Memrise is one of the most popular language learning apps. It is based on a flashcards game app that is a great way to help users improve their vocabulary. Beginning students will benefit the most from it. The main thing is not to use this application as the main tool for learning a new language.
What is Memrise
Memrise is a language learning tool available as an app or website. Essentially, these are cards that have some sort of game element to them.
The great thing about Memrise is that it's free, convenient, and quite a fun way to learn and review vocabulary in a way that's more fun than traditional flashcards. The application actively uses mnemonics to ensure that words remain in memory.
Some of the courses are created by Memrise, but most of them are custom. Some of them have audio and images, while others do not. Some use mnemonics and others do not. Because many courses are created by users, their content and quality may vary significantly from course to course. The fact that there are so many custom courses leads to unique and interesting content.
Of course, there are typical courses, such as the most common nouns or verbs. But you can find several courses on grammar, conjugations, business, history and slang.
Since everyone is different, reviews of Memrise vary greatly. What works great for one person will not work for another person. Luckily, there are about 7 user-added tutorials for most of the most popular courses.
How to learn words on Memrise
In short, the classes look like this:
- Choose a course.
- You study by completing a certain number of words.
- Next time you study, learn new words and repeat some already covered.
Now I’ll tell you more.
In one session you will go through several words - their number is regulated in the settings. Words are first shown for familiarization (memorization), then for reinforcement . In subsequent training sessions, words already covered also appear for repetition .
Meme for the word get
Familiarization occurs with the help of cards, but not double-sided “Word - Translation”. The card has a word, a translation, a voiceover (not always in user-created courses), and a “meme.”
“Meme” (mem, apparently from memory) is not a funny meme picture, but a picture that helps you remember a word. There may be some bright association or image on it. It may not be a picture at all, but just text. The idea is quite interesting, especially if you yourself use the opportunity to create your own picture or text for memorization.
Several types of exercises will help you consolidate words in your memory. Basically, these are variations of the “multiple choice” exercise, where you need to choose one option from the proposed ones.
- Multiple choice - you are shown a word, you need to choose the correct translation from 4 options.
- Multiple choice with audio in answers is the same, but the answer options are not text, but audio.
- Multiple choice with audio in the task - the announcer pronounces a word, you need to choose the correct answer.
- Typing a word - they show you the word, you type the translation.
Repetition occurs in subsequent lessons. For example, if you covered the word “sleep” in the first lesson, they will show it again in the next lesson. The program uses an interval repetition algorithm (I already wrote about it in the Anki review) - words are offered for repetition with a frequency that is considered optimal for high-quality memorization of information.
One of the types of exercises on Memrise. A sprout with two leaves (in a green circle) indicates that the word has not yet been learned well.
The program uses game elements - they are expressed in the overall fun design, especially of the mobile application, in earning points and in the fact that the degree of memorization of a word is shown in the form of a plant. The better the word is learned, the higher the flower in the corner of the card. To be honest, the game elements aren't particularly functional. In Duolingo, for example, you can use the points you earn in the form of gems to buy bonuses or give them to other users on the forum (similar to a “like”). On the other hand, these elements are unobtrusive and make learning a little more interesting.
In the mobile application, classes are held in the same way, it is not inferior to the “big” version, and in appearance I liked it more.
Getting started with Memrise
To start using Memrise, you need to go to the Courses page, select the language you speak, and then select the language you want to learn. The list will list all the courses you can take in that language and the number of other users taking it, as well as the average time it will take to complete the course.
You can access your Memrise profile on multiple devices by simply logging in with the same details (email/username and password) on your Memrise mobile apps on Android and iOS, or on your computer (memrise.com). All the user’s progress will be synchronized automatically so that he can continue learning from where he left off at any time.
Registration
Go to the website HERE to register an account. Immediately download the mobile application to your phone from Google Play or AppStore.
Click
SIGN UP and fill out the registration fields (name, email, password).
Select the language you are studying.
Relevant courses will be offered to you.
Free or paid versions
Setting up an account on the Memrise app is very simple. It has opportunities to increase your vocabulary as well as basic phrases and sentences.
A free account gives the user access to a large amount of content. But he gets a lot more exploring options and additional features like offline access by paying for a membership. But according to reviews of Memrise Pro, these are more of nice marketing terms than things that actually help the user progress faster and learn better.
The cost of the Pro version is 1,316 rubles per year, and users receive chatbots that help them in learning, videos of native speakers for selected languages, adaptive technologies (that is, the application changes the principle of learning depending on user performance) and some statistics that shows when and how much was studied. The Pro version also gives you access to Difficult Words, Listening Skills, and Quick Review exercises. Positive reviews of Memrise when subscribing mainly highlight the ability to learn with a native speaker via video, a feature available to Pro users. Pronunciation mode also lets you learn to speak like a native speaker by repeating thousands of audio clips.
Installing the emulator
Make sure you have a Google account. The emulator will require its data the first time it is launched. You can register an account using the link https://accounts.google.com/. Fill out all required fields on the left side of the page.
