Flashcards: Fast and Fun

Abstract

Hashcards provide not only a multitude of avsources of pictures are essential so that the end enues for teaming, reinforcement, and drill, but product is easy to see, handle, and file. they are fast and fun to use. White non-artists Everyone shares in the results of this creative may doubt it, flasheards are easy for alt teaches-s homework assignment. Artistically inclined into obtain. Obviously, teachers who have some dividuats enjoy the opportunity to use their speartistic talent can create them, but with limited ciat talent in the language class; all the students time, hectic schedules, and hours of preparation, use the newly created cards to test one another even the most creative teacheswelcomes an easy before pooling them for teachesuse with the way to compile a thematic file of flasheards. group. Thus new vocabulary is acquired white The type of flasheard recommended in this the students, hopefully, enjoyed the activity. The article is a pictorial one. No target language teacher and future students are the beneficiaries words appear on its face. It should be colorful, of a thematic file of the best flashcards chosen easily recognizable, and clearly visible across from the tot. the room. And most important, when possible, Thematic flashcards are a useful teaching toot it should be humorous. Finding materials to at any language level. The same picture stimulus create flasheards that fit these requirements is that serves at Level I readily serves at Levels II not as difficult as might be expected. and III with the introduction of additional voMagazines and newspapers are a prime cabutary and grammatical structures by the source of large pictures that can be stapled, teacher. Spiraling information by interweaving pasted or taped to a sheet of paper or cardboard. new and previously teamed material provides a Keeping the flasheards of uniform size makes built-in review and enhances understanding and them easier to handle and store. Appealing and retention. Therefore, a picture that was used humorous pictures can be accumulated to fill before may be used again in different contexts future needs. and activities. The flasheard activity, from simMagazine covet-s and whole pages make inple to complex, is adapted to the skills of the stant flashcards requiring no trimming, cutting students. os-pasting. On the other hand, a picture too small The teacher selects an activity suitable to the to be a flashcard can be enlarged on a copy level of the class and the object of the lesson. For machine. The enlargement can also be enlarged example, the teachesmay introduce ten new until the desired size is achieved. The resulting vocabulary items to begin auniton food. Holding 8 x 10 (or larger) black and white copy becomes up flashcard #1, the teachesorally models the the flashcard. It can then be made attractive by vocabulary word, and the whole class repeats simply outlining or coloring in with permanent chorally. Several models and repeats provide arkers. reinforcement. Ftashcard #2, placed so as to A wonderful resource forhetp with flasheards completely covetflashcard#t, is presented in the is right under our noses: our students. They can same manner: teachesmodel, group repetition, use markers to beautify previously made flashreinforcement. After flasheard #2, the teachescards or can create their own as a homework shows flashcard #1 again, allowing a few secassignment or unit project. For example, stuonds for the group to recall and say the vocabudents may select or be assigned several thematary itembefore modeling the word. Flashcard#2 tic vocabulary items. A flasheard for each word is then brought back into view; the group tries to or phrase, bearing the picture on the front and recall and say the vocabulary item before teacher the word or phrase on the back, is made. Speciprompting. Flashcard #3 is displayed, modeled, fic guidelines about the size, type of paper, and repeated, reinforced. The teacher, working back-