Flash cards

Flash cards

A flash card is a tool for teachers to make the class in a comprehensive and didactic way, it consist in a cardboard with a written word, a sentence, or a simple picture in it. The recommendations for a good flashcard is that the letters on it must be visible and large enough for everyone in the classroom to make sure that everyone can see
the flashcard can be written in capital letters, the both sides of the flashcards can be used when you are teaching vocabulary, in one side you can write the words and in back we can write the translation. The flash cards can be made by students also.  

Some researchers compare flashcards and word list and they indicated that the flashcards help learners in learning new vocabulary more easily and effectively than word list and other tools.

Using flash cards with young learners

The flashcards are simple and attractive tools for teachers in learning vocabulary and it is an excelent idea used this with Young learners, now we will talking about some information about  flashcards:

Why use flash cards?

According to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences emphasize many types of learners in classroom, this indicates that the teacher has to be conscious and he/she have to take the importance to each students and his/her learning during the entire course. It is particularly important to appeal to visual learners. Flashcards catch the student’s attention because is colorful, attractive and make a real impact on visual learners.

Flash cards can be used at every level of the class and are very easy to transport and to make. They are a great way to present, explain, practice, and recycle vocabulary, you can use flashcards again and again, and when students learn and become familiar with the activities and with the flashcards they can be given out to early-finishes to use in small groups. An idea for student’s homework and reinforcement is that students make some flashcards for them to play with, with parents and siblings. 

Where to get flash cards?

ü Buy them – you can buy packs of flashcards or sometimes the textbooks have them.

ü Make them yourself  - You can use pictures from magazines, draw simple pictures or copy from the internet or clip art.

ü Students make them - Give each one an item to draw. They can be mounted on card to make the set.

Bigliography:

Johanna Budden. "Using Flash Cards with Young Learners."TeachingEnglish. Joanna Budden, 24 Feb. 2004. Web. 24 May 2015.

Sasan Beleghizadeh, Arezoo Ashoori. "The Impact of Two Instructional Techniques on EFL Learners' Vocabulary Knowledge: Flash Cards versus Word List." MEXTESOL 2nd ser. 35 (2011).