Flash Cards Mastery

I swallowed my pride and re-calibrated my Flashcard deck into NPCR chapter 2 (Book 1 is chapter 1-14, and the Book two is 15 and up). Basically I’m using the method in Khan Academy and Super Memo’s 20 rules where I master a chapter before moving on to the next one. I wish I did this in the very beginning in 2013.

The plan is to measure my progress by the chapters I’ve mastered. This is not a panacea because I still need to master hearing and also master sentences. Next would be altering the settings in my secondary phone (my retired Note 2) to become the Definition+Audio with where I need to type out the answer (harder than multiple choice).

Learning Strategy:

CREATING Profiles

Profiles are how I can change the test easily.
To change testing method just press New Test > Profile

Setting up a Profile 
  1. Under New Test > Choose Manage Profile
  2. Choose New (upper right hand) and create a named profile
    1.  In the Score file (which is at Default) create New. From my guess its supposed to keep a score file for this profile. this way I can go back to checking my progress from here.
    2. I will need reading mastery: Reading NPCR
    3. listening mastery: Listening NPCR
    4. and sentence and phrases mastery
  3.  Go back to New Test > Profile
  4. In Profile > Select the Profile 
    1. Ex. Reading NPCR 
    2. and begin editing “Basic Settings”
  5. Repeat for additional profiles. 
    1. As I master a NPCR chapter I modify the profile to add more and more chapters.



Erooms Law

My pet guess is that Erooms Law applies to Learning hard languages like chinese. For every additional 100 elements it takes 10 hours to master them, this doubles every additional 100 elements.  
Reading NPCR  (Profile)
Basic Settings
  • Max # Cards: 20
  • Card Categories: Ex. NPCR 1-4 (currently today), this can change as I master. I hope to master up to 5 levels a week up to the level I am now supposed to master and catch up. 
  • Test Type: Fill in the Blanks
  • Prompt for: Prounounciation (writing the pinyin; prompt is the “answer type”)
  • Show: Characters (this just shows the characters)
  • Card Filters: All Off 
    • (I’m still trying to figure this out, filters should repeat problem words)
  • More Settings
    •  Commands> Review Incorrect from off (default) to on.
Listening NPCR  (Profile)
Basic Settings
  • Max # Cards: 20
  • Card Categories: Ex. NPCR 1-4 
  • Test Type: Fill in the Blanks
  • Prompt for: Character (writing the pinyin; prompt is the “answer type”)
  • Show: Characters (this just shows the characters)
  • Card Filters: All Off 
    • (I’m still trying to figure this out, filters should repeat problem words)
  • More Settings
    • Commands> Review Incorrect from off (default) to on. 

Profiles I need in the Future

  • Radicals  (learning by the easiest element see Super Memo’s 20 rules)
  • Listening to Sentences and Phrases. I will need to find a flashcard deck of sentences and phrases like 请再说一遍 or 好久不见 and set them up for listening. Mastery of stock phrases become building blocks of more complex sentences and ideas via Instructional Scaffolding.
I still need to learn how to use the statistics so I’ll have to check the forums.

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