Introduction

Anki is just a flashcard app. It has no content out of the box—you make the content you’re interested in, and the app uses spaced repetition to schedule your reviews for you. It’s set-and-forget, and it works.

Why should you use Anki?

• academic research supports the principles behind it
• take it anywhere with you—apps with sync for your phone and computer
• it’s free

For syncing, you need to sign for an account at http://www.ankiweb.net. Otherwise, if you’re really technically minded, you can run your own server with this open-source software. With AnkiWeb, you can also practice your flashcards online, in case you don’t want to buy the iPhone version if you got stuck on that platform at some point (see below).

Why shouldn’t you use Anki?

• it’s not free on the iPhone
• you’re really bad at typing
• you’re insecure about your pronunciation
• you’re afraid of being too smart

The iPhone version costs $25 (¥163). It’s a one-time fee and it supports the development of the app. If that’s too much money for you, consider it as an investment. I know many of my students have spent tens (or hundreds) of thousands of CNY on their English education. It would be silly of them to overlook such a comparatively small cost for an app with as much potential benefit as this one.

If you’re bad at typing, learn how to touch type.

If you’re not confident in your pronunciation, you may benefit from learning about phonetics. Basically, it’s learning about what your body does when you speak. There’s a lot to it, but the three most important things are the positions of your tongue, lips, and voice box. Omniglot has an article that might get you started.

As for the last point, consider seeing a psychiatrist.