Promoting learner autonomy using Memrise

Memorising words can be a painful process for those who want to expand their vocabulary. They may find it hard to stick on and are much in need of supervision to check their progress. Nowadays, the software helps solve this problem and thus promotes learner autonomy, focusing their attention. So today, I am going to introduce Memrise as a tool for vocabulary learning.

What is Memrise?

Memrise is an online version of traditional flashcards, where words and translations are written on both sides. Through spaced repetition and review, students can gradually remember the difficult words. In this app, learning new vocabulary is characterised as planting a seed in your memory, and finally turning it into a flower when all finish.

But Memrise is not simply words and translations, there are also some features that help students focus:

- A range of language practices (e.g. spelling, putting words in order, and choosing the correct answer)

-Authentic video clips for particular expressions

Below shows how they work together for students' listening comprehension.

How can we use it in class?

In Memrise, teachers can create word lists that suit different levels of students. This means we can help students review the words from the textbook in a digital way, and students who want to improve have a chance to check their understanding of words through the practices generated by the app.

Below you can see what a good word explanation looks like:

For beginners, we can use pictures to help them classify some basic words. And they can feel autonomous to start their learning provided with a huge collection of 'picture dictionaries'. Here is the link to see different word classifications.

In general, the design of the word list and the way to present words are critical for students' learning autonomy. We can adjust the example sentences or phrases to be simple and related to students' real life. Also, pictures can be added when necessary.

Limitations

The Q&A session comes again! Still, you can share your thoughts on these questions.

Authenticity: are they doing enough?💭

The description below is what I find from the official website, while I doubt it exaggerates the function of the authentic videos. Language is context-based and merely learning words and expressions recorded by locals is apparently superficial if students want to enhance their speaking abilities. What the website can do in the future is to show real communication clips based on these described situations. This can further develop students' abilities to apply these expressions to real-life occasions.

Finally boring again?💭

Memrise is only vocabulary-focused, which means remembering words can be a repetitive job. Students may get exhausted when they do the same exercise again and again. Also, it seems like Memrise is overly focused on accuracy, and the annoying moment can happen like the picture below.

Overall, despite the drawbacks, Memrise is still useful for students to build up their vocabulary.  Teachers can create personalised word lists to promote their autonomy, and the beneficial effects can be more significant for beginners seeking systematic word accumulation.

Image and video sources: screenshots and screen recordings from Memorise (click here)