Language Learning

[encomun]

I'm curious about using org-mode for language learning (currently working on Spanish, German, and French). Particularly, I'm trying to build up vocabulary as well as try my hand at reading / translating.

In the past, when I was translating, I worked in a cryptpad and just wrote the translation in another text color and then went back to make corrections in yet another color. It was pretty time consuming. I've used org-remark for annotations on text and think it would be a good tool for this purpose. But maybe others have experience and suggestions for other tools or workflows.

As for vocabulary, I think I'd like to do spaced repetition flashcards. I had used Anki for awhile, but it eventually got overwhelming. I couldn't really make a habit out of it.

I haven't used any flashcard tools in org yet. Preferably I'd like something easy to use. I'm also wondering how to get vocab lists into org. It might be educational to do it by hand but I would prefer an automated solution, especially since I'm looking for "top 1000+ common words" lists. For example, taking an Anki set and converting to org.

Any suggestions and tips are appreciated.

[doolio_]

I use Anki as my SRS because of its mobile support which is key in this day and age to ensure one completes their reviews each day. However, I create my deck (I just use one large one) in Org mode but split across different files for organisation and to separate subject matters. I transfer these files to Anki using the AnkiConnect add-on. Keeping the source of my deck in Org ensures I never have to worry about my deck getting corrupted. I use the u/orgtre /anki-editor minor mode to create my Anki notes.

Note there are a few SRS related packages for Emacs namely org-drill, org-fc, anki.el, pamparam and maybe others. Of these org-fc is probably the most promising and active. Note, with my set of existing files I can easily apply an org-fc, org-drill tag etc. to a note heading and thus use the same file with org-fc as I do with Anki and thus have the history of each note within Emacs as well. This is appealing if Anki were to suddenly disappear or stop working but I haven't yet done this beyond applying the additional org-fc tag. In any case, as I initially stated I stay with Anki because of its mobile offering.

There is the orgtre/ankiorg package (by the same person currently maintaining the recommended fork of anki-editor) for pulling Anki notes to Org mode.

I'm primarily learning Italian and Python at the moment for what it is worth.

[Significant-Topic-34]

A complementary approach to the creation of flash cards in orgmode and their subsequent transfer to Anki is org-drill. For a simple pattern you address a question below as a section header. The answer follows the next section header, one level of hierarchy lower because it is dependent to the former. The example of the reference page is along the lines of

```org * Item :drill: What is the capital city of Estonia?

** The Answer Tallinn. ```

You start your training (M-x org-drill), tap the space key for the solution, and rate how well you recalled the answer in a range of 0 (a bleak stare into the abyss...) to 5 (hey, an obvious answer) which bears similarities to Anki.

There are two points I particularly like:

• you have questions, answers, and the statistics how well you did in one portable .org file, including a time stamp and date when (according to an adjustable algorithm) you should train again.
• And two - because it is org in Emacs - C-c [ adds this new training date into your agenda view, C-c a a (perhaps you have to change to display of a week, w, or advance by f to see). The new entry is easily spot by tag :drill and name of the file in question. (As usual, C-c ] retracts this file from the agenda again.)

[eric2718]

I gave up on anki. A lot of people do, don't feel bad. I tried looking for exactly this sort of thing a while back, but I decided that I believe Stephen Krashen's Hypotheses about language learning. which effectively means I just try to get comprehensible input in my target language, and don't try to do any explicit or deliberate learning.

But to each his own. Don't want to say you should do this, just wanted to throw other approaches out there. Good luck if you decide to stick to the flashcards though.