How to do free recall (AKA active recall) - Language learning demonstration 

Hi everyone, I made a follow-up video answering some of the common questions I've gotten to this one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-evIuDvQDDSY.html Apply the same basic process to learn from RU-vid videos: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_67Pw73x7Ms.html For more discussion of common learning questions, check out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P9RRLT8ns5s.html

This beats every video of spaced repetition... if u are here means you finally found the gold on how to remember anything...

By YouSum Live 00:00:00 Free recall as powerful study strategy. 00:00:10 Technique applicable to various subjects. 00:00:24 Study material, take break, then recall. 00:01:19 Recall character, pronunciation, meaning. 00:01:54 Review missed information, make corrections. 00:02:06 Repeat recall rounds, improving each time. 00:02:40 Organize related information together. 00:03:38 Technique enhances long-term memory retention. 00:04:19 Active recall reduces memory interference. 00:04:45 Practice recall for effective learning. 00:05:18 Optimal intervals for memory strengthening. 00:05:56 Adjust intervals based on recall success. By YouSum Live

im not even kidding, this is by far, one of the best methods I've seen on youtube! Yes, subjective but it beats all the other "popular" videos on "How to study".

I have been in the habit of using this technique for many years but never knew its name and the scientific reasons behind it. Your explanation makes sense. I always write on a piece of paper with a pen whenever I have some spare time -- for example, waiting for a doctor's appointment or waiting for the bus or queuing up or waiting for friends or anyone for an appointment. I found that this way of writing helps me remember very well. For the most recent example, more than 2 years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, because of relatively free time, I started to self-study Thai. Surprisingly, it worked because I started self-studying Thai when I was 50 years old, which is usually considered too old to learn any new languages. PS: By the way, English is a foreign language for me so watching videos like this and writing and reading comments in English (especially written by native speakers) is also a way to practice the language.

I don't know why your video hasn't got the views in comparison to other videos on " how to memorize"/ " how to remember" but this video is surely one of the best on internet.

Wow it's amazing being able to name a technique I'd used while in school. I always preferred to study with a whiteboard on my lap, being able to test myself, erase, study something else, retest later. I was always envious of my more studious friends who had the drive to make flashcards, but thanks to your videos I feel less bad. Thank you for all these free resources, they are appreciated

I love the quote "It's just me and a blank piece of paper and really trying to understand what I know"

This method is pretty similar to the Dr. Feyman used to learn different subjects. I will give it a try for sure! Thanks for the video!

This technique is my go to in graduate school. I appreciate that you said to be patient with yourself when you need to practice a few times over. Thanks for everything you do, Benjamin!

This is the best free software Ive seen. Respect

One of my teachers in Islamic studies used to tell us "stop writing and listen" but he gave up when he saw that we couldn't stop doing that. But seeing your video I understand better why he would say that. He has himself travelled and learned with teachers in the desert in a traditionnal islamic way and I guess there was no note taking and he has so much knowledge.

Straight to the point. Useful, functional, and entertaining. Thanks, Ben!

Hey Ben, I just wanted to say thank you for posting up these techniques and explaining it the way you do, they are really helping me.

Im so glad I found your channel and Dr Sungs channel , Honestly you guys are the ones I see who give out actual study advice thats not flashcards !! Going to try this out for my upcoming exam ! 😊

A good tip for choosing intervals: Laying out the intervals along the Fibonacci Sequence is pretty helpful and I read somewhere, that science actually looked into this. For example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 is part of the sequence. I would fist go for something like 10 Minutes 2-3 hours (like in the video) and then choose your intervals in days like in the sequence, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days etc.

I am so impressed by the fact that you answer the questions so thoroughly. I find it makes a connection and a feeling of involvement that I don’t get from most videos. Thank you for your efforts.

This is amazing more people in the medical community need to see this

The method you shared seems very easy and interesting to do. I can't wait to try this out. Thank you

Hi🎉, I work in call center industry and we have to learn a LOT of information, and you technique was so far the best study method I found over years of trying different techniques (Anki, memory palace, mnemonics, etc) thank you for sharing your knowledge with us 😊

This is pure gold. Thanks a lot

I was reading a book aimed at helping med students pass their first year (it's a competitive entrance exam and not a typical undergrad year in my country) and this is exactly the advice they gave. Study the material first, distract yourself for 5 minutes by reading something completely unrelated to what you're learning, write down on paper what you learned, check the things you've missed. It's surprising for me to see this method being demonstrated, I thought it was obscure. Thank you for posting this

I've applied this process and it's doing well. I like this technique.

