Comments on: Passive repetitive reading produces little or no benefit for learning https://www.isegoria.net/2020/05/passive-repetitive-reading-produces-little-or-no-benefit-for-learning/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:05:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Dave https://www.isegoria.net/2020/05/passive-repetitive-reading-produces-little-or-no-benefit-for-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-3181399 Dave Sun, 24 May 2020 15:36:03 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=46680#comment-3181399 Pimsleur language tapes work like this. Each new word or concept is repeated at declining frequency, just often enough that you’re forced to remember it. It’s a tremendous mental exertion, but there’s no faster way to start learning a new language.

]]> By: Harry Jones https://www.isegoria.net/2020/05/passive-repetitive-reading-produces-little-or-no-benefit-for-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-3181388 Harry Jones Sun, 24 May 2020 15:28:08 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=46680#comment-3181388 I think the main attraction of repetitive reading is that it’s easier. Another consideration is that it seems to work on material that is of interest. When you watch a favorite movie over and over again, you start to memorize it. But when you watch a movie you hate over and over again, you zone out.

Vocabulary drill is a trap. You become a walking dictionary, with all the limitations of a dictionary. Much of the meaning of a word is in the context. A dictionary entry has no context at all.

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