Serious
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العريسة

(Arabic)

Serious Language Student flashcards offer you the following:

  • users are methodically introduced to 1000+ words of common Arabic vocabulary.

  • progress through the vocabulary is personalized to the user. As the user responds to a flashcard successfully, that card is presented less frequently. If the user needs to review that card, it is presented more frequently. The  formula on which the frequency of card repetition is based flows from research on effective learning curves.

  • the Flashcards program lives on the user’s device. One does not need to be connected to the Internet to run the program and practice. One is not affected by the speed of one’s Internet connection. One’s progress is recorded on one’s device, so one is protected from the records ever being “lost in the cloud.”

  • words are introduced first going from Arabic to English e.g., ذَهَبَ to “to go”, then English to Arabic, e.g., “to go” to  ذَهَبَ ,

  • practice is never multiple choice. Understanding, speaking, and  reading Arabic are not multiple choice tasks. (Do other products use multiple choice?)

  • users can override the order in which  new vocabulary is introduced in order to adapt to the order of vocabulary  introduction of any teacher or textbook. (Do other products have this adaptability?)

  • users can combine a teacher or textbook’s order of introducing new words with the order in which Serious Language Student introduces them by allowing Serious Language Student methodically to expand beyond the teacher or textbook, if the teacher or textbook words are being mastered well.

  • users who are coordinating use of Serious Language Student flashcards with a language course can set Serious Language Student to quiz mode in order to drill a certain set of words with no expansion of vocabulary but staying with the drill of only those words. After the drill or test Serious Language Student can be toggled back to gradual vocabulary expansion. (Do other products have this quiz concentration option.)

  • users can add vocabulary words in addition to the 1000+ words with which Serious Language Student comes supplied. Thus, users with a teacher or textbook or users reading on their own can add to the vocabulary list all the vocabulary introduced by that teacher or textbook or interesting words encountered in reading. Users then practice those added words as part of the Serious Language Student practice. (The ability to add words to the vocabulary corpus appears to be unique to Serious Language Student.)

  • users practice reading Arabic as they will see it in the Arabic speaking world, i.e., without voweling. However, users will write Arabic vocabulary with voweling to be sure that they know how the words are pronounced, e.g., “to drink” is to be completed: “shariba”, not *”sharaba” or *”sharuba.” (Do other products handle voweling correctly, both in reading Arabic and in writing Arabic?)

  • grammar points needed to master vocabulary are included. Not only is حَربٌ included meaning “war” or “warfare,” but it is also marked as feminine. Not only is عَرَفَ included meaning “to know,” “to recognize,” or “to be aware of,” but its present masculine singular يَعرِفُ ya^rifu is also included, not *يَعرَفُ *ya^rafu or *يَعرُبُ *ya^rufu. Not onlyl is كَبير included, meaning “big” or “great,” but its broken masculine plural, كِبار kibaar is also included. (Its feminine singular and feminine plural are sound and therefor taken for granted.)  (Do other products include complete grammatical information about each word?)

serious language student flashcards vocabulary learner

Serious Language Student flashcards

The provided texts advertise a product called Serious Language Student flashcards, which is a vocabulary learning program specifically targeting non-European languages such as Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. These flashcard programs emphasize vocabulary acquisition, which the source material identifies as the most difficult component of learning these languages.

Arabic Manual

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Licensing Conditions

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Go To Download
Instructions

Be sure to read all those
instructions carefully.
Failure to follow the instructions
may result in the forfeit of your payment.

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Sample Flashcard

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learn arabic vocabulary, serious language student flashcard application

Browser searchable summary: Arabic Language Learning & Vocabulary

The primary challenge of Arabic language learning is that there are essentially no cognates, meaning every language learner must start on a “clean slate”. To ensure one is building the necessary vocabulary of a language like Arabic, the program provides:

  • 1000+ Common Words: Users are methodically introduced to over 1000 words of common Arabic vocabulary.
  • Active Grammar Mastery: Beyond simple definitions, the system helps in mastering the language by including critical grammar points. Not only is حَربٌ included meaning “war” or “warfare,” but it is also marked as feminine. Not only is عَرَفَ included meaning “to know,” “to recognize,” or “to be aware of,” but its present masculine singular يَعرِفُ with the vowel ‘i’ is also provided. Not only is كَبير included, meaning “big” or “great,” but its broken masculine plural, كِبار is also included (its feminine singular and feminine plural are sound and therefore taken for granted).
  • Real-World Reading Practice: One reads Arabic as it appears in the speaking world—without voweling—but one is required to write voweling to ensure perfect pronunciation mastery.

1. Language Learning Flashcards Methodology

For a language learner seeking more than passive recognition, these language learning flashcards offer a rigorous, production-based approach:

  • No Multiple Choice: Practice is never multiple choice because understanding, speaking, and reading Arabic are not multiple-choice tasks.
  • Effective Learning Curves: Progress is personalized; the frequency of card repetition is based on research-backed formulas combined with the student’s performance on each word to ensure efficient vocabulary learning. As the user responds to a flashcard successfully, that card is presented less frequently. If the user needs to review that card, it is presented more frequently.
  • Frozen Mode vs. Expansion Mode: Users can toggle between two modes. In “frozen mode” (or quiz mode), one drills a specific set of words, e.g., preparing for a test or concentrating on the vocabulary of a specific work. In “expansion mode,” one returns to gradually learning new words.

2. Mastering Languages Through Customization

A unique path to mastering the language with this program is the high level of user control and technical reliability:

  • Add Custom Vocabulary: This is a unique feature allowing one to add interesting words from one’s own reading or from specific textbooks. These added words are integrated directly into the program’s practice sequence.
  • Textbook Coordination: One can override the default order of introduction to align the flashcards with any Arabic language learning curriculum or teacher.
  • Offline Functionality: The program and one’s progress live entirely on one’s own device, ensuring one can practice any time even without an internet connection, and one’s records are protected from being “lost in the cloud”.
  • Freedom From Upgrades: Since the program lives on one’s own device, there is never any need to perform an upgrade. If upgrades are ever available, they are optional. If the user wishes to upgrade, updates are included in the cost of the initial license, excepting upgrades that actually expand the vocabulary.