Yes. Yes. Yes. This works. I use a variation of this for memorization. It works. Absolutely. There is no majic pill for active recall. All learning takes work. Great job.

I love how in one of your free time sessions you're basically still exercising your brain (juggling)❤

You have no idea how many times I watched your videos especially this one

Exactly the same way how i learn to handwrite something in a different font. Forget then check the reference. Brilliant work.

Bro being casually life saver!

this video just hit at the right time for my learning epiphany

i didnt search for this i got it in my reccomandation but fr i needed this so bad. thankyou so much

Okay I will try this one to learn Japanese, because I feel like this is the only method that make sense for me, and tried a lot of methods, thank you!!!

In retrospect, I actually used this technique in school without knowing this is actually a technique. I ended up topping college without spending too much time studying. That was 20 years ago. Now I can still remember many things that I studied.

This has applications in music learning and especially memorization. I've never gone so far as to write my performance music down from memory but doing so would probably take my memorization to a new level.

makes lots of sense bro, thank you for this

I'll start implementing it. Thanks.

Que demonstração excelente.

That’s exactly what I do. I use anki flashcards to set proper intervals between my practices and also to track which things I know better.

Phenomenal explanation. I can’t believe you only got 11k views in a year! This should be recommended viewing for every student. The thing I most dislike about flashcards like Anki, is that they tend to concentrate on what you get wrong or don’t know rather than what you do know in the name of ‘efficiency’; the ‘why study what you already know?’ paradigm. You tend to develop an increasingly difficult set of cards to learn and it just becomes so demoralising.

This method works I went from getting E the 1st semester to now getting C at my 2nd semester on uni just by doing this method 2 weeks before my spoken exam. If I started this method earlier and used it probably I would probably get a B or an A.

Awesome content 😮 I've been enjoying all the videos Keep up the great work

Tx 4 sharing, really interesting method. I'll try.

Commenting for the algorithm. You deserve more views

Stanford and Cornell? You must be a genius! Besides that, I really like the way you explain things. I am going to sub.

非常感謝！讓我在自學外語時能用到這個方法，畢竟背外文單字，特別是俄文單字很容易忘記！Большое спасибо！

I try to combine spaced repetitions with deliberate practice: do some exercise , take note of how many mistakes you have done and then try it again tomorrow until You have done it perfectly. But for language you got a point. When we read or traslate we fell we know a Word because we recognize it. But when we must use it writing or talking, we simply don't use words that we can't recall. In that sense, the blank paper technich is amazing and i Will test it as soon as i can.

I like that you're videos are short and comprehencible. Currently I'm preparing for an entry exam for philosphy due in about 2 weeks. For about month and a half I've been studying with flashcards :'). I notices some time ago all the stuff you brought up flashcards lack and wanted to implement something like free recall. Found out about your channel 3 hrs ago and I'm binging your videos to find out how should I study better and ditch flashcards totally.

Thank you for this video.

this is literally the way i've been studying for a long while, and everyone that i tell them about it would be shocked.

Thank you, great video.

Very helpful, thank you!

Excellent as always, thank you! I’ve always learned this way naturally (in spurts) and have been summarily accused of not paying attention or being lazy etc. and simultaneously praised for my retention and recall and being “smart” so tiresome…🙄 At 61 I’m finally fully embracing it again. Everyone: Please, DON’T wait to to this.

Thanks for this man!

Hmm, that's a really interesting method and I'm going to try it a bit more. But it seems like it takes a lot of time to study this way, I usually make a conspectus in remnote and then review it afterwards, making a better quality conspectus with flashcards that include references. It doesn't take a lot of time, but maybe studying this way is more beneficial. Thanks for the great content!

Just one thing. Thankyou so much.

🎉😊Very Simple & Effective!!! Especially for ADHD studying

If you want to remember information, intermittently remember the information that is worth remembering. 👍

I just discovered this channel today. I definitely agree with other comments that say that this is one of the best videos about studying methods. It showcases real and applicable examples and the content is explained succinctly. Edit: I have some questions and conflicts about this technique. For context, I am a Physics student, so there are many concepts, ideas and derivations I have to learn and remember, plus I have to do practice problems which not necessarily test every important detail about what I've just learned, so there are a few gaps. 1. How do I know when I can stop studying to take a break to clear my mind and later do free recall? Is it until I lose my focus or until I get overloaded of information (and how would I know if I've gotten information overload?) 2. Can I study other topics or subtopics (can these be closely related to what I had studied before since studying a similar topic could slow down the forgetting process?) during the breaks? I feel like doing a different activity for 15 minutes or 2 hours and not visiting back what I was trying to learn during that period of time makes my progress really slow. To put this into an example, let's keep using the vocabulary learning demonstration. So first, I try to learn 30 words, then I take the 2 hour break and after the break I do free recall. Now, during the 2 hour break, can I learn 30 different words? 3. Can the break (of 2 hours) before the second free recall round be shorter? I don't know but I feel like my memory isn't that good, although I may be underestimating my mind

Great! I´ll share these tips with my friends.

