Learning Vocabulary Software

[SeekerOfPeace]

Hello everyone,

I've been browsing on the net for a while now, trying to find a resource to learn vocabulary.

I currently use www.learnhanzi.com and it's good but the problem is that you learn each hanzi seperately, you never learn words. This puts me in a situation where I know about 800 hanzi but have very little vocabulary. I can read texts and I can sometimes can guess the meaning with the help of each individual hanzi but I'd rather build up my vocabulary.

I'm looking for something where you have to type the pinyin like: zhai1 as an answer.

I'd like to have a word (and definition) and then have to type the according pinyin.

I'm not looking for something where they give you a selection of choices.

Is there such a thing on the net (free if possible)?

I'd like to use this method to learn more or less a hundred words daily.

Is there anything like what I'm looking for available on the net?

Yours,

SoP.

[mirgcire]

I saw this site mentioned in the forum a couple days ago: quizlet.com

It looks like they have a lot of Chinese flash cards.

[jbradfor]

Does it have to be online? There are many flashcard programs that meet your requirements.

[SeekerOfPeace]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

Hum.. well no, it doesn't have to be online. As long as I can type the pinyin, that's really the most important thing . If you could link me somewhere or give me a name, that would be awesome.

I'll check your website, mirgcire, thank you.

[jbradfor]

ZDT does, but it hasn't been updated in a long time.

I was told that anki can as well. It's a bit harder to get anki set-up for use with Chinese, but it's being actively developed and has a lot more features.

[feihong]

I don't really understand why one of your requirements is to be able to type in the pinyin. I mean, what is the problem with just saying the word under your breath, flipping the card, then seeing if you were right? It seems to me that typing is not a necessary step.

[jbradfor]

I prefer needing to type it in.

Primarily, to ensure I really am typing it correctly. There are a number of characters "I think I know", but when I actually need to type in the pinyin, I realize I don't. I think it's basically impossible to be 100% certain without typing them in.

Additionally, and I don't have any good evidence for this, I think typing them in makes me remember it better. Sometimes when I can't remember the pinyin I visualize a keyboard, or have my fingers type, and it reminds me.

[Dashu]

Why do you need to type the pinyin?

There is a limited number of syllables, so you can just say them aloud.

And pinyin is just to help you pronounce the words, you're not really supposed to write pinyin in real life.

Whatever you use, I suggest you just say it aloud, and find a program that reads the word when you flip the card.

[SeekerOfPeace]

Hi feihong,

Yes, it's pretty much like jbradfor said. I've found that typing the words greatly increases my chances of remembering them.

The disadvantage of some generic flashcard software is that you have to make your own cards which is time consuming (time I'd rather spend learning). That's why I mentioned going for something online as they often have a database of useful words or hanzi already setup.

It's too bas learnhanzi.com doesn't provide sample sentences or words, it would become just a perfect tool then.

[roddy]

Not sure Skritter is an exact fit, but it would be worth taking a look at. You can have it test you on typed in pinyin. It's character-centered, but does let you add words. Sign up for a trial and add the first HSK set to your queue, see what you think. You'll need to play with the settings to get it doing what you want.

[jbradfor]

The disadvantage of some generic flashcard software is that you have to make your own cards which is time consuming (time I'd rather spend learning).

Almost all flashcard programs allow you to import existing word lists.

This is also one area that anki shines, there are word lists that already exist that you can download from within anki.

[feihong]

The disadvantage of some generic flashcard software is that you have to make your own cards which is time consuming (time I'd rather spend learning). That's why I mentioned going for something online as they often have a database of useful words or hanzi already setup.

See, I feel that making the flashcards is part of the learning process (although it's not something I enjoy doing). I seem to remember cards better if I make them myself. I also make sure that the cards contain only words that I encountered "in the wild", i.e. from lesson dialogue or something I read for practice.

[jbradfor]

If you are learning the words in a textbook for a class, or studying for the HSK, I'm not sure that making the word lists yourself is your best use of your time (if the list already exists).

I'd like to use this method to learn more or less a hundred words daily.

That's a pretty extreme goal. In general, for most people, it takes 10-15 times seeing a word to "learn" it. To learn 100 words a day means you'll need to practice about 1000-1500 words per day. Highly not recommended.

On the plus side, you'll have a native speakers vocabulary after only a year. B)