Hey, language learners. Let’s talk about one of my favorite ways to learn new words in a new language: The Goldlist Method.

There’s no doubt that Anki and other SRS (spaced repetition system) apps are amazing for learning vocabulary in a new language. But Anki is not for everyone. Especially if….

• You’re tired of looking at computer screens.
• You hate Anki or other app-based flashcards.
• You prefer using physical materials like pen and paper.

Does that sound like you? If yes, you should….

Try the Goldlist Method

The Goldlist Method is the best way to study vocabulary offline, and it’s one of our favorite Anki alternatives!

To use this method, all you need is:

• A notebook.
• Something to write with.
• Something to read or watch in your target language.

By the way, I recorded this entire blog post as a video. If you want to see the method in action, click here to watch it.

Once you collect your materials, it’s time to…

Create Your Goldlist Vocabulary Language Learning Journal

Setting up and using your Goldlist language learning journal is pretty simple.

For the first week of using The Goldlist Method you’ll…

• Create a fresh two-page spread with four sections, as illustrated below.
  • Include a day number
  • Target language column
  • Meaning column
  • Divide into four sections. (Each one gets progressively smaller; you’ll find out why later!)

• Watch a show or read a book in your target language while looking for words or phrases you want to remember.
• In section 1, write down 10-20 words and their meanings in your Godlist notebook. The exact number is up to you. Feel free to save sentences, words, or even a mix of both! The most important thing is consistency, so do what you can realistically accomplish every day.
• Leave sections 2-4 blank. Those will be used to review your vocabulary later!
• Repeat this process each day for seven days.

After the first week of using your Goldlist, you’ll…

…continue collecting new words, but you’ll also add reviews to your routine! You’ll review each vocabulary list once a week for three weeks, rewriting the vocabulary you forgot.

Here’s an example of how this would work:

• On day 8, you’ll review everything you wrote on day 1 and rewrite the words/phrases you forgot in section 2.
• Seven days later, you’ll review section 2 from day one and rewrite the words you forgot in section 3.
• Then, in seven more days, you’ll review section 3 from day one and rewrite the words you forgot into section 4.

Keeping Track of Your Goldist Reviews

After a while, you’ll reach a point where you’ll do the following every day:

• Add new words
• Review words from a week ago
• Review words from two weeks ago
• Review words from three weeks ago

To keep track of your reviews, write the number of your day, then subtract seven from your day number three times so you know which words to review.

It’ll look like this:

Congratulations, You’re Learning New Vocabulary!

The Goldlist method is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary in a new language. Many people report that they can remember up to 80% of the words without studying them.

Try it out, and let us know what you think! We hope you find this Anki alternative as fun and effective as we do!

We also made a simplified vocabulary review journal for kids that you can download for free! Click here to check it out.