A great tip from native Chinese speaker, try to learn simple mandarin简体中文rather than complex mandarin繁体中文, it makes your learning curve much smoother.

I can’t believe this but it worked

Fantastic..thanks

Kya baat bola hai bhai❤

I am old but I have a great memory; however, I am trying to get a professional license. My previous attempts were horrible. I have been watching you and Dr JS's videos, which have led me to ask.. how did I complete two masters without ever applying any of the techniques from the videos? I am using the techniques from the videos and my retention of the material has gotten incredibly better. Thank you doing for these videos. God bless.

Flash cards have a big advantage in that you can review a condensed form of 100% of the material. I understand this technique might be more effective but if you miss anything you have to reread the section which is more time intensive. With flash cards you can very quickly target what you consistently get wrong. I think the best approach when you need to know 100% is to do a quick active recall

my bro gained a new subscriber

I find this method very challenging so it must be working

I find it helpful to organize my writings. If I cluster them in memorable ways, it's even easier to recall later.

Thank you ❤

I've done something like this with both spanish and studying for IT certifications without really knowing I've been doing it. Instead, what I do is use Excel and I have filters on information that I've masters vs the things I need to focus on to learn. When I'm learning, I just filter for that information and review it without being overwealmed by everything I've previously learned and try to convert the words into images and create a small story which helps me recall and I take a break and go back to thinking of the story again and if I cant quite get it, I will use the excel again.

lesson imported to my current language learning app.

Fantastic video! I am curious how would you approach using this tecnique for reviewing content a long time after engaging with it for the first time? For example, suppose you would have a test in November and you had to learn a bunch of different subjects in different areas to do it. You would have about three months to prepare. How would you use free recall after you studied something for the first time and how would you review something you studied today two months from now? Thanks a lot, I am loving your content!

Thanks for introducing me to this wonderful technique in a simple yet informative manner! If you are willing, I’d like to ask 2 main questions: 1. How much information to encode is too much before recalling? In your example for chinese characters, you focus on understanding 10 characters and recalling them shortly after, adding more increasingly spaced intervals in between. Is it efficient to recall days after reading, lets say, a chapter of the Chinese textbook(my school teaches Chinese so I’m familiar their lay out)? Having to recall information at the same day you encode information seems difficult to manage. I’m currently juggling different interests (I’m working on making an effective schedule for Academics, Chess, Reading and Music). I’m wondering if it’s ideal to stretch this time period to a few days (my idea right now is to allot a days where it’s ONLY recall, and then I’ll evaluate my understanding, encoding efficiency, and key improvements to know what material to tackle for the next few days). This could be me trying to be too ambitious, but the idea of tackling a massive or a couple of topics so that you can be using majority of your time absorbing material seems efficient. 2. How many % should you at least be able to recall? You mentioned that recall is used to strengthen your understanding of concepts and ideas but you shouldn’t wait long enough that you’ll forget everything. You mentioned that one should recall when you’re “about to forget it but you haven’t forgotten it completely”, but what if I tackle a massive or a couple topics? How much forgetting is too much? I want to understand this so that I’ll be able to revise my study plans to fit more active learning. I don’t want to be caught in the illusion of learning after all : ]

Thank you sir

A thing I've been doing ever since I was a kid has been to rehearse what I've learned when doing monotonous or low-cognition tasks. For example, I'll be taking a shower and recalling all the different cells in the blood, or what percentage of our energy consumption is taken up by the brain etc. I sort of subconsciously prioritise things i've found to be particularly tricky or hard to remember, it's almost like a natural SRS

Very helpful Thank yoou

Great video Benjamin! I've been binging on your videos and was surprised to find you also live in Taiwan and you're also learning Chinese. I learned Chinese to a high level fairly quickly after moving to Taiwan and I share my journey on YT and podcast. It would be really cool to chat with you on my podcast about the science of learning languages and living in Taiwan!

