On our Web site we say that Byki Express and Byki Deluxe use a 3-step process to teach foreign languages:

1. Preview It
   Look through your cards.
2. Recognize It
   See the foreign sides and think of the English.
3. Produce It
   See the English sides and think of the foreign language.

You may find it tempting to skip Step 1.  Don’t.  We mean it.  You will learn your Byki list faster and with greater retention if you preview the words and phrases first before you begin learning them.  Why?

• Sometimes, just seeing a word and its translation can be enough to learn it. This is especially true with cognates (words that are the same in two languages) like the Spanish word for admirable: admirable.  Imagine going into a 12-item list already knowing 2 items!  And if you answer them correctly the first time you see them, Byki will mark your score higher and finishing your list will take less time.
• You may notice confusing problems before they happen. Imagine a list containing the Spanish word for yes, sí, and the Spanish word for if, si.  Noticing that both of those words are in the list before you dive in might save you a lot of time sorting out why you’re getting so many wrong answers.
• Noticing a theme will help you correctly store words in your memory. If you notice that the list you’ve opened is oriented specifically toward ordering a taxi, you’re more likely to put a word like fare, which has multiple meanings in English, into its correct context the first time you learn it (a travel context, not a wellness context).

In conclusion, Preview It lets you hit the ground running.  Don’t pass it by, or else you’ll end up wasting a lot of frustrating minutes in Recognize It you could have spent filling your brain with tasty language goodness.  Mmm, it’s tangy!