Short, Frequent Sessions Beat Marathon Study

When it comes to studying, consistency trumps intensity. You’ll learn more by studying Arabic 30 minutes a day than by doing a once-a-week 3-hour cram.

This is due to the benefits of distributed practice (spreading learning out) versus massed practice (all at once).

In one classic experiment, students who learned vocabulary in short sessions on three consecutive days remembered about 35% more on a later test than students who spent the same total time in one big session.

Frequent, shorter sessions keep your memory fresh and reinforce material regularly before you can forget it.

Marathon study sessions, on the other hand, often lead to fatigue and don’t give your brain time to consolidate information.

Try to make Arabic a daily habit – even 20 minutes of review or practice on busy days. Regular contact with the language will yield better long-term results (and motivation) than the occasional long cram.