learning with zbedic
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ctop
Dec 21, 2007, 3:59:06 AM12/21/07
to zbedic
Hi there,
Zbedic is an excellent tool and I am using it frequently, partly
because I tend to forget immediately what I looked up. Now, to
improve this I was looking into Flashcard programs like tomotko
(http://tomotko.sourceforge.net/en/about.shtml). However, cutting and
pasting the entries from Zbedic is quite a hassle, so I was wondering
if somebody could add a "add to flashcard file button", which would
produce a flashcard entry from the dictionary entry (or maybe
optionally from the currently selected part of the entry). This would
really be a wonderful improvement for me.
Best,
ctop
Zbedic is an excellent tool and I am using it frequently, partly
because I tend to forget immediately what I looked up. Now, to
improve this I was looking into Flashcard programs like tomotko
(http://tomotko.sourceforge.net/en/about.shtml). However, cutting and
pasting the entries from Zbedic is quite a hassle, so I was wondering
if somebody could add a "add to flashcard file button", which would
produce a flashcard entry from the dictionary entry (or maybe
optionally from the currently selected part of the entry). This would
really be a wonderful improvement for me.
Best,
ctop
Michael Penkov
Dec 21, 2007, 9:29:58 PM12/21/07
to zbe...@googlegroups.com
Ctop,
I thought about this for a little while when I first started using
zbedic. Zbedic keeps a history of entries that have been accessed --
perhaps there may be a way of accessing that history as a file?
The "add to flashcard file" button is actually not a bad idea and I
almost ended up starting work on it, when I came across a program
called Kangoroo (http://www-alg.ist.hokudai.ac.jp/~jan/kangoroo.html).
It allows you to keep memo files of entries that you mark. It saves
them in a UTF-8 text file, which you can use for bulk-importing into
your favourite SRS (such as Anki -- http://repose.cx/anki/) later on.
For me, that does the trick for the moment.
Kangoroo only works with a Japanese dictionary, though, from what it
seems, and overall isn't as flexible as Zbedic if you want to use
different dictionaries.
Tomotko looks pretty neat. I might have a look at it when I finally
get some spare time.
Cheers,
Misha
Rafal
Dec 26, 2007, 6:10:50 AM12/26/07
to zbedic
Hi,
I use zbedic and learning software for years and over that time I
found that copying words or phrases manually is probably the beast
approach. This is because:
* You do not want to copy dictionary entries as they are, since
learning a dictionary by heart is usually bad idea. New phrases can be
learned faster if they are presented in context, for example are a
part of an example sentence. This is how we naturally learn new words.
Leaning a pairs <a word in language A> <a word in language B> is
simply not efficient.
* Learning software for PC is much more advanced. I could not find
anything comparable to http://www.supermemo.com/ for Zaurus.
* Adding new items on a PC is faster because of a better keyboard.
For this reason I improved the history in the last version of zbedic,
so that once in a while I can browse the words I have looked up
recently and add some of the to my SuperMemo database.
Two things would be useful though:
* A good learing software for Zaurus. tomotko looks promising, but was
meant to learn Japaneese <-> English dictionary and not the phrases
given in a context. Also scheduling algorithm is rather simple.
* A clipboard that would work between Zaurus and PC.
> Zbedic keeps a history of entries that have been accessed --
> perhaps there may be a way of accessing that history as a file?
The history is stored in a qtopia config file. It shuld be quite easy
to access it.
Cheers,
Rafal
I use zbedic and learning software for years and over that time I
found that copying words or phrases manually is probably the beast
approach. This is because:
* You do not want to copy dictionary entries as they are, since
learning a dictionary by heart is usually bad idea. New phrases can be
learned faster if they are presented in context, for example are a
part of an example sentence. This is how we naturally learn new words.
Leaning a pairs <a word in language A> <a word in language B> is
simply not efficient.
* Learning software for PC is much more advanced. I could not find
anything comparable to http://www.supermemo.com/ for Zaurus.
* Adding new items on a PC is faster because of a better keyboard.
For this reason I improved the history in the last version of zbedic,
so that once in a while I can browse the words I have looked up
recently and add some of the to my SuperMemo database.
Two things would be useful though:
* A good learing software for Zaurus. tomotko looks promising, but was
meant to learn Japaneese <-> English dictionary and not the phrases
given in a context. Also scheduling algorithm is rather simple.
* A clipboard that would work between Zaurus and PC.
> Zbedic keeps a history of entries that have been accessed --
> perhaps there may be a way of accessing that history as a file?
to access it.
Cheers,
Rafal
ctop
Dec 31, 2007, 12:25:30 AM12/31/07
to zbedic
On Dec 22, 11:29 am, "Michael Penkov" <misha.pen...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ctop,
>
> I thought about this for a little while when I first started using
> zbedic. Zbedic keeps a history of entries that have been accessed --
> perhaps there may be a way of accessing that history as a file?
