For years, rote learning has been dismissed as something old‑fashioned — a method we’ve supposedly “moved on from” in favour of communicative activities, games, and immersion. Yet here’s what we often overlook: intentional memory‑activation practice still matters, and many learners struggle not because they don’t understand the language, but because they simply can’t retrieve it fast enough. A personal perspective: memorisation as a foundation For me, growing up and studying