The hardest part of learning most languages is starting out. To build the initial vocabulary you need to spend hours with flash cards (or a reasonable equivalent) which is very dull work.

Well, I'm going to say this has become any easier, because it hasn't. However, Memrise is a site which promises to make this slightly more convenient by throwing those flash cards online.

You can choose from a variety of languages and for (most) words, a mnemonic, pronunciation and graphic illustration are included. Currently I am reviewing French, picking up a few words and rediscovering some old vocabulary that I had lost. The site, in addition to helping you learn words, lets you review words you've previously covered to ensure that you stay on top of your new knowledge. Beyond the content, the site's design is certainly easy on the eyes which is something that I appreciate.

Memrise promises to be interesting since it provides a free alternative to many pay-to-use language learning sites currently available. I wonder how the pay-to-use sites will change in order to accommodate this challenge?