Overview

Memrise.com is a language learning website which features digital flashcards on a

variety of topics (even beyond language learning). Users can sign up for free and then choose the
courses (sets of flashcards) they would like to take. Users are not limited in the number of
courses they can take, although they are limited in activity types unless they pay a
monthly/yearly fee. Additionally, users can both take courses created by others or create their
own courses to share. The program can be accessed online, as well as through an app, allowing
users to practice their flashcards while at their computer and on the go.
How does it work?
Users first must create a user name or log
in with their Facebook or Google account. Once
logged in, users can search for courses created by
other Memrise community members. They are
typically ranked by popularity and rating but can
still be difficult to parse by newcomers. For
instance, if a student wants to find a course on
Memrise covering the material from the GENKI
I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese
textbook, searching for genki yields hundreds
of results. Users would need to try out different
courses to find the best one for their needs or
simply trust the community ratings/popularity.
Once a course is started for the first time,
a simple tutorial starts calling the users attention to Memrises user
interface (UI) elements. As seen in the example to the left, Memrises
tutorial and default UI does an excellent job of highlighting essential
material which Mayer (2008) calls Signaling. Also, the very nature of the
multimedia flashcards which only focus on one
vocabulary word at a time while presenting both
audio and text at the same time adhere to the
Temporal contiguity principle as well (Mayer,
2008).
Vocabulary is introduced with the target
L2 word (and the L2 script, if needed), the
definition in the L1, and an audio file of the
pronunciation. The audio can be replayed at this
stage as many times as the user wants by pressing

the blue speaker button. The multimedia presentation of Memrise adheres

to the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer, 2008) which
states that utilizing multiple sensory inputs allows for material to be
committed to the sensory memory, then working memory, and finally
long-term memory. Additionally, users can practice their vocabulary
words at this time as much as they would like before moving on to the test
cards. This is an excellent use of providing a learner-paced environment,
or Segmenting (Mayer, 2008).
One of Memrises hooks is the use of mnemonics. While in the learning phase of
vocabulary, users can click on an option which readsHelp me remember this word which will
bring up mnemonic devices created by a Memrise community member. Memrise calls these
mnemonic devices mems. Mems can be words, pictures, or both and vary in quality,
authenticity, and relevance. For instance, in the example below, she go to work teaches the
user the improper pronunciation of the target vocabulary word. Course creators have no control
in
which

mnemonics appear in their course. However, users can create their own mnemonics.

After vocabulary is introduced, Memrise will begin to test users retention. Tasks include
selection/identification by orthography and definition, selection/identification by hearing,
selection by picture, and typing. After completing the flash card activity, Memrise stores which
vocabulary words users answered correctly and incorrectly. Users gain points for correct
answers and must answer correctly a certain number of times in a row before a word is
considered mastered. Incorrect guesses get shuffled back into the virtual deck until the user
gains mastery of the target vocab. This feature is one of the greatest strengths of Memrise as a
CALL tool--a computer algorithm provides individualized instruction and adapts to learner
syllabuses (Doughty 2003). With this CALL tool, there is hard data on which vocabulary words
the user needs to practice more; bias from self reporting or teacher observation is not present
(though there may be other factors influencing error and pace of instruction). These two features
adhere to MP8 and MP10 of Doughtys Language Teaching Methodological Principles for CALL
(Doughty, 2003). The time users complete exercises are also recorded and used to calculate
when Memrise notifies the exercises to be completed again. This is grounded in research of
spaced repetition that may lead to greater retention. Memrise is one of the leading
Spaced Repetition Software (SRS) tools available today.

Instructors or highly motivated students can create their own courses and invite students
or friends to participate as well. Courses can be tailored to specific needs or texts and include
any of the above task exercises with any media supplied by the creator (pictures, audio in male or
female voices, etc). Creators can then invite others to the study group by email, link, or directly
contacting them through their Memrise user name. Multiple instructors/creators can collaborate
on a course as well if the original creator shares editing permissions with specific accounts.
Courses can be edited at any time even after shared with a study group. This feature is a great

tool to promote cooperative and collaborative learning (Doughty 2003).