Download the emulator distribution from the link. Your browser should immediately begin downloading the installation file to your computer. Open the installer and follow the installation instructions. You will be asked to select the hard drive where the program will be recorded.
Launch Bluestacks. When you first start, you need to go through the standard setup program. Enter your account login and password in the fields. Then accept the terms of the license agreement. The emulator is ready to go! Now you can use almost any Android function on your computer.
Suggested languages
Memrise has content for both English and non-English speakers. Some of the most popular language courses for native English speakers are: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Spanish (European and Mexican), and Turkish.
These languages stand out because of their popularity and also because the app has a lot of content that is structured and developed by reliable sources. For example, when learning Korean, a user might start with courses called "Korean 1", "Korean 2", "Korean 3", etc. These numbered courses are created by Memrise, not by random users of the service, allowing them to control the quality . For any course, you have the option to see the creator's name next to the course name.
Besides these basic courses, there are more specialized courses such as Korean slang and the 1000 most common Korean words. These courses are generally not created by Memrise, so quality is not guaranteed.
Memrise is a useful service for memorizing foreign vocabulary
One way or another, you cannot do without knowledge of foreign languages, and success in learning them depends on the constant replenishment of your vocabulary. The Memrise application is one of the best in the field of language learning simulators, so if you are not constantly learning a language, we strongly recommend that you pay attention to it.
About the application
The Memrise application is different in that you can choose not only the language, but also the level of proficiency and memorization. Depending on the chosen level, you can go through one or another set of exercises that will help you consolidate new words in your memory.
Why was the Memrise application not in such demand among Russian-speaking users earlier? This is due to the fact that teaching foreign languages, such as German or French, is based on English. That is, if you do not have basic English language skills, then learning other languages in the application will not be possible for you.
As for the lessons, as mentioned earlier, all words are divided into blocks. Each block contains a set of lessons that include various exercises, written assignments, and listening. In general, the application is free, but there are paid services.
Control
Honestly, the Memrise application cannot be called the most convenient in terms of management. It took quite a lot of time to add the required course and set up the workouts themselves. But here it is rather a lack of design and compilation of the working menu, rather than the control itself. As in any similar application, you will have to register an account using a social network, and this will not take you too much time.
Decor
As already mentioned, working with the application is not particularly convenient compared to those applications that we had seen before. A bad menu, the tabs of which do not have a logical sequence or proper description, played a significant role. In addition, the application interface is made partly in Russian, partly in English, and this is more than inconvenient. To summarize, we can say that the content of the application and the training system in Memrise are simply gorgeous, but poor implementation spoils the overall impression.
pros
- Opportunity to learn any language
- Good content of courses
- Possibility to select level
- Working with multiple languages at once
- Daily Reminder
Minuses _
- Bad design
- Donat
- English-based learning
Features and Experience
Overall, according to reviews of Memrise, the app feels polished and has a clear structure. When a user first starts working with the application, he must start with the first lesson, since subsequent ones remain blocked until all previous ones are completed. The structure is great for beginners, but is unlikely to suit advanced students.
Memrise teaches the material by first showing a few words, characters, or concepts, depending on what the user is learning, and then tests it. The app uses both written and audio materials to learn languages.
For each character, word, or phrase learned, a small plant icon appears in the top right corner and changes so that the plant grows as the user encounters the term and answers the questions correctly. In other words, the plant grows a stem, leaves, and eventually a flower the more familiar the user is with the words being learned.
How I increased my vocabulary by 10% with Memrise
Interval memorization - have you heard of it? No?
It turns out that a person forgets according to a special curve. It looks something like this:
We learned something new. And after two hours we can forget up to 80% of what we have learned!
Interval memorization (IS): if you repeat material at strictly defined intervals, it will not be forgotten. First you repeat after an hour, then after six hours, then after a day, and so on... The further you go, the longer the intervals and the less time you spend.
Isn't it great?
This principle changed my life. It has influenced the way I learn language and the way I read books.
Cards
Cards are usually used for IZ. Paper (which is inconvenient) or programs like Anki and SuperMemo.
It looks like this:
But the creators of Memrise took a different route... They simplified everything as much as possible. No cards. A simple principle: one question, one answer. Moreover, the correctness of the answer is determined by the service itself (in Anki, for example, you do this yourself).
In addition to IZ, the service has two other life hacks for remembering:
- mnemonics (there it is called “add a meme”);
- visualization - you can attach a bright picture to the word.
I'll show you with an example.
You can remember the word mittens by imagining how your friend Mitya put kittens on his hands instead of mittens.
Let's write this in the program:
Check of knowledge
Actually, this is what everything was started for.
Knowledge in Memrise is tested (repeated) in two ways.
You either choose from 4–8 options:
Or type the word on the keyboard:
Notice the circle in the upper right corner - a nasty timer. 
This is on PC.
Smartphone app
It is necessary to say something about him separately. This is actually a cool idea to repeat on a smartphone. This is exactly the feature that makes IZ a bomb! Because now you can repeat words anywhere!
