Forgetting to remember ¨C What active recall is all about

Heath Pulliam
A group of students sat together in a library around a laptop smiling
Reading time: 5 minutes

Heath Pulliam is an independent education writer with a focus on the language learning space. He¡¯s taught English in South Korea and various subjects in the United States to a variety of ages. He¡¯s also a language learning enthusiast and studies Spanish in his free time.

Almost everyone has studied for a test at some point in their life. Have you ever studied a lot for a test and still not received a great grade? Probably so. This is because not all study methods are created equal. Just because you¡¯ve ¡®studied¡¯ doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that the material has stuck in your brain.

Some common study methods don¡¯t do as much as you might think. One technique, however, stands out for its efficiency and effectiveness. It¡¯s called active recall, and it¡¯s regarded by many as the best way to study.

What is active recall?

In short, active recall is the process of pulling information from your brain without prompts. The idea is that when you force yourself to remember something, you memorize it much faster than you would by only reading material or passively studying.

When you¡¯re taking a test and you¡¯re not sure about an answer, you search your brain for the answer; that¡¯s active recall. The action of trying to remember is what essentially crystallizes the information in your head for the long term. Multiple study methods use active recall or the action of searching your brain for an answer.

Active recall forces you to pull information from your mind. It¡¯s not just for doing well on tests but also for long-term retention.

Active recall is praised for its effectiveness, but it is also mentally taxing. Attempting to recall things that are not in the front of your mind is tiring, which is part of why some opt out of using it.

Dr. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, says:

¡°It¡¯s almost like you have a pseudo-photographic memory when you study this way.¡±

Passive and active study

Most people are taught to study, but less about how to study. People end up using passive study techniques, like rereading material or rewatching lectures. Although not particularly effective, studies show that reading and rereading notes remains university students¡¯ most common study method. (Dunlosky, 2013).

These methods might feel like effective studying but aren¡¯t really helping much. Yes, passive study methods such as reading, highlighting, or watching can help, but can also give you a false sense of understanding.

With these methods, when the time comes to retrieve the information, you struggle to recall it because it is not in your long-term memory.

The first step to becoming excellent at studying is understanding how important active study methods are, such as flashcards, practice testing, or practice teaching ¨C all methods that use active recall.

Spaced repetition

If you¡¯re researching study methods, you¡¯ve probably encountered the term spaced repetition. This technique can be incorporated into active recall study methods, primarily flashcards.

Spaced repetition involves reviewing information at increasingly longer intervals in order to improve long-term memory. You are using this technique when you learn something, so review it a day later, then a week later and then a month later. It helps fight your brain¡¯s natural process of forgetting things.

Combining spaced repetition with active recall is always a recipe for successful study.

So, what methods can you use to employ active recall in your study sessions?

Summarize what you know

The simplest way to practice active recall is to try to remember the material actively. To do this, read or reread some material, then take some time away¡ªtake a walk, snack break, or whatever you like to do to take a break.

During this break, try to replicate in your mind as much about the topic from scratch as if you had to teach about it. Don¡¯t be discouraged if you have trouble remembering; part of the learning process is forgetting material and then remembering it.

When using this for language acquisition, make up relevant sentences and translate them into your target language. What type of vocabulary were you learning? What grammatical structures were new to you?

Take a mental note of which elements you were able to remember and which ones gave you trouble.

When finished, go back to the material and review. Were you able to remember things? Whether you could or not, you¡¯ve helped yourself. Your attempt to remember is you practicing active recall.

When you do successfully remember something, you¡¯ll realize that it is locked in your long-term memory. This method is as simple as it is productive.

Teach a friend

Similar to mental summarizing, after studying, find a friend and do your best to explain the topic to them. Language learning could involve explaining how a new grammar pattern works in your target language or taking sentences and phrases and translating them to a friend.

As a teacher, your best lessons are the ones where you know the material inside and out. If you can effectively explain and teach someone about your target language, you are that much closer to mastering the information yourself.

Flashcards

Flashcards, especially when combined with spaced repetition, are the king of study methods for language acquisition.

