The Pleco Chinese dictionary is a crucial app for Chinese learners. What about the Pleco flashcards add-on though, are they worth spending 10 bucks? Are they really essential or can you learn Chinese without Pleco flashcards? Let’s have a look at the pros and cons!
The benefits of Pleco Flashcards
Pleco flashcards are a popular means to organize and train vocabulary. Say you’re in Taiwan or China and receiving tons of new input every day. How to keep track of all that new vocabulary? Are you going to write down the Pinyin and later add the character(s) and meaning? In such a scenario working with Pleco flashcards might be the superior approach:
- Pleco combines dictionary functionality with a flashcard system. It’s very efficient to create flashcards based on your search history and to sort them by different categories. Scroll through your search history to bookmark those characters for further learning.
- If you like reading the news or any other Chinese text: Pleco allows you to bookmark important vocabulary from any given text while using the clipboard reader.
- The flashcards contain the link to the complete dictionary entry, including example sentences.
- Spaced repetition supports efficient memorization. More advanced users know how to tweak the settings to their personal tastes.
- Sound is integrated.
- Ready-made lists of HSK-flashcards.
- Lists can be imported and exported between different users and devices.
Hidden dangers?
So, are Pleco flashcards the ultimate learning solution? Well, I personally think that the pros certainly outweigh the cons. If you have a goal of learning 100 new characters every month, Pleco flashcards allow you to realize this goal in a smart and efficient manner, helping you to keep track of your progress. There are some hidden dangers though which become more apparent the more frequent you use this feature:
- The easier it gets to create flashcards, the harder it becomes to maintain order. Flashcards have a tendency to pile up. You can’t keep track of them all. This raises some questions like: should I really memorize every new word? Which words are truly relevant, which words can wait or even be dumped? As far as SRS is concerned all words are equally important.
- The more cards are due every day, the more time you spend simply reviewing vocabulary. Is that the essence of language learning?
- Is 100 percent retention a realistic goal or tyranny? How much time and energy do you want to spend on memorizing every single input? Shouldn’t it be acceptable to forget an X percentage of vocabulary?
- Even though Pleco SRS flashcards make learning Chinese vocabulary considerably more convenient and manageable, we partly outsource the autonomy of our learning by allowing the algorithm to make daily decisions for us. It automatizes the process of vocabulary learning to some extent. We do control the algorithm of course and you can set up different test profiles, but I think there’s something to the idea that by employing such tools we become a little like these tools. The main point being that vocabulary learning shouldn’t turn into a blind automatism.
What kind of learner are you?
All of these “hidden dangers” don’t have to be a real problem as long as you’re aware of them. The ultimate article about pros and cons of flashcard learning by Sinosplice notes that whether you like flashcards or not really depends on what kind of learner you are:
Over the years of working with lots of different learners of Chinese through AllSet Learning, I have noticed a very clear trend: analytical, programmer-types loooove SRS. It’s the efficiency of it, having the “checklist” where nothing gets omitted. These types of learners can find SRS a Godsend which changes their studies completely, and they often evangelize for SRS quite a bit.
However, learners much more interested in talking in Chinese, or reading in Chinese, may find the preoccupation with flashcards a bit off-putting and unnecessary. If you really are speaking Chinese all day, or reading for hours and hours every week, you may not need SRS flashcards as much.
Sinosplice: SRS Flashcards: Pros and Cons
So now what?
Are Pleco flashcards as essential to learning Chinese as fuel to a flying airplane? On the one hand, this depends on your learning situation. If you’re intensively studying Chinese, whether in China or at home, you might want to consider Pleco flashcards as probably one of the fastest and most efficient ways to organize, keep track of and ultimately memorize new vocabulary. In the heat of the moment, Pleco flashcards definitely beat a notebook or any other app I know of. On the other hand, if you’re not that analytical kind of learner, you’re probably not going to find salvation using flashcards, although it may very well support your learning in a useful way.
My opinion
As far as I am concerned: I’m somewhere in between. My motivation for flashcard learning seems to be coming in waves. I appreciate how Pleco combines dictionary and flashcards, allowing me to keep track of what I’m learning, but I have a hard time keeping that motivation for daily reviews over a longer period of time. This goes against my better judgement, because daily reviewing (even 10 minutes) really does make a difference. The effects are real. In the end, it’s up to ourselves how to make the best use out of this Pleco feature. It’s not the one-size-fits-all vocabulary learning solution or the nr. 1 method to memorize vocabulary for everybody, but it most certainly is a powerful tool that has enhanced the way many people learn Chinese as a foreign language and will continue to do so until something better comes along.
What’s your opinion about Pleco flashcards? Are they a godsend or can you do without them? Feel free to leave a comment down below!
Further reading
Many long-term Pleco users have shared their favorite configurations and other tips:
- How to Use Pleco to Really Learn Chinese: “As a Chinese-language learner living in China, Pleco is the most important app on my phone. Some days, I spend more time on it than WeChat.”
- My Pleco flashcard setup: “The way I use the flashcard feature evolved over time. Now it is in a state that helps me learn new words faster. Therefore I will present to you the way I use Pleco’s flashcard feature in this post! You will learn about the different test profiles I have set up. Additionally, I will explain to you, how I customized Pleco’s scoring algorithm.”
- Pleco flashcards: “If you are not familiar with Pleco’s flashcard system yet, be sure to continue reading on how to set up an ideal spaced repetition testing system.”
- My Pleco flashcard configuration: “After going through various internet resources and using it for over a year, I’ve found a configuration that works for me. So I thought I would share it here.”
- Is the flashcard upgrade worth 10 bucks?: “Do you guys think it’s worth it getting the flashcards upgrade on the app? Is there a limit to how many you can make in the demo?”
- HSK 3.0 Flashcards: The Pleco flashcards for the new HSK.
Affiliate links
Disclosure: These are affiliate links. They help me to support this blog, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.