Time to give this a try with my korean vocab studies

Thank you

I just found your channel. Memorization has always been a problem for me and now that I’m older it’s become even worse. Listening to you talk makes me realize I was never taught how to learn which is both frustrating and very sad for me to realize. Thanks for going over active recall. I will try to learn how to learn all over again … and check out your videos to learn more about learning! Question: how would you go about helping someone with learning difficulties? I’m assuming learning is, well, just learning. Would you expect it to take longer for those with learning disabilities? Should they practice the technique using more simple material and then progress to more challenging material?

This got me excited at first! All I needed was some paper and a pencil, but then he hit me the “a brain.” And I zoned out for the rest of the video knowing full well my attention span couldn’t handle 6 minutes.

5:33 If you can remember everything, you might be acting too quickly. On the other hand, if you can't remember anything, it could mean you've waited too long. The first situation can be improved by being patient, but what should you do in the second case, where you've waited too long?

Hey, I recently found your channel, and I have to say IT'S AWESOME, EXCELLENT, ULTRA USEFUL WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I am using flashcards for about 3 years now, I'm in college and with very good grades (90%+ on everything), and studying less than my peers, do you think that I should consider switching my less efficient technique to the things that you recommend? or maybe if it's working for me it could be the best approach for ME. Also, I think your approach is amazing (I gave a thought to flashcards and I came up with various inconvenient, that you were very bright at exposing in other videos) but it can fall in a mess at organizing learning of various subjects and themes in a long period of time. For example: I study engineering, I practice and study chess and I study on my own very complex diet and training subjects (some college level). So if I use your technique I should have a timer or something that remembers me to study every theme and every subject every certain amount of time, I'd have a LOT of timers. So this idea came up to me, you plug in into Anki or other program just the title of the theme and maybe some source to check if you are right and use the algorithm in Anki to organize your study, review your "flashcards" every day, and you don't have to be thinking what should you practice next. Thank you very much for your content. Greetings from Argentina (Sorry if I make some English mistakes, I'm a non-native speaker.)

Two questions on doing free recall: 1) You mention in other videos that we should try to avoid/minimise note-taking when listening to lectures. Does the same apply when you're studying a written information? (IE - are you writing things down in the initial study session?) 2) Once you've done a free recall session and are reviewing against the text for what you've missed/got incorrect, are you writing down those things that were missed? (It is implied in the video, but I thought I'd confirm).

Barb Oakley wrote a book about the same thing. A mind for numbers. But this video is great on simplfying the technique. I wonder if schools can apply this.

i already watched many videos of yours! i truly appreciate your content, it's very helpful, really thank you. and I have a (urgent) doubt: is the method presented in this video ideal for studying massive contents in no time? my country's national exam is a month apart from now, so i want to apply any method/technique that can help me best with efficiency in this occasion.

I'm going to try this technique this semester. I'll give you my final scores in December.

I really liked this video in that it was specifically applied to Chinese a language which I’ve been learning for a long time. Your videos are great in that they talk about learning techniques from a research informed perspective which some other learning channels lack. However, as a language learner I’d really love to see more specific videos about language learning. Could you make a video showing how you approach a new chapter in your Chinese textbook? How do you learn the new vocabulary and grammar patterns? How do you approach understanding the new reading text or dialogue? How do you then try to apply what you have learn t in speaking and writing? I often watch videos about learning and then think how do I apply this specifically as a language learner. Sometimes it isn’t easy to make the leap from theory to practice.

Thank you for this. I am a practicing physician. The issue is the sheer volume of material I am required to remember, much of which I don't use on a daily basis. At some point, there is an avalanche of material and I can't keep up with the amount.

Yesterday I discovered your videos and I am finally realising why I am so bad at learning. One question: How would the free recall method work for math or physics?

SOUNDS LEGIT !

brilliant, thank you. free recall in humanities like literature, philosophy, etc. any ideas? tutorials?

Central Theme: Building a Sturdy Knowledge Tower (Long-Term Memory) Bricks: Key Vocabulary Words Construction Phases: Laying the Foundation: Read & Familiarize: Skim the textbook/material to get a general understanding. Focus: Limit initial learning to a manageable amount (e.g., 20-30 terms). Building the Walls: Recall & Reflect: After a short break, close the book and write down everything you remember about the chosen terms (characters, pronunciation, meaning for Chinese vocabulary). Check & Correct: Open the book and verify what you missed, noting corrections and details. Strengthening the Structure: Repeat & Refine: Repeat the recall exercise with fresh paper and a closed book at increasing intervals (10 mins, 2-3 hours, 1 day, etc.). Cluster & Connect: Organize recalled information in meaningful groups or draw connections between related terms. Maintaining & Expanding: Long-Term Usage: Apply the learned knowledge in practice to solidify memory. Continuous Improvement: Regularly revisit and re-challenge yourself with the information to prevent forgetting.

