The stated goal of the Byki team is to have a course for every Language in the world - perhaps a little ambitious but they certainly cover very many. So just what are you getting with a Byki Language course? The aim of this article is to outline the good and bad points of the Byki language system.
By no Means Comprehensive
The first thing to point out is that Byki is not a 'complete' language learning solution. It is meant merely as a supplement to a wider learning regimen. Byki primarily deals with memorizing vocabulary, and it employs a number of innovative techniques to help you along the way. The system comes with a large number of categories (called lists) covering beginner, intermediate and advanced learners. The lists can be anything from kitchen vocabulary to verbs. A word will be displayed on a card (in English or in the language that you're learning), and you are allowed time to translate the word before flipping the card to see the translation. If you weren't correct, the word will be displayed more often in an effort to help you commit that word to memory. This is the basic premise of the Byki system.
Lots of Different Activities to Keep you Interested
While the sole interest of Byki is teaching vocabulary, there are six different activities to make things more interesting and enjoyable. These activities include:
Multiple Choice: - In this activity a card is shown and four possible options are given to choose from.
Fill in the Blank: - Here a small phrase is shown with a missing word. It's your job to fill in this word by typing in your answer.
Pronunciation Practice: - This is a vital activity for language learners who don't get the opportunity to speak with natives. With pronunciation practice you listen to the native pronunciation of a word and try to mimic this using your microphone. The pronunciation meter then marks your pronunciation from beginner to advanced.
Word Whirl: - With word whirl the entire contents of the list are shown one by one over a minimalistic, and some what mesmerising backdrop. All you have to do it watch. It's a great thing to do before moving on to the other activities.
Concentration: - This is rather like the card game 'pairs' in which all the cards are placed face down and you can turn over only two at a time. The aim is to find a match, or 'pair'. The difference being that in this game one of the cards has the English word and the other card has the foreign language word.
Four Square: - In this activity you have a center card which is constantly upright surrounded by four face down cards. The four face down cards are rapidly displayed and then turned face down again. It is your task to identify which of the cards matches the one in the middle.
Create Your Own Lists
The beauty of Byki comes in the form of its customizability. You're not stuck with the limited number of lists that the package ships with. In fact, there are a number of free lists that you can download from the internet covering just about anything. But best of all, you can create your own lists. This is especially beneficial for serious language learners. Should you be learning a specific topic, let's say the conjugations of a certain verb, you can create a list with as many words as you like and repeatedly test yourself on it with the activities mentioned above.
Track Your Progress
Byki provides a system in which to track your progress. All learned items are recorded and saved into a list divided into 'fresh' and 'stale' items. Fresh being those words most recently learned and stale being the words and phrases that haven't been practiced for a long time. This is a very useful system as it allows you to look back at words you learned a long time ago and make sure you haven't forgotten them.
Test Yourself
After you have completed the activities on a certain list, there are four test modes:
Self-Reporting Test: - In this test you're shown a card and effectively must say to yourself what it means before the card is flipped and the answer revealed. You must then tell Byki if you were correct or incorrect. At the end of the test your results are shown and recorded. This is a good way to periodically check your progress.
Written Test: - Rather like the Self-Reporting Test only this time you don't say the correct answer to yourself. With this test you must write your answer in the space provided.
Listening Comprehension: - In this test you hear the foreign language word and have to type its meaning in English.
Dictation: - In this test you listen to a word being pronounced by a native and then have to type in what you heard. This is a great way to improve your listening skill.
Conclusion
Byki has a lot going for it but you must understand that it isn't a complete language course. If utilized properly, i.e. to supplement other learning strategies, it can be extremely beneficial. It is especially useful if you're already a member of a language class/program. Using Byki is a great way to commit to memory things that you've already learned. I have been particularly impressed by the way Byki persistently presents you with your most troublesome words. The system has great variety with the various different types of activities and tests. This gives Byki a certain longevity values, there is always something different and new to try meaning you'll keep coming back. Being as cheap as it is, Byki is certainly good value for money.