Between all that they can be used for, they are especially good for language learning, no matter what part of the language you¡¯re studying. This is one of the best ways to learn sentence structure that does not mirror your native tongue, conjugations for speedy use and general vocabulary.

I have found that using a spaced repetition-based flashcard program is the best way to study a language. This way, you don¡¯t have to schedule a bunch of paper flashcards manually.

Among the most popular programs for language learners is Anki. Anki is a spaced repetition flashcard program. With it, you create your cards and the program schedules them at increasingly longer intervals. It is also used widely among students studying for large tests, like medical and law exams.

To make the best flashcards, make them yourself. Downloading a big set of flashcards for your target language is tempting but not particularly helpful. Instead, after each study session, make a few flashcards yourself covering the new vocabulary/grammar you¡¯ve just learned about.

One more thing: do not use multiple-choice answers for your cards. Active recall happens when you produce information without prompts or assistance.

Personally, I use flashcards every day to learn Spanish through . This program has a learning curve, but the payoff makes it worth it.

Test yourself

The goal of studying for a test is to be able to answer questions about a topic or, even better, know the material for real-world application. As stated earlier, active recall happens during testing, so why not use this form of active recall before testing?

Use your materials to make a mock exam in this method, then take it. Through actively remembering to answer each question, the ones you get right will stick in your brain. Review the questions that you couldn¡¯t remember and retake the test focusing on them.

While not particularly complicated, these tips and methods¡¯ effectiveness comes from their use of active recall. As you forget information and pull it from the depths of your memory, you solidify it for yourself.

Forgetting plays an important role in learning something for long-term memory.

Now, get to studying; how are you going to use the power of active recall in your routine?

References

Dunlosky, J. "Improving Students¡¯ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology." Association for Psychological Science, 2013, 1-6

Read our posts 'things you should try to avoid when learning English' and 'Language learning techniques for beginners'.

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  • Children in a classroom with their hands up

    8 first lesson problems for young learners

    By Joanna Wiseman

    The first class with a new group of young learners can be a nerve-wracking experience for teachers old and new. Many of us spend the night before thinking about how to make a positive start to the year, with a mixture of nerves, excitement, and a desire to get started. However, sometimes things don¡¯t always go as expected, and it is important to set a few ground rules in those early lessons to ensure a positive classroom experience for all, throughout the academic year.

    Let¡¯s look at a few common problems that can come up, and how best to deal with them at the start of the school year.

    1. Students are not ready to start the class

    How the first few minutes of the class are spent can greatly influence how the lesson goes. Students can be slow to get out their equipment and this can cause a lot of time wasting. To discourage this, start lessons with a timed challenge.

    1. Tell students what you want them to do when they come into class, e.g. sit down, take out their books and pencil cases, sit quietly ready for the lesson to start.
    2. Time how long it takes for everyone to do this and make a note. Each day do the same.
    3. Challenge students to do this faster every day. You could provide a goal and offer a prize at the end of the trimester if they reach it, e.g. be ready in less than a minute every day.

    2. Students speak their first language (L1) in class

    One of primary teachers' most common classroom management issues is getting them to speak English. However, young learners may need to speak their mother tongue occasionally, and a complete ban on L1 is often not the best solution. But how can we encourage students to use English wherever possible?

    Tell students they have to ask permission to speak in L1, if they really need to.

    • 3 word rule ¡ª tell students that they can use a maximum of three words in L1 if they don¡¯t know them in English.
    • Write ENGLISH on the board in large letters. Each time someone speaks in L1, erase a letter. Tell students each letter represents time (e.g. 1 minute) to play a game or do another fun activity at the end of the lesson. If the whole word remains they can choose a game.

    3. Students don¡¯t get on with each other

    It is only natural that students will want to sit with their friends, but it is important that students learn to work with different people. Most students will react reasonably if asked to work with someone new, but occasionally conflicts can arise. To help avoid uncomfortable situations, do team building activities, such as those below, at the beginning of the school year, and do them again whenever you feel that they would be beneficial:

    • Give students an icebreaker activity such as 'find a friend bingo' to help students find out more about each other.
    • Help students learn more about each other by finding out what they have in common.
    • Balloon race. Have two or more teams with an equal number of students stand in lines. Give each team a balloon to pass to the next student without using their hands. The first team to pass the balloon to the end of the line wins.
    • Team letter/word building. Call out a letter of the alphabet and have pairs of students form it with their bodies, lying on the floor. When students can do this easily, call out short words, e.g. cat, and have the pairs join up (e.g. three pairs = group of six) and form the letters to make the word.

