How to use DuoCards effectively?
Each of us is unique — even when it comes to learning. We all have different starting points, different rhythms, and different goals. So why should learning content be the same for everyone?
DuoCards stands out by offering customized materials designed for the most effective learning experience. And the best part? You create and tailor them yourself as you learn.
How does it work? Let’s dive in!
The app is divided into four main sections: Learning (your deck), Practice, Library, and Account.
👉 The Learning section contains only the materials you’ve chosen to study.
👉 Practice helps you apply your language knowledge in real-life contexts.
👉 The Library stores all available study materials for the language you’re learning.
👉 The Account page helps you manage your settings and subscription, or get assistance if needed.
Let’s take a closer look at each section. Ready?
LEARNING - YOUR DECK 🧠
Let's now move into your deck—where your study magic happens. You can find it under the two cards icon at the bottom left. It's got all the cards you picked and created, your progress board, and even lets you customise, filter and organise into folders. Plus, you've got a friend along for the ride - meet Mammoth Memo, your loyal learning buddy! Memo´s garden is the place where you get rewarded for your study. ✨
••• Learning
Tap the "START" button to begin learning. Swiping a card to the right means you got it right, and it'll pop up again later for review. Swiping left indicates you still don't remember the word, and it'll show up again soon for a refresher. This method is called the Spaced Repetition System, and it's proven super effective for language learning. DuoCards tracks your progress on each card and knows the best time to bring it back. This is thanks to our algorithm, which you can read about below.
••• Creating
Good news—it doesn't end here! Unleash your creativity by creating new cards, editing existing ones as you like, and even importing an entire new vocabulary from external documents. You can craft your own set of cards and share it with friends, students, or the entire DuoCards community. The application will assist you along the way with translations and examples of usage, which will be suggested to you upon creation. To each card that you create, a grammar section will be added. Not to forget the cute picture that you can choose from our library, of course!
••• Filtering
When you are learning cards, thanks to the filter feature at the top (part of the premium plan), you can choose which cards you want to revise. You can also include the cards you already know in your studies. It also provides an option for testing yourself with the cards in your deck.
••• Statistics
On the main screen, you can access your learning statistics by tapping the three-column icon in the upper-right corner. Here, you’ll find three key statistics:
1️⃣ Total XP 🔥
This represents the total number of points you’ve earned across the app. It includes flames collected each day, regardless of how long you studied.
2️⃣ Current daily streak ☀️
The number shown in the sun icon indicates how many consecutive days you’ve practiced without a break. This streak motivates learners to practice daily — and we hope it motivates you too!
3️⃣ Series freeze 🧊
We know life can get busy. The number shown in the ice cube indicates how many times you can use a freeze on days when you’re unable to practice at all. The freeze will be applied automatically.
If you earn 30 XP during your next session, you’ll regain one freeze for future use.
PRACTICE 🗣️
Want to have a conversation to practice what you have already learned? Or test yourself by filling in the right word in a sentence? Or even prepare for a real-life situation, where you order the food or have a doctor´s appointment? Memo is here to help you with that!
Choose between 6 different modes for helpful and meaningful practise. Even if you can´t watch the screen, you can listen to your cards while travelling or doing household chores. 👌
LIBRARY 📖
In DuoCards, you'll find a library packed with learning materials. Just look for the books icon within the app. There's plenty to explore: language courses at different levels, sets of cards covering various topics, interesting articles, and a wide range of subtitled videos, including series. Take your time to browse and select what interests you the most.
••• Courses and sets of cards
When you come across a new word in a course or card set, you have 2 choices:
1. Swipe the card up into the "to learn" folder if you do not know the word. All the swiped-up words will be moved to your study materials.
2. Swipe down if you already know the word, and it will go into the "already knew" folder. Swiped-down words will not be added to your learning materials.
••• Videos and articles
You can also grow your vocabulary while watching videos or reading articles. The moment you see a word or phrase you do not understand, tap and hold for translation. Click on "save" if you want to revise it later, and it will move into your studying materials, translation included.
