Guides to learning languages from what you watch
Articles on sentence mining, spaced repetition and how to turn shows and videos into a study habit that lasts.
What sentence mining is and why it works
Sentence mining means collecting real sentences from the content you watch and reviewing them until they stick. Here is the method, step by step.
Read the guideSpaced repetition: remembering more while studying less
Reviewing just before you forget beats cramming. This is how spaced repetition works and how to apply it to learning a language.
Read the guideWhat FSRS is, the algorithm that decides when you review
FSRS estimates when you are about to forget each card. A formula-free explanation of what it measures, how it differs from classic systems and what it means for you.
Read the guideHow to learn a language with shows and videos and still enjoy them
Watching shows helps you learn a language only if you do it a certain way. A concrete routine for YouTube and Netflix, with subtitles and without turning it into homework.
Read the guideWhich sentences are worth saving (and which are not)
Not every sentence makes a good card. Simple criteria for picking the ones that teach you most and skipping the ones that only waste your time.
Read the guideComprehensible input: the idea behind learning by listening
Stephen Krashen’s input hypothesis holds that we acquire a language by understanding real messages. What it says, how it is criticised and how to apply it.
Read the guideWhy your cards should have audio
Reading a sentence and understanding it by ear are different skills. Cards with the original audio train your listening while you review vocabulary.
Read the guideKeeping the habit: ten minutes a day you will actually do
Consistency outweighs intensity when learning a language. How to set a realistic daily goal, how many cards to add and what to do when you miss a day.
Read the guideGetting started with Galigo: from zero to your first card
A practical guide to creating your account and your first deck, installing the Chrome extension and capturing your first sentence on YouTube or Netflix.
Read the guideSeven common sentence mining mistakes and how to avoid them
Saving too much, impossible cards, no longer watching content… The slips that make many people give up on sentence mining, and how to fix them.
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