Did you have a minute in line? They took out their smartphone and memorized 5–10 words. Incredibly convenient!
It looks like this:
The smartphone app is cut short compared to the PC app. It is only for repetition and nothing else.
Memrise: what did you like?
- Simplicity. You start using it right away, no need to look for help.
- Synchronization. Words from the PC fly to the smartphone. Everything works smoothly.
- Ease of creating memes. Memrise itself offers suitable images from Google Images:
Memrise: what you didn’t like
- If we take the “Russian - English” combination, then the words in the dictionary are minuscule. Yes, he knows cat and dog, but does not know the word triangle. In short, he doesn't know anything that I need. I have to google the translation. And hammer it in manually. Why couldn’t it be possible to connect the same Google dictionary?
- No pronunciation. This is very bad. Instead, you are asked to write down what the word sounds like. Pronunciation is available in ready-made sets (more on them below), but they don’t suit me.
- You cannot add a mnemonic rule and a picture at once. Only when learning for the first time by clicking the “Help me remember” link.
Overall: working with words is inconvenient.
Other
The program has a bunch of ready-made kits (courses). By the way, these are not necessarily words. You can also learn:
- historical dates;
- capitals of the world and so on.
There is a social function (where isn’t it now?). You can kind of compete with others and set records. But I didn't like it. I don't pay attention to glasses. They didn't give me anything for them.
Is it worth paying
The paid version costs $9 per month.
What will you get for this:
- Memorization statistics that show which hours you remember better. Honestly, I don't see the value in this.
- Statistics of complex words. This makes sense. For example, you can create a meme not for all words, but only for the most difficult ones.
I'm using the free version. She is more than enough.
Total
The service is nice, I wish it to develop.
I learned 300 words while writing this article, which means I increased my vocabulary by about 10%. Not bad.
And yes, this is never a replacement for active study. In fact, what Anki does with Memrise is that you can create much deeper cards there...
Practice your language! And Memrise is just a crutch to get started.
memrise
Advantages and disadvantages
Most reviews of the Memrise app advise using it with other resources rather than in isolation. Beginner students or those interested in learning about a specific topic will benefit the most from using Memrise.
Positive reviews about Memrise:
- Expanding language knowledge and vocabulary.
- The point system and general gamification are a great motivator.
- There is a free version.
Negative reviews about Memrise:
- After a while, the words become blurred and the user's "retention rate" technically decreases.
- Due to the simplicity of the application, very often, without knowing a word, you can guess it by elimination. This means that the application notes that the user knows the word, which does not indicate actual knowledge.
- There are often words that sound, look, or have similar meanings.
- Memrise is an app that is used in conjunction with other language learning methods. However, some users find that its effectiveness deteriorates as weeks pass. Its method of assessing a user's proficiency is highly skewed (and actually just plain wrong) and makes users think they have fantastic vocabulary comprehension when in reality word retention is deteriorating.
- Users are impressed by the hundreds of words they know (as the app indicates) but also depressed by the fact that they still haven't been able to order a café au lait.
Memrise website: pros and cons
Working out with Memrise is easy - perhaps this is its main advantage. You simply choose a course and learn words using a special algorithm, following the instructions of the system.
But if you want to memorize words on a specific topic or learn words and listen to their pronunciation, then the analogs of Anki and Quizlet are more suitable here. Anki also uses the method of spaced repetition in its algorithm, and Quizlet is convenient if you want to learn words not according to an algorithm, but simply as you please, deciding for yourself what to repeat and what not. Quizlet also automatically reads the flashcards you create.
Choose what suits you and increase your vocabulary.
Final Thoughts
The general opinion of users is that using Memrise is better than learning words from a book. This works very well at first, but it seems that there needs to be some changes in the teaching method as the number of words supposedly learned increases.
The use of the website and app is visually appealing and actually seems to work well due to the mnemonic techniques added by users.
And while there are many free features available, some require a paid premium membership. However, this does not prevent users from using the site or depriving them of access to a lot of useful material.
The free version has a lot of benefits, but it's important to make sure it doesn't become the only resource you use when learning another language. When a user first starts learning, it makes sense to use Memrise to get a basic foundation of words. But after that it is better to find other resources and abandon Memrise.
Installing the application
Click on the “Search” button highlighted in the screenshot.
In the search box, enter the name "Memrise". Go to the results, click on "Search on Play".
You will see a list of all programs similar to your request. Click on the first instance. This is exactly the application we need. To start downloading Memrise for your computer, click on “Install” on the right side of the page.
First, the emulator will download the installation file to your computer. It will also automatically extract and install the program. You just need to wait for the process to complete.
You can open the application in the same window. The button highlighted in the screenshot will appear on the right side. With it, you can immediately launch the application.
The program is completely ready for training! Now you can learn almost any foreign language in an easy way.
After the application closes for the first time, you can find it in the recently opened programs column. Expand this list by clicking on the plus sign at the top right of the screen.