📌 TIP: Did not find a video or article you were looking for? You can add them yourself. For upload, click on the “menu” button at the top-right corner in the library and choose “Create → Publish Video/Create Article”. When you publish a video from YouTube, make sure it’s in the target language with closed captions, as we support only this type of subtitles to ensure their quality. 🍰
••• Adding words from the web browser
In DuoCards, we understand that a part of your learning journey occurs outside of the app. And we are here to assist you throughout this process! That's why you can add words to DuoCards from your web browser. If you are on the phone, simply select any text or word you're unfamiliar with by tapping and holding onto it. Then choose a share option and choose the DuoCards app. If you are browsing on your computer, you can download the extension, which you click after you mark the word and the pop-up window for adding a new word will appear. The app will translate the word for you, provide grammar explanations, and offer examples of usage. Pretty cool, isn't it? ✨
ACCOUNT ⚙️
This is the place you can customise your notifications, find help for your issue, manage your subscription plan or submit a vote for a feature you would like to have in the app. This is also a place for connection with your friends, so you can both get one month free or watch each other's achieved points/flames within the app.
HOW DOES DUOCARDS' ALGORITHM WORK?
DuoCards algorithm isn't just any algorithm—it's tailor-made to supercharge your memory. Here's the breakdown:
• 90 seconds
• 30 minutes
• 12 hours
• 2 days
• 2 weeks
• 2 months
Notice something? Before diving into those longer intervals—like 2 weeks or 2 months—we hit you with more repetitions than the average spaced repetition system. This approach ensures you truly grasp the vocabulary from all angles.
Talking about angles, it's crucial to learn from both the native and target languages. That's why in your early stages with DuoCards, you'll encounter words from both languages. This dual approach helps you grasp meanings in context and directly associate them with concepts, boosting your understanding and retention. Trust us, it's a game-changer.
Here's the final note about the algorithm: If you keep swiping right, it follows the pattern mentioned earlier. If a card isn't quite staying in your memory, swipe left. It'll go back a level or two, giving you more chances to practice.
TIPS ON HOW TO LEARN EFFECTIVELY
💡 Notice the small plus button for adding new words in the bottom right corner while swiping. If you want to translate a new phrase that just came to your mind, you can do it here.
💡 If you come across a difficult word to memorise, click on the Memo button at the bottom of the screen and ask for tips on learning it, more usage examples, etc. Chatting about the word will help you memorise it.
💡 If you're having trouble remembering your words, ask Memo to create a story using the words you're learning.
💡 Are you someone who is shy about speaking? Practice with Memo. Press the microphone icon to talk to him from the comfort of your home before using the language in front of others. You can also practice listening by playing his responses out loud.
💡 Don't forget, you can always delete a card completely by swiping down if it's not of interest to you. Or even better, you can edit it (using the pencil button) to a simpler alternative.
💡 It is said that regularity is the key to success. Set your daily streak notifications in order to stay consistent in your learning. You will find this setting in the admin page.
💡 Each card features an open book icon below the example sentence. Tap it to explore the grammar related to the word and see more example sentences. This will help you to understand the word in a broader context.
💡 Writing is just as important as speaking when learning a language. Moreover, it helps you memorise words faster. Notice the small keyboard icon at the bottom of the screen, under a card. Click on it to type the answer before flipping the card to see if you got it right.
💡 If you have an upcoming test or need to learn particular words quickly, put them in one folder. You can then choose to only revise the given folder using the filter feature.
DID YOU KNOW?
Here are some additional details and a small recap so you don't miss out on any of the awesome features we've prepared for you:
✨ Choose any word from an article or a video and add it to your deck by tapping on it.
✨ Add and watch any video you like from YouTube (as long as it has closed captions).
✨ Add any article you like; you just need to source it.
✨ Use various activities across the Practice section - this helps you to remember new words in different learning methods.
✨ Arrange your cards into folders and then learn each folder separately.
✨ Test yourself through the filter feature.
✨ Include known cards in your study session using the filter feature.
✨ Reset a card’s progress when you click on the three dots on the right in your personal deck and choose “reset”.
✨ Create your own materials and share them with your friends, students, or family.
✨ Add any words from the web browser.
✨ Do you have a list of words you'd like to add to the app? Use the import feature!
✨ Learning Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or other non-Latin script languages? You can toggle the romanisation on and off, so your eyes don't constantly drift to the Latin characters.
✨ Sharing is caring! With the family package, up to six people can enjoy the DuoCards premium version on their devices.
✨ You will never be alone on your language journey - Memo is here to cheer you on!
Do you have any more questions?
We might already have the answers waiting for you in our FAQs, including screenshots and instructions: https://duocards.com/en/faqs/. If you don't find what you need, just shoot us a message at [email protected].
Happy learning! 🤞🍀