Quizlet as a resource

As I have repeatedly said, I am against the flashcard model of language learning. I believe fully in the fully immersive immersion model. (yes, I purposely was redundant)

That means eliminating "learning in translation" which flashcards often offer.

Our teacher this year, however, did something really fabulous. She set us up to use Quizlet, which, although not only about flashcards, but its main product offering is that - but the definitions for the weekly vocabulary are all in Chinese, as well. There are built-in sound buttons that recite the vocabulary and definitions for you.

The site then lets the teacher set up testing or "quiz" features. So first, the vocabulary with definitions can be set up as flashcards. Then, those definitions can be posted to require being matched in reverse. Moreover, all the characters can be posted as buttons wherein the student must input the right mix of characters in order to match it to a picture plus a written definition which they must learn to read on their own. The order of the list can remain the same, then it can be scrambled or even timed. There is additional feedback in that students can set up accounts so the teacher can see who completed what and how much of it, the rates of errors, how much time it took, etc.

The units can be set up as totally open links, as well, with no required account created in order to engage.

I have mixed feelings about the role of technology in education. But to me, this does not seem totally mindless, passive matching, so I guess I am okay with it. Moreover, my child is asking to do it. Our teacher is not requiring it. Especially if parents have other ways to help our kids master the vocabulary. It is a good option for parents without those skills or additional resources, however, especially if the teacher does it by using Chinese definitions, not English ones.

Still, it is not a replacement to good old fashioned independent reading and writing skills. At our stage, I am confident that my child will not be handicapped by exposure to this resource. Her writing abilities are very strong for her stage of development. She has a lot of brain and muscle memory built up, as well as having become acculturated to the writing in terms of habit and purpose (experiencing the beauty of the writing, as well as having learned structural meaning aspects like radicals and positioning).

So here is the link to Quizlet. If your teacher has the time, or if you have a parent in your community who can do this, then it can be a great resource on behalf of true Mandarin Immersion. (or any language immersion program)