Since I started studying German in Lingq, I have never used the activities of the website. I only read and listen a lot and change the degree of knowledge of my “Lingq’s” until they become known words for me.
Steve often says he goes through his flashcards putting everything in the front, but I do not even review them that way.
Those who have spent more time learning in Lingq … How important do you think it is to carry out these activities for language learning?
To me flashcards will never trump reading/listening practise.
I would say, keep doing what you’re doing, and only do flashcards if you feel like that is something you would like to do.
I think that if the language you are studying is similar to your mother tongue then it’s not necessary to review vocabulary (maybe later when you want to stick some words in your mind).
But if it’s a very different language (like English was for me) then I would review the words at least for 15 minutes every day.
Thanks, niek1337. I will keep reading and listening, because doing flashcards is really tedious for me 
Not similar to my mother tongue (Spanish), but to English that I already know. Do you review all your lings? Because I already have many to review them all.
Yes, I review them all, even when there’s a lot, but I prefer to use Anki for it.
I don’t bother if there’s a lot to review, because if I just do it on a daily basis it will get easier and easier, right now, for example, I can’t even remember when it was the last time I used Anki, but next week I will come back to it. I probably have 2 thousands English words to review, but probably I will review only 100 each day. It doesn’t take much time, I just read the phrase, try to understand, see the translation, and move on to the next phrase.
Everything depends on a concrete person.
If you like using flashcards - use them.
If you don’t like doing it - don’t do it.
I always wonder why a lot of people would like to imitate the other people.
Flashcards can consolidate our new words.
But if you can go ahead without them, so please - go ahead!
What about me - I repeat my words 1-2 times a week by using multiple choice - and it works for me.
But I don’t want to force someone t5o do the same.
An independent language learner must really be independent!..
But what I must tell all my students as a language teacher - the first 800 words you have to learn by heart and even to drill though it can be boring because without such a base you can’t go ahead, you stay forever on the beginner level!
After the creation of this elementary base you can do what you want to do - but after and not before!
I also just put them into Anki and use them there. I know there is a Flashcard function here, but for some reason, I just prefer using them in Anki. I think it comes from me wanting to have my flashcards on all one app (I have a few decks I use with Anki). I also, handwrite some flashcards, but those are only for words on the HSK (the official Chinese test) required list. Other than that, I would only use flashcards if you want to, it isn’t that necessary, just an extra useful supplementary tool.
I really like the idea of having the first 800 solid in your brain. I think that is very important. I wish I had thought of that at a much earlier level. Hey, one can always apply this later on in life too though, when I study other languages putting a fair amount of time in the first 800 words. I like it.
One thing that I have found useful is going to the flashcard page, and then trying to use each of the words in a sentence. I’m not one for flipping flashcards (also, I find that in review sessions, I temporarily memorize the definitions on the first peek, which isn’t helpful the next 4 times it shows up in five minutes - my mind hasn’t forgotten it yet, but it will in 30 minutes.)
But since the flashcard page is so well laid out, I can generate a context for each of the words in the long list, and I find that I remember them better (or ‘rediscover them quicker’ in my subsequent texts. Which is a great next step to ‘owning’ the word soon.)
I think you’re fine not reviewing flashcards. I do think the flashcard page is pretty helpful for whatever manner you choose to use it in. That method doesn’t have to be flashcard flipping. It could simply be reading up and down the page and changing your rankings when you laugh and see that Danke is still rated as 1 out of 5, probably by accident, perhaps from your first session.
Since learning Spanish I have not used flashcards once as for me personally I find them really boring and repetitive.
Thanks jonesjack. So you do another activity or just read and listen?
Listen and read that is it and if I have any specific questions about Spanish I either Google or ask the people I talk with
Imitate is not always bad. I’m new in this and it’s good to see what other people did to achieve what you want to do. You can use it as a starting point, being sure it works and as you gain experience you can make adjustments.
Thanks for your answer. Do you review your words here in Lingq or in other place?
They’re not,
“But if you can go ahead without them, so please - go ahead!”
But the topic starter hesitates that he is missing something without reviewing flashcards.
I personally tried to use flashcards but it seemed to be counterproductive because I struggled always with the same words which did not want to be learned. Every day I encounted the same words I know that I don’t know. I could review the same card 10 times a day having no idea about the meaning on the next day.
I do the 25 LingQs thing that pops up every day, but that’s it. I really dislike learning with flashcards and it never worked well for me, so I always dropped it whenever I could. Apart from that, I just read and listen and add new LingQs.