Throughout the semester, we have seen many kinds of didactic material that provide support for foreign language teaching. However, I will focus primarily on the use of flashcards.
A flash card is a carboard consisting of a word, a sentence, or a simple picture on it. The letters must be visible and large enough for everyone sitting in the front and most importantly in the back of the classroom. Working with flash cards can help learners acquire voca bulary more effectively. ( Mondria & Mondria-de Vries, 1994; Schmitt & Schmitt, 1995).
Flashcards are the most commmon kind of visual aid for learners and they appear to be very useful in all language skills. There are various types of flashcards that are useful for applying activities. There are flashcards that contain words, pictures, questions or a combination of words and pictures.
The use of flash cards is not only for teaching vocabulary, but also for teaching other topics like prepositions, articles, sentence structures, tenses and phrasal verbs (Palka, 1988).
Flash cards have also been used to improve comprehension and reading speed (Tan & Nicholson, 1997).
A flash card is a carboard consisting of a word, a sentence, or a simple picture on it. The letters must be visible and large enough for everyone sitting in the front and most importantly in the back of the classroom. Working with flash cards can help learners acquire voca bulary more effectively. ( Mondria & Mondria-de Vries, 1994; Schmitt & Schmitt, 1995).
Flashcards are the most commmon kind of visual aid for learners and they appear to be very useful in all language skills. There are various types of flashcards that are useful for applying activities. There are flashcards that contain words, pictures, questions or a combination of words and pictures.
The use of flash cards is not only for teaching vocabulary, but also for teaching other topics like prepositions, articles, sentence structures, tenses and phrasal verbs (Palka, 1988).
Flash cards have also been used to improve comprehension and reading speed (Tan & Nicholson, 1997).
1. Word cards
Word cards are easy for the students and teachers to handle. We can stick them on a board, hold them or hang them on the wall. Word cards basically consist of a word written on the card. You may even add a definition on the back side.
Word cards facilitate the introduction of new vocabulary or simple a review of vocabulary seen in previous lessons. They are helpful for teaching grammar aspects such as verbs, nouns, tenses.
2. Picture flash cards
Picture flash cards are one of the most common visual aid for students. They are helpful to stimulate learners to read, speak or write. These can be made in many different sizes, depending ont he activity you intend to use them with. However, they are usually drawn on cards of approximately the size of 15 cm by 20 cm.
The picture drawn on these cards can represent many topics such as actions, animals, clothing, fruits/vegetables, and many more. Teachers can use them for storytelling too.
Using flashcards for teaching has both advantages and disadvantages for teachers and students.
Advantages:
-Making them is inexpensive, you don't invest too much money.
-Flashcards can be used with all levels and ages as well as for all kinds of topics.
-They are portable and easy to carry.
-They are versatile because they can be used for many activities.
-Great way to captures students attention since they tend to be colorful and attractive.
Disadvantages:
- Not all students are visual learners, some may not learn with flashcards.
-Flashcards can become boring when repetitive.
- Size may not be appropriate for everyone in the classroom to see.
Conclusion
Flash cards are one of the most common visual aids that help as a tool for teaching a second language, as mentioned before there are three main types of flash cards: word cards, picture cards and a combination of word/picture. They can be used with any level and most importantly they are adaptable to many topics and activities. Flash cards are highly recommended for teachers that are looking for a simple, yet creative way to teach vocabulary, stories, grammar, or any topic they adapt it to. Easy for teacher's to make and a great way to capture student's attention.
