Inspiration
FlashLingua was inspired by our own experiences as first-year university students who recently completed VCE language studies, where learning and memorising vocabulary was one of the biggest challenges in learning a new language. We took inspiration from well-known flashcard applications like Quizlet and Anki, and we wanted to recreate a tool that emphasises simplicity and user engagement alongside efficient memorisation.
What It Does
FlashLingua is a flashcard app designed to help users reinforce vocabulary in French, Latin, and Chinese. The app allows users to select a language, flip flashcards to reveal translations, and track their progress with regular review sessions. After every twenty words, a feedback screen provides users with a summary of their known and unknown words. Additionally, the app includes sound effects for interactions such as flipping a card, marking a word as known or unknown and finishing a session, creating a more immersive learning experience.
How We Built It
In Python (tkinter), we started with a basic French-to-English flashcard system that allowed users to flip between words. From there, we implemented a structured repetition model and session tracking to maintain a sense of progress. Through Tkinter, we focused on an intuitive user interface with clear fonts, simple navigation, and easy-to-understand buttons. The app was built using Python and Tkinter, with CSV files storing word lists and Pygame to access the sound effects.
Challenges We Ran Into
One of the main challenges was balancing simplicity with functionality. We wanted to keep the app user-friendly while integrating elements like session tracking, review screens, and interactive features. Managing word lists and ensuring smooth language switching, as well as the card flip motion itself, required a lot of effort as well.
Accomplishments That We're Proud Of
We are proud to have improved, altered and evolved the idea of a small flashcard system into a fully functional mini-app that contains not only full lists of vocabulary from different languages but also, perhaps more importantly, the many small features we included based on our personal language learning experiences.
What We Learned
Throughout development, we learnt about the importance of user-focused design and accessibility. We also understood the impact of structured repetition, regular review sessions, and how small elements like colour psychology and sound can make a simple flashcard app so much more special.
What's Next for FlashLingua
The future for FlashLingua could be introducing additional language options such as Spanish, German, and Japanese. Implementing spaced repetition techniques could further optimise learning efficiency by prioritising words based on user performance. Another possible improvement is customizable flashcards, allowing users to input their own vocabulary lists and personalise their learning experience. As well as a potential vocab tester at the end of each session, for a small challenge. Of course, the future of any small project is to reach wider audiences, perhaps through a mobile app version, a website or even an online game!
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