The app itself doesn’t allow you to add vocabulary lists. You have to import the data via Google Docs – which means that you have to export them from your vocabulary program in advance. Personally, I use VTrain (Vocabulary Trainer) 5.0. On my PC, I exported my entire vocabulary list as a .CSV file, created a new spreadsheet with Google Docs, imported my vocabulary – and bingo!
Unfortunately, the app isn’t really easy to figure out at start-up. Things start out with a short intro that’s more confusing than helpful because it’s hard to figure out how to get to the main menu. The secret is: press the Back button!
After that you have to enter your Google account information in the Settings. That really bothered me! I’m not comfortable with sharing my personal Google password with any random app.
Finally, it’s time to import the most important information: your vocabulary lists. Tap “Import new trainer”. The app takes a while to load your vocabulary charts from Google Docs. After that, you can select which specific spreadsheet you would like to open.
A clear and easy-to-use assistant helps you import the correct vocab content. After completing the assistant, you get redirected to the main menu. All the imported flashcards are displayed in a list.
Once you select a flashcard, the following options pop-up:
- Start trainer
- Start with switched sides
- Power Learning
- List-view training
- Status / Progress
- Update from Google Docs
- Text-to-Speech
- Search
- Trainer Settings
- Delete Trainer
Getting started couldn’t be any simple – just press Start Trainer. The app displays the front of the first flashcard. If your flashcards are for studying a language, you can’t type in a translation to guess the right answer. I actually thought that this made sense because a lot of languages require special keyboards that aren’t available (i.e. Chinese, French accents, Russian). The important thing here is to guess the right answer quickly in your head.
By swiping from right to left uncovers the correct answer on the backside of the flashcard. If you guessed correctly, the card is placed at the bottom of the pile. If you get it wrong, the same flashcard will come again at the top.
Selecting “Start with switched sides” simply switches the front and backsides of your flashcards.
Power Learning means that you have to get a flashcard correct several times in order to make it to the next level.
In all three learning modes, you can activate the auto mode, which allows you to automatically go through all the flashcards. You can adjust the time interval between each card.
In List-view training you can see all your flashcards in a single list.
You can also keep up with how you’re doing by selecting Status/Progress. Here you can see how many flashcards you’ve successfully memorized and adjust the time limits for your study session.
If you want to export your training status, it’s import to do so before refreshing your Google Docs. Otherwise your level status gets wiped – no questions asked!
In Tex-to-Speech you can adjust the language for listening to your flashcards out loud. The app uses whatever TTS is on your phone, which is usually the standard Google version.
Using the Search section, you can look for specific flashcards/vocabulary.
In Preferences you can adjust individual settings for each vocabulary list/training session.
In the General Preferences, you can allow importation of pictures from Picasa to help you with your study cards.
Bottom Line:
Vocabulary Trainer for GDocs is useful and boasts lots of helpful features. Not the most beautiful apple of the bunch, but definitely worth a look for obsessive studiers.
Jay
Sep 6, 2012 9:04:37 AM
Flawed, Needs Updating Good: Free, connects to GDocs Bad: Learning algorithm not good for big lists & doesn't focus on testing what you got wrong. 1. A good quizzer allows you to select how many words you want to quiz on. This doesn't. 2. A good quizzer allows you to re-test and/or review words you got wrong immediately after quiz. If you got 10 out 100 wrong. It show a list of what was wrong, offer retest on wrong words, or put wrong words in next test. This program doesn't do this, so not very effective help for memorizing.
Jay
Aug 12, 2012 4:35:54 PM
Good Attempt, But Flawed Good: Free, connects to GDocs Bad: Learning algorithm not good for big lists & doesn't focus on testing what you got wrong. 1. A good quizzer allows you to select how many words you want to quiz on. This doesn't. 2. A good quizzer allows you to re-test and/or review words you got wrong immediately after quiz. If you got 10 out 100 wrong. It show a list of what was wrong, offer retest on wrong words, or put wrong words in next test. This program doesn't do this, so not very effective help for memorizing.
Melissa
Jul 29, 2012 6:35:38 PM
Near-perfect I love this app so very very much. I just wish there was a way to make the font size for the menus bigger. I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab2 7.0 in profile most of the time, so the menu gets all squashed up at the top and it makes it difficult to click on the menu I want (I use this more as a personalised dictionary than a vocab trainer). But otherwise, excellent. Especially considering its free :3
Leo
Jul 26, 2012 11:47:38 PM
does not work for me this google docs thingy does not work on my motoroly defy (2.1). I read it features spaced repetition and wanted to get inspirations for my app FluxCards but since I installed it months ago I never could learn a word with it. Please fix. If I find an email address I will try to help fix that issue.
Skif
Jun 4, 2012 4:30:09 AM
Best app to learn english on android market! Currently this is the only developer who got the right idea what exactly tool a person studying english needs....
minlau
May 28, 2012 12:01:43 AM
Good, but... Imports stuff from google docs very nicely. However, cards will remain in the same order - are not reshuffled. What a pity.
Zane
Apr 19, 2012 6:52:16 AM
Very usefull - it can be used as overal learning tool, not just only for vocabulary. I used it also for memorising mathematical formulas. - a little bug is that when power learning is finished, then it displays that one should wait for 30 minutes for a rest, even after 5 hours. A workaround is to delete trainer and then import it again.
Utz
Apr 14, 2012 5:37:22 PM
Super-Lösung, die ich sehr gerne nutze. Leider ein Stern Abzug wegen den häufigen Abstürzen.
Paul
Mar 19, 2012 6:18:16 AM
very impressive Great app, using google docs to generate the content makes it so easy. The only negative is due to using picasa for pics is a bit clunky and a fair bit of work. Would be awesome if there was some way to use google spreadsheet to link to the pictures somehow. Other then that I couldnt be happier, makes learning new content easy and I can always practice when I have a few minutes spare. cheers!
mirah
Feb 10, 2012 7:45:13 AM
Clean, clear, useful This is the exact example of a piece of software for which I would pay if I could. Reasonable sum of course and using secure payment method. Can you please consider, in the future, to include the possibility to add extra info for the front page? It would be useful for pronunciation or extra meaning specication of the word (in case of ambiguous meaning).