,

in the Yahoo! Groups message board on Supermemo members can state the superiority of whatever program they prefer: there are people that prefer SuperMemo, other people that prefer VTrain, etc.

> where did you find that SuperMemo Support response?

Piotr Wozniak sent it to me.

Before it gets too emotional, just a brief conclusion from my point of view:

When it comes to learning languages one should differentiate between at least 2 stages: the learning process itself and the memorisation process.

For both stages there exist different approaches.

As for the learning process, the way as eg. outlined by Steve seems to be a very efficient way to me.

As for the memorisation process (on which I have actually tried to focus in this post) various software based flashcard solutions seem to be a very systematic way. However, no scientific tests have been made so far to verify whether any of the different existing approaches by the various programmes - be it eg. Supermemo, FullRecall or VTrain - is better/more efficient.

As such, so far one simply cannot recommend one over the other programme just from the point of efficiency (how much time you need to keep something for a certain amount of time) - unless tests prove otherwise. Period.