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Use of flashcards

Introduction

A picture flashcard represents a particular vocabulary item that you want to introduce : it can be an object, an animal, an adjective, a character, a place, an action, etc.

You can represent anything on a flashcard, provided there’s no ambiguity in what is represented !

Flashcards are used to present language for the first time : picture flashcards are used to present meaning.

Later on, they can be used to practise vocabulary : they will be useful for vocabulary review and consolidation, as it is important to reinforce words pupils have learned.

You can devise your own set of flashcards, or use the sets provided by some publishers. If you make your own set, make sure

• · the drawings are clear and unambiguous
• · the cards are drawn on cardboard paper, and can’t be torn
• · they are sorted out (for instance in colour groups) to be easily found : you can group them in topics (toys, animals, food,…) or code them according to your teaching sequences, or any other classification you may find suitable and useful.

Using flashcards to teach vocabulary

A flashcard is meant to be seen by the whole class and will be held up by the teacher. If necessary, in larger groups, the teacher may have to walk around the room to show the flashcard to the pupils. 

To present vocabulary, hold up a flashcard, saying the word clearly with and without the indefinite article : « Look. A balloon. Balloon. A balloon. »   Say the word clearly two or three times while the pupils listen.

They then repeat the word several times after you : use words and gesture to get them to repeat the word. Then, ask individual pupils to say it.

« Teacher :Now say it after me.

A balloon.

Class : a balloon.

Teacher : Again

Class : a balloon

Teacher : Robin

Robin : a balloon

etc. »

 

Be careful not to introduce too many new words at a time : never more than five !

Using flashcards to practise vocabulary

All these activities can be done to practise vocabulary you’ve just taught or to reinforce it . We’re just giving some here, you can obviously devise many more !

6. Hold your flashcard asking « what is this ? » or « is this a ball ? », expecting « a balloon », « No. It’s a balloon ».

7. Hold up your flashcard and get pupils to say the word without saying anything yourself. The pupil who says the word first wins the card.

8. Hold up your flashcard but let pupils see only part of the picture and ask them to guess what it is as you remove the covering sheet little by little.

9. Put the flashcards on the board and ask pupils to point to the picture of the word you say.

10. Put the flashcards on the board and say the words for all the cards in the set except one. The pupil who says the word first wins the card.

11. The teacher names a flashcard. Pupils must do a simple mime or gesture to represent the item on the flashcard.

12. Give some cards to the pupils, and ask them to hold up their picture when they hear the right word.

13. Pupils stand in a line. Give one card to the last pupil in the line. Pupils, starting from this last one, must whisper the word up the line to the first person, who says it.

Using flashcards for reading and writing practice

You can have word flashcards matching the picture flashcards, thus allowing you to teach the whole word and develop reading and writing skills.

Word flashcards should never be used to introduce a word for the first time. Always use the picture flashcards first and revise the vocabulary orally.

Here is a selection of some of the activities you can carry out with word flashcards :

6. Display picture and word flashcards and ask pupils to match words and pictures.

7. Give out picture flashcards to pupils and write the corresponding names on the board. Pupils bring their flashcards to the board and match them with the correct word.

8. Give out picture flashcards to pupils and show the corresponding word cards. When a pupil sees a card that matches the one they have, they must call out « Snap » before the next word flashcard is shown.

9. Ask groups of children to arrange four or five word flashcards in alphabetical order.

10. Spread all the picture and word flashcards out, face-down on the table. Pupils take turns to turn over two of the cards, naming each picture. If they can match a word and a picture, they win the pair. If they can’t, they must put the cards face-down again for the next pupil to take a turn.

11. Pupils stand in a line. Give one card to the last pupil in the line. Pupils, starting from this last one, must whisper the word up the line to the first person, who writes it.