>
start, but it gives you only the entries you looked up, not the
pronounciation and definitions.
> The "add to flashcard file" button is actually not a bad idea and I
> almost ended up starting work on it, when I came across a program
> called Kangoroo (http://www-alg.ist.hokudai.ac.jp/~jan/kangoroo.html).
>
which I have a bunch of customized dictionaries and because this is
well integrated with reader software (opie reader, FBreader).
Best,
Ctop
ctop
Dec 31, 2007, 12:40:47 AM12/31/07
to zbedic
Hi Rafal,
>
> * You do not want to copy dictionary entries as they are, since
> learning a dictionary by heart is usually bad idea.
I was imagining that one could select the relevant part of the
dictionary definition, to avoid copying it all.
> New phrases can be
> learned faster if they are presented in context, for example are a
> part of an example sentence. This is how we naturally learn new words.
> Leaning a pairs <a word in language A> <a word in language B> is
> simply not efficient.
I agree. However, my usage of ZBedic has different scenarios: On the
one hand, I carry my Zaurus with pretty much every where I go, looking
up things I come across and want to know. Since I am living in Japan,
this tends to be Japanese stuff I read in newspapers or here talking
to somebody. For this, I want to keep a list of stuff I looked up to
repeat when I have a minute.
Another scenario is on my commute, when I use my Zaurus as a book
reader, reading stuff in foreign languages and using the builtin
functionality of FBReader or opie-reader to jump to ZBedic to look
stuff up. In this case, it would be actually quite useful to have the
context of the sentence, but on the other hand, I can't quite see how
this could be easily implemented, without doing something like a fully
integrated reader/dictionary.
>
> * Learning software for PC is much more advanced. I could not find
> anything comparable tohttp://www.supermemo.com/for Zaurus.
find it much more convenient to do this kind of thing on the Zaurus.
This way it can be done almost everywhere.
> For this reason I improved the history in the last version of zbedic,
> so that once in a while I can browse the words I have looked up
> recently and add some of the to my SuperMemo database.
Yep, I noted this and might actually start to using it this way.
Being lazy, I just thought this could be automated...
> Two things would be useful though:
>
> * A good learing software for Zaurus. tomotko looks promising, but was
> meant to learn Japaneese <-> English dictionary and not the phrases
> given in a context. Also scheduling algorithm is rather simple.
>
There is certainly room for improvement, but the author recently added
stuff that makes it quite useful for other languages. As for the
scheduling, I agree; I prefer the Leitner system.
> * A clipboard that would work between Zaurus and PC.
It might actually work, if you access your Zaurus via VNC from the
PC. It has been a while since I did play around with this. It
requires a network card for the Zaurus though.
All the best,
Ctop
>
> * You do not want to copy dictionary entries as they are, since
> learning a dictionary by heart is usually bad idea.
dictionary definition, to avoid copying it all.
> New phrases can be
> learned faster if they are presented in context, for example are a
> part of an example sentence. This is how we naturally learn new words.
> Leaning a pairs <a word in language A> <a word in language B> is
> simply not efficient.
one hand, I carry my Zaurus with pretty much every where I go, looking
up things I come across and want to know. Since I am living in Japan,
this tends to be Japanese stuff I read in newspapers or here talking
to somebody. For this, I want to keep a list of stuff I looked up to
repeat when I have a minute.
Another scenario is on my commute, when I use my Zaurus as a book
reader, reading stuff in foreign languages and using the builtin
functionality of FBReader or opie-reader to jump to ZBedic to look
stuff up. In this case, it would be actually quite useful to have the
context of the sentence, but on the other hand, I can't quite see how
this could be easily implemented, without doing something like a fully
integrated reader/dictionary.
>
> * Learning software for PC is much more advanced. I could not find
>
> * Adding new items on a PC is faster because of a better keyboard.
>
Well, when I am sitting on the PC, I usually have work to do, also I
> * Adding new items on a PC is faster because of a better keyboard.
>
find it much more convenient to do this kind of thing on the Zaurus.
This way it can be done almost everywhere.
> For this reason I improved the history in the last version of zbedic,
> so that once in a while I can browse the words I have looked up
> recently and add some of the to my SuperMemo database.
Being lazy, I just thought this could be automated...
> Two things would be useful though:
>
> * A good learing software for Zaurus. tomotko looks promising, but was
> meant to learn Japaneese <-> English dictionary and not the phrases
> given in a context. Also scheduling algorithm is rather simple.
>
stuff that makes it quite useful for other languages. As for the
scheduling, I agree; I prefer the Leitner system.
> * A clipboard that would work between Zaurus and PC.
PC. It has been a while since I did play around with this. It
requires a network card for the Zaurus though.
All the best,
Ctop
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