Why Language Learners Hate Anki

Main Ideas

• Knowing the most frequent words is not enough for adult-level expression. The video challenges the often-repeated claim that a small core vocabulary makes up most of a language. Frequent words may help with basic comprehension, but learners still encounter many less-common words that native speakers know and use.
• Reading and immersion may not provide enough repetition for uncommon vocabulary. The narrator estimates that a book can contain hundreds of unfamiliar words, many of which may not appear often enough to be learned naturally. Deliberate vocabulary practice may be needed for repeated exposure.
• The obstacle may be the learner’s relationship with spaced repetition, not disbelief in its value. The narrator believes spaced repetition systems (SRS) can help, but has repeatedly struggled to stick with tools such as Anki, Quizlet, flashcards, word lists, and notebooks.
• Two beliefs can make Anki feel unbearable:
  1. It seems endless. Adding more cards than you learn can create a growing backlog, making it feel as though the deck will never be finished.
  2. It seems to have strict rules. Worrying about the “right” card format or using the system incorrectly can make starting feel daunting.
• A smaller, finite commitment can make SRS more approachable. The narrator’s proposed “390 deck” is intended as a manageable trial with a visible endpoint, not a complete solution to every vocabulary gap. Learning a few hundred words may also improve comprehension of a text beyond the individual words themselves by making its broader meaning clearer.
• The goal is to build a sustainable habit. The narrator recommends finishing the limited deck before worrying about what comes next. If learners find it useful, they can repeat the plan or cautiously increase the daily pace.

The “390 Deck” Method

• Set a clear limit: Make a deck of 390 cards so the commitment has a definite endpoint.
• Keep the daily learning load low: Learn two new cards per day. At that rate, learning all the new cards takes a little over six months.
• Add cards over a bounded period: The narrator suggests adding about 13 cards a day for a month, then stopping card creation and working through the deck.
• Keep reviews short: The intended setup should take around ten minutes a day for reviews, though learners can adjust the pace slightly.
• Choose a helpful card format: Don’t get stuck deciding between bilingual or monolingual cards, or whether to include audio or images. The narrator’s point is to use cards as reminders that words and phrases exist until they are encountered again.
• Treat it as a trial: Focus on starting and completing the deck rather than planning an indefinite system. If it does not seem helpful halfway through, the time investment is limited.
• If it works, continue cautiously: Start another 390-card deck or try three new cards a day for a year. The subtitles call this a “109.5 deck”; the described rate amounts to about 1,095 cards over a year.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• The narrator and creator of Days and Words — the only speaker represented in the supplied subtitles; no name is given.
• Nathaniel Drew — identified in the video metadata as appearing in a video clip, but not identifiable as a speaker in the supplied subtitles.