Membean: In Or Out?

This+logo+represents+the+vocabulary+platform%2C+Membean%2C+which+all+ILS+students+are+required+to+use.

Illustration: Hannah Brewster

This logo represents the vocabulary platform, Membean, which all ILS students are required to use.

Hannah Brewster, Sports Editor

My Membean this week was easy as one of the quiz words was exodus, a vocab word which should be very common for any Catholic school student. (Hannah Brewster)

Membean actually helps me learn/understand new words.

— Martina Tonkin

You can find the same vocabulary practice and words on social media so I don’t think it’s useful.

— Luis Diaz

Do we need Membean? How much of time out of our day should it cost us?

Membean, as every student at ILS knows, is a vocabulary program that builds word comprehension and understanding. Although some say that it improves vocabulary and helps users achieve higher memorization skills, for others, Membean is pointless.

Most students at ILS are assigned three days of Membean for a total of 15 minutes each. It doesn’t sound like much, but the Membean website can be a bit irritating. The timer feels like it goes on forever, and the session feels neverending. Students can also not complete their total 45 minutes of Membean in one day, but must finish over three days. Although this is understandable, it is time consuming. Sometimes students go over the time limit, but it won’t count for the day because each student only needs 15. If it would let users continue on for as long as they like, more people would get their Membean done, and it would be easier to finish in one day instead of three.

Although the timer situation is annoying, Membean is actually very useful, serving is a perfect platform for expanding vocabulary. Morever, since it is free, it is very easy for anyone to access. It is simple to use and provides real world examples in sentences which can be relatable for those using the platform. It also has an audio setting so it can read to questions as well as answers aloud.

Even though Membean can seem like a pain, it is a useful resource for English teachers as well as anyone who wants to expand their vocabulary. Membean is an easy grade which can help students balance out some of those lower formatives. Although it seems vexing, most students never fully realize how much they incorporate Membean into their everyday vocabulary nor how effective it truly is at vocabulary development.