Support from Research

While the Memrise program itself has not yet been the focus of any vocabulary research,
there has been research on using flashcards to learn vocabulary. Oxford & Crookall (1990) found
that flashcards are among the most widely used vocabulary techniques. While this finding is
over 15 years old, subsequent research has shown that students have positive attitudes about
online flashcards (Chien, 2015) and that digital flashcards enhance vocabulary learning
performance (Hung, 2015) . This research helps to support the use of Memrise.com as a
vocabulary learning tool. Memrise can be used as a way to challenge students to intentionally
learn vocabulary, which speeds up learners process of lexical development due to focused
repetition or memorization strategies (Hung, 2015).
According to Mayers (2008) definition, the Memrise flashcards are an example of
multimedia learning because of the images and audio that can easily be incorporated with the
text. Moreover, the process used by Memrise matches with Mayers (2008) Segmenting
Principle, Spatial Contiguity Principle, and Multimedia Principle. The Segmenting Principle is
met in how the program is designed to present flashcards in learner-paced segments of 5 new
words or 10 words to review at one time. This helps to reduce cognitive overload and ensure that
the learners process what is essential. The Spatial Contiguity Principle is met in how specific
words correspond to specific graphics and how only word is presented with its graphic at a time.
This helps eliminate confusion and decrease extraneous processing. The Multimedia Principle is
met in how Memrise allows for the presentation of images (and audio) with the words instead of
the words by themselves.
One of the features that sets this digital vocabulary flashcard program apart from some
other programs is the way it quizzes learners in an adaptive and timed manner. Memrise is an
example of spaced retrieval, or expanded retrieval practice, which involves attempting to
retrieve an item immediately after it has been studied (an immediate first test) and then gradually
increasing the spacing interval between successive retrieval attempts (Karpicke & Roediger III,
2007). The exact benefits and logistics of spaced retrieval are still being explored--according to
Schuetze & Weimer-Stuckmann (2010), spaced learning has been proven to have a positive
impact on retention, but there has not yet been enough research on determining the ideal interval
lengths.
Drawbacks
Despite its ease of use and grounding in research, Memrise does have some limitations
and disadvantages. While cited as a strength by Memrise itself, the fact that Memrise
community members create courses, mems, and ratings creates a severe lack of quality control
among courses. If users are using the tool to supplement their language learning, they may be
learning incorrect forms, pronunciation (as with the example given above), definitions, etc.
Instructors may be able to circumvent these issues by creating their own courses and inviting
their students to it, but that requires a major time investment for a tool that many students may or
may not use.
Additionally, flashcards (even those of multimedia virtual variety) are decontextualized
(Oxford & Crookall, 1990). According to Oxford and Crookall (1990), flashcards are glorified

L2-L1 word lists broken into units. Unless the creator of the course takes time to organize
chapters or units of vocabulary into contextualized groups (by tense and or aspect, part of
speech, or topic), learners will be missing out on how their new vocabulary can be used in real
world usage (Oxford & Crookall, 1990). One way Memrise can combat this is by always adding
pictures to vocabulary, but this is just a bandaid on the inherent, larger problem facing flashcard
learning. If Memrise offered ways for users to print out cards to tape to real life objects, or ways
to use the learned vocabulary in production (writing a sentence in the L2), these drawbacks could
be remedied (Oxford & Crookall, 1990).
Lastly, in one study by Karpicke & Roediger III (2007) found that the subjects treated
with spaced repetition paradigm utilized by Memrise scored worse in retention tests than subjects
treated with the equally spaced retrieval method. While SRS is very popular, the scientific
results backing the expanding retrieval model may be lacking, or at least up for debate.
Therefore, students may have better, more efficient acquisition utilizing different vocabulary
learning methods, such as glossing or blogging.
How could it be used by an ESL teacher?
Teachers can use Memrise.com to help their students intentionally learn vocabulary
(increasing performance through noticing as discussed by Hung, 2015). Specifically, teachers
could create Memrise courses for vocabulary sets, then could organize all of the vocabulary sets
from an ESL course as lessons within one Memrise course. If teachers want to keep track of
student progress/use of the software, they can create a private group of learners on Memrise and
then assign Memrise course(s) to that specific group. This allows the students in the group to
compete against each other and also allows the teacher and students to see the ranking of each
person. Alternatively, teachers could require students to create their own Memrise courses or
could assign existing courses for their students, although this would mean that the teacher has
less control over whether or not the vocabulary items are accurate. If teachers take the time to
create the sets, they will be more accurate, plus, they can be reused each time the ESL course is
taught.
Conclusion
Memrise is an excellent resource as a supplement to a CLT classroom. Instructors,
cognizant of the potential pitfalls of community-created content, decontextualized vocabulary,
and conflicting research, can create courses that reap many of the language learning benefits of
Memrise. Students also can use Memrise as a supplement to their language learning as long as
they do not solely rely on the tool for their instruction. With Memrises convenience, ease of
use, and excellent adherence to many CALL methodological principles, students can practice
vocabulary virtually anywhere if they have a laptop or smartphone.

References
Chien, C. (2015). Analysis the effectiveness of three online vocabulary flashcard websites on L2
learners level of lexical knowledge. English Language Teaching, 8(5), 111-121.
Doughty, C.J., Long, M.H. (2003). Optimal psycholinguistic environments for distance foreign
language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 7(3), 50-80.
Hung, H. (2015). Intentional vocabulary learning using digital flashcards. English Language
Teaching, 8(10), 107-112.
Karpicke, J.D., Roediger III, H.L. (2007). Expanding retrieval practice promotes short-term
retention, but equally spaced retrieval enhances long-term retention. Journal of Experiemental
Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33(4), 704-719.
Mayer, R. (2008). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.) The Cambridge
handbook of multimedia learning (31.48). Cambridge, U.K.:Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R., Crookall, D. (1990). Vocabulary learning: A critical analysis of techniques. TESL
Canada Journal, 7(2), 9-30.
Schuetze, U., Weimer-Stuckmann, G. (2010). Virtual vocabulary: Research and learning in
lexical processing. CALICO Journal, 27(3), 517-528.