    4. Students don¡¯t know what to do

    When the instructions are given in English, there will inevitably be a few students who don¡¯t understand what they have to do. It is essential to give clear, concise instructions and to model the activity before you ask students to start. To check students know what to do and clarify any problems:

    • Have one or more students demonstrate using an example.
    • Have one student explain the task in L1.
    • Monitor the task closely in the first few minutes and check individual students are on the right track.

    5. A student refuses to participate/do the task

    This is a frequent problem that can have many different causes. In the first few lessons, this may simply be shyness, but it is important to identify the cause early to devise an effective strategy. A few other causes might include:

    • Lack of language required to respond or do the task. Provide differentiation tasks or scaffolding to help students with a lower level complete the task or have them respond in a non-oral way.
    • Low self-confidence in their ability to speak English. Again, differentiation and scaffolding can help here. Have students work in small groups or pairs first, before being asked to speak in front of the whole class.
    • Lack of interest or engagement in the topic. If students aren¡¯t interested, they won¡¯t have anything to say. Adapt the topic or task, or just move on.
    • External issues e.g. a bad day, a fight with a friend, physical problems (tiredness/hunger/thirst). Talk to the student privately to find out if they are experiencing any problems. Allow them to 'pass' on a task if necessary, and give them something less challenging to do.

    It is important not to force students to do something they don¡¯t want to do, as this will cause a negative atmosphere and can affect the whole class. Ultimately, if a student skips one or two tasks, it won¡¯t affect their achievement in the long run.

    6. Students ask for repeated restroom/water breaks

    It only takes one student to ask to go to the restroom before the whole class suddenly needs to go! This can cause disruption and stops the flow of the lesson. To avoid this, make sure you have rules in place concerning restroom breaks:

    • Make sure students know to go to the restroom before the lesson.
    • Have students bring in their own water bottles. You can provide a space for them to keep their bottles (label them with student names) in the classroom and have students fill them daily at the drinking fountain or faucet.
    • Find out if anyone has any special requirements that may require going to the restroom.
    • Provide 'brain breaks' at strategic points in the lesson when you see students becoming restless.

    7. Students don¡¯t have the required materials

    • Provide parents with a list of materials students will need on the first day.
    • If special materials are required in a lesson, give students a note to take home or post a message on the school platform several days before.
    • Don¡¯t blame the student - whether they have a good reason or not for turning up to class empty-handed, making a child feel guilty will not help.
    • Write a note for parents explaining why bringing materials to class is important.

    8. Students are not listening/talking

    Getting their attention can be challenging if you have a boisterous class. Set up a signal you will use when you want them to pay attention to you. When they hear or see the signal, students should stop what they are doing and look at you. Some common signals are:

    • Raising your hand?- When students see you raise your hand, they should raise their hands and stop talking. Wait until everyone is sitting in silence with their hands raised. This works well with older children and teenagers.
    • Call and response attention-getters - These are short phrases that prompt students to respond in a certain way, for example: Teacher: "1 2 3, eyes on me!"?Students: "1 2 3, eyes on you!". Introduce a new attention-getter every few weeks to keep it fun. You can even have your students think up their own phrases to use.
    • Countdowns -?Tell students what you want them to do and count backwards from ten to zero, e.g. "When I get to zero, I need you all to be quiet and look at me. 10, 9, 8 ¡­"
    • Keep your voice low and speak calmly -?This will encourage students to stop talking and bring down excitement levels.
    • A short song or clapping rhythm -?With younger children, it is effective to use music or songs for transitions between lesson stages so they know what to do at each stage. For primary-aged children, clap out a rhythm and have them repeat it. Start with a simple rhythm, then gradually make it longer, faster, or more complex.