Chapter 3
Using flashcards in teaching English
3.1 The benefits of using flashcards
Gibaud states that a picture flashcard represents a particular vocabulary item that teacher wants to introduce. 7 In his opinion this can be an object, an animal, an adjective, a character, a place, an action, etc. The teacher can represent anything on a flashcard, provided there is 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. Every teacher can devise his/ her own set of flashcards, or use the sets provided by some publishers. If he/ she makes her/ his own set, he/ she needs to make sure that:
the drawings are clear and unambiguous;
the cards are drawn on cardboard paper and cannot be torn;
they are sorted out (for instance, in colour groups) to be easily found. The teacher can group them in topics (toys, animals, food,…) or code them according to her/ his teaching sequences, or any other classification he/ she may find suitable and useful.
Flashcards are probably the most effective tool in language learning arsenal. They are very effective when someone does not have time for a more involved study or review session. There are flashcards ready to use, for example, alphabet flashcards, numbers etc. On the front of each card there is a vocabulary word which needs to be learned. On the back there is a definition of the word or, which is more helpful with young learners, a picture of that thing. Therefore, flash cards are most often not interchangeable between devices. A product that utilizes a flash card will specify which model of flash card to get. Different models are formatted to meet the specifications of different manufacturers and devices. Once teacher finds the model of flash card his/her device requires, he/she can choose the capacity. But if the teacher owns more than one device that uses a flash card, he or she might need a different flash card for each device depending on the format.
The flash cards can be incorporated into more and more devices as an excellent solution to expanded storage, and will likely be seen in countless products of the future. Budden states that flashcards remain one of the best tools for memorising information. 8 The most common way to create flashcards is to use index cards. Students can simply write the question on one side and the answer on the apposite side and test themselves repeatedly. However, there are several ways to modify this process to enhance the learning experience.
3.2 The role of flashcards in the zero grade
Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory reminds teachers that there are many types of learners within any class. Thus teachers should aim to appeal to all learner types at some point during the course. It is particularly important to appeal to visual learners, as a very high proportion of learners have this type of intelligence. Flashcards can be bright and colourful and make a real impact on visual learners. Many of the activities outlined below will also appeal to kinesthetic learners (Gardner ,1993:6).
S. Ray says that for children at reading age flashcards can be used in conjunction with words cards. These are simply cards that display the written word. 9 Word cards should be introduced well after the pictorial cards so as not to interfere with correct pronunciation. Flashcards are a really handy resource to have and can be useful at every stage of the class. They are a great way to present, practise and recycle vocabulary and when students become familiar with the activities used in the class, they can be given out to early- finishers to use in small groups. They can be used for vocabulary development. Since everything cannot be brought into the classroom, flashcards and posters provide an opportunity to approximate reality and present new vocabulary to the students. One can do direct vocabulary teaching through the pictures on the card as well as indirect as one can build thematic maps associated with the word, object, picture, scene or situation.
Ray declares that one can use the flashcards effectively to teach grammar in context. Depending on what the picture illustrates the teacher can find an opportunity to convert it into
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a class daily routine. Kottler also stresses that objects, demonstrations, photographs and pictures are vital to ensure comprehension. Students need concrete references, especially at the beginning levels (Kottler, 2002:62).
Flashcards are mostly used by teachers who work with young learners. They are very receptive to any new methods of learning, which is not in their schoolbook. It creates some kind of novelty and helps those who have a visual memory. It is often the first stage of a new lesson or a means of revision.
One cannot but agree that flashcards can help to generate much of a language. Teachers can try to use one and ask their students to come with any posters or large pictures they have. This will give them a feeling of ownership and an active involvement in the lesson.
Every teacher of foreign languages should reconsider his or her methods of presenting and practising vocabulary because it is a language that consists of words and knowing meanings of words gives students an opportunity to use them while communicating. In order to prevent students from abandoning vocabulary acquisition due to boredom, teachers should develop techniques that will interest students. Without doubts visuals add variety and interest to a lesson, attract the students' attention, and also impel students' imagination.
It is essential to do something more with vocabulary than just repeating it. Students must interact with words. Using flashcards helps students guess the meaning of words and remember them for a longer time. Although learners may discover the meaning through the written context or explanation of other members of the group, there is no guarantee that the word and its meaning will be remembered. Kottler expresses an opinion that flashcards are much more effective because learners notice them and pay greater attention to them and this creates a positive attitude towards learning (ibid: 67).
The popular method for learning new vocabulary is to write them on the paper and hang it on the wall or special board in a classroom. In that case students have an opportunity to use them very often and repeat them as well. Coloured pencils make them look different compared to the surrounding. Everything is done to stir up students' imagination. The aim is to learn new vocabulary not by memorising it mechanically and learning it by heart, but by using something else which requires more of the senses. Visual support is very important in this case.
Many teachers who are using flashcards claim that using visuals is not profitable. If someone says so, it is likely that the person has used them inappropriately. Kottler states that visuals have their own purpose that should be relevant to the aim of the lesson. Sometimes
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teachers do not pay attention to that and use visuals at the wrong stage and out of context. Visuals used during lessons are relevant to what they intend to do (Kottler, 2002: 63).
A great advantage of flashcards is that teachers can use them many times. Flashcards, which at first seem to have no use, can suddenly become an exciting stimulus when linked, for example, to a poem, which is being studied. The use of flashcards is something personal for each teacher to experiment with. In this case the imagination of an individual teacher is very important. It makes the lesson unusual and much more interesting, and learning is then becoming more effective.
Apart from this, nowadays in the age of television most people cannot live without watching. So the use of visual aids (including flashcards), coupled with good public speaking skills, enable teachