One of the most frustrating things about learning a language is that for every step forward, you take a half-step back. The longer it's been since you've practiced a word, the more likely it is that you'll have forgotten it. In fact, as you can see from the graph at the right, there's an initial steep decline in your ability to remember a word after the first time you learn it. However, the other point the graph makes is that if you practice a word multiple times, then you will not only "refresh" the memory, but it will be much more likely that you'll remember it over time (i.e., the forgetting curve flattens out).

Spaced repetition is a way of practicing vocabulary that short-circuits the forgetting curve by reminding you of a word right before you're about to forget it. After the first time you learn a word, you're likely to forget it within the next couple of days, so the word is repeated frequently. After you've practiced it a number of times, however, the likelihood of forgetting goes down significantly, and you will only see the word once a week, once a month, once a year, or less. The goal is to remember as much as possible, with as little effort as possible, and to let the computer track everything for you.

The Leitner System was proposed by Sebastien Leitner as a method of organizing flashcards for maximal recall. Flashcards are sorted into different boxes based on how well you know them. Every flashcard starts out in the first box, and every time it's answered correctly, it moves into the next box. Flashcards which aren't answered correctly are moved back into the first box. Flashcards in the first boxes are reviewed more frequently, whereas flashcards in later boxes are reviewed far less often. As a result, easy words quickly disappear into the later boxes (and infrequent reminders), but hard words keep on showing up until they're memorized.

WordChamp uses a modified Leitner System to manage flashcards you've studied, or want to learn. Every flashcard or phrase you study is added to Absolute Recall™, and the system automatically detects which you need to practice more, which less, and creates a personalized sequence for you to study. Tracking begins when you first log in to WordChamp and continues whenever you return.

All users can practice up to 50 words with Absolute Recall™ every day for free. However, premium members can practice an unlimited number of flashcards.

It's not good enough just to be able to recognize a word or phrase on the printed page. Because it's also critical to be able to generate the correct word when speaking, and to understand spoken dialogue, you can practice flashcards in different ways to emphasize different skills. There are many ways to add flashcards to your list.