Spaced Repetition (SRS)

Spaced Repetition for Esperanto

Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing vocabulary at increasing intervals, timed to just before you forget. It's the most scientifically validated method for long-term vocabulary retention.

For Esperanto specifically, SRS is unusually powerful because:

1. Word building means one card = many words — learning the root labor- in context gives you labori, laboro, laboristo, laborejo, etc.
2. No irregular forms — you don't need separate cards for irregular past tenses
3. Correlatives are a system — once you know the pattern, the table is memorable
4. Audio is available — the esperanto.cards deck includes professional audio for correct pronunciation reinforcement

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Setting Up Anki

Installation

1. Download Anki desktop from apps.ankiweb.net — free for Windows/Mac/Linux
2. Install AnkiDroid (Android — free) or AnkiMobile (iOS — $25)
3. Create a free AnkiWeb account for syncing across devices

Getting the Deck

1. Visit esperanto.cards
2. Download the Anki deck package (.apkg file)
3. In Anki desktop: File → Import → select the .apkg file
4. The deck appears in your deck list

First-Day Settings

Open the deck's options (gear icon) and configure:

Setting	Recommended Value	Reason
New cards/day	20	Sustainable without review overload
Maximum reviews/day	200	Cap to prevent overwhelm
Learning steps	1m 10m	Two learning passes before graduation
Graduating interval	1d	Start with 1-day interval
Easy interval	4d	Skip ahead for easily-known cards
New card order	Random	Avoids learning batches

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Card Strategy

Roots, Not Words

Study roots, not just individual word forms. For example, when you encounter labori:

• Your card should test the root meaning (work/labor)
• When reviewing, mentally generate: laboro, labora, labore, laboristo, laborejo...
• This turns each card review into a word-building exercise

Front vs. Back

For early cards (A1–A2), simple format is best:

• Front: Esperanto word or short sentence
• Back: English translation + pronunciation note + 1–2 example sentences

At B1+, consider Esperanto-only cards:

• Front: Esperanto word
• Back: Esperanto definition + example sentences (no English)

This pushes you to think in Esperanto.

Sentence Cards vs. Word Cards

Word cards (isolated vocabulary): Good for A1–A2 core vocabulary. Fast to review.

Sentence cards (cloze deletion): More powerful at A2+. The sentence provides context, makes meaning memorable, and teaches natural usage simultaneously.

Cloze card example:

• Front: Mi laboris la tutan _____ (day).
• Back: tagon (accusative of time — whole day)

The Tatoeba deck uses this format automatically.

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Daily Review Schedule

Building the Habit (Days 1–14)

Start with 15 new cards/day. Spend 15–20 minutes on reviews + new cards. Do this first thing in the morning before other activities.

Day	New cards added	Approx. reviews	Total time
1	15	15	10 min
7	15/day	~60	20 min
14	15/day	~100	25 min
30	15/day	~150	30–35 min

Steady State (Month 2+)

By month 2, your daily review load stabilizes at 100–200 reviews/day for 20 new cards/day. This takes 20–30 minutes and represents the optimal balance of retention and time investment.

Milestones

Cards Known	Approximate Level	Timeline
200	A1 core	2–3 weeks
500	A2 foundation	1–2 months
1,000	B1 beginning	3–4 months
2,000	B1–B2	5–8 months
3,000+	B2–C1	10–15 months

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Integrating SRS with Other Learning

SRS works best when integrated with reading, listening, and speaking:

The Comprehensible Input Loop

1. Encounter a new word in reading or listening (Gerda Malaperis!, Vikipedio, Monato)
2. Look it up in Vortaro.net
3. Add it to Anki with the context sentence as an example
4. Review in Anki until retained
5. Recognize it in future reading/listening — reinforcement!

Words encountered naturally in context are retained much faster than words learned in isolation. This is why reading and SRS work synergistically.

Parallel Systems

Don't rely on Anki alone:

• Duolingo — gamified exposure to vocabulary in context
• Clozemaster — sentences with blanks (intermediate complement to Anki)
• Reading — passive encounter reinforces Anki cards
• Speaking — active production solidifies memories more than passive recognition

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Troubleshooting

Review Pile Gets Too Big

If you miss several days, your review queue can grow to hundreds of cards. Solutions:

• Reduce new cards/day to 10 until the backlog clears
• Use Anki's "custom study" to do 50 reviews at a time throughout the day
• Don't try to review everything at once — just do today's share

Forgetting Everything

If you consistently fail cards, they may need better mnemonics or context. Try:

• Adding a picture to the card
• Adding a memorable example sentence
• Using the word actively in writing or speaking to reinforce it
• Checking the word family (what roots/affixes is it built from?)

Deck Completion

When you exhaust the default deck, add new material from:

• Words encountered in Gerda Malaperis!, Vikipedio articles, Monato
• Custom theme lists (see Thematic Vocabulary)
• The 6000 Most Frequent deck from AnkiWeb
• Tatoeba sentence cards

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The Numbers

To put it concretely:

• 20 new cards/day × 365 days = 7,300 cards/year
• At ~70% retention rate: ~5,100 known words after 1 year
• Esperanto B2 requires ~2,000–4,000 roots actively known
• Therefore: 20 cards/day × 12–18 months = B2 vocabulary

This is one of the clearest quantitative paths to fluency in any language.