As a student pharmacy, who always study super alot of information, from drugs names, chemical names, abbreviation like hundreds of it, never ending name of brands, body parts, name of disease, all of the microorganisms from bacteria to virus, all of the disease that they cause. I need to memorize all of it, and i will try this technique starting today, lets see how it goes.

I really wish academics in America started teaching and using more of these 'radical' methods of learning new concepts, I feel it would greatly impact society. Instead, I've noticed the majority of academics still use traditional methods, which have been scientific proven to be ineffective for the majority of students who are not academically gifted. I've been on a binge spree on your videos, and it's astonishing to me how much more effective methods ways of learning new information and then applying it...

Thanks

Central Themes and Key Statements in the Conversation: 1. Free Recall Technique: Definition: A powerful and simple study strategy requiring only paper, pencil, and your brain. Applications: Language learning, any subject requiring long-term memory retention. Key Steps: Familiarize: Briefly study the material. Recall: Close the material and write down everything you remember (characters, pronunciation, meaning for Chinese vocabulary). Check & Correct: Open the material, verify what you missed, and note details. Repeat & Refine: Repeat recall exercises with increasing intervals and focus on connections between information. Benefits: Sharpened memory and recall. Deeper understanding and connections between concepts. Enhanced confidence in applying knowledge. 2. Importance of Active Recall: Surpasses rereading and flashcards: Actively retrieving information strengthens memory more effectively. Combats false confidence: Recognizing vs. recalling reveals true understanding and prevents feeling of knowing something you can't actually recall or apply. Optimal timing for recall: Ideally recall information just before forgetting to strengthen memory efficiently. 3. Applying Free Recall in Different Subjects: Universal Technique: Applicable to history, medicine, and any subject with significant information load. Long-Term Usage: Embed the learned knowledge in practice to prevent forgetting. Continuous Improvement: Regularly revisit and re-challenge yourself with the information. 4. Enjoyment and Motivation: Simple and engaging: Free recall feels less burdensome than traditional study methods. Active engagement: The process feels rewarding and builds confidence in your knowledge. Key Connections and Relationships: Free recall promotes active information retrieval, leading to deeper understanding and stronger memory compared to passive methods like rereading. Regular recall exercises with spaced intervals strengthen memory retention efficiently. Applying the learned knowledge in practice reinforces memory and prevents forgetting. Summary: Free recall is a powerful and simple study technique that helps you remember information for the long term. It involves actively recalling information from memory without any external cues, which strengthens memory connections and leads to deeper understanding. By regularly practicing recall with increasing intervals and applying the knowledge in your field, you can build a strong foundation of knowledge and confidence. Remember: Free recall is not just a one-time exercise, but an ongoing process of actively engaging with and reinforcing your knowledge. By making it a regular part of your learning routine, you can unlock the full potential of your memory and become a true master of your chosen subjects.

Hey Dr. Keep! Ironically I watched the follow up video first and applied active recall to this video and it did work but while taking the break and putting dishes back to where they should be I had some rising questions that I've seen other commenters have, but mine are more specific. 1. What do you do in those 10 to 15 minutes? Would reading a book be okay? Would something entertaining hamper learning? Or what would happen if it were something either from the same topic or a different topic (like a self improvement book)? Or do I mess around/meditate? 2. Would note taking help in that first input stage? For example, I'm learning Japanese and learning grammar at times can be tricky but making notes to help myself understand better helps to sort between how distinct grammar is different from another really similar one. 3. For a topic like art, where applying is essential, do you recommend for example, learning how to paint a face from a video, taking time away from it, and then painting a portrait, coming back and giving yourself feedback? Or if it's a bit of theory (like different light sources) would it be better to try and recall it as a concept or even draw it in that recall stage

Hey,I noticed you were still replying to recent comments so I wanted your opinion on a possible improvement of the free recall method. In addition to writing what you recall it is extremely beneficial, I find, to also write what you know is missing. It’s funny because in a way you still use free recall on the information you can’t recall. Also I find it beneficial to not verify the recalled information directly after. I sit on it for a few hours so my brain can passively remember the information or get obsessed by the missing information so when I verify I’m “hungry” for the answers.

Helpful..

Pretty interesting stuff, thank you - I shall take a more detailed look and practice. One (odd, I admit) question if I may - what is that book you're using to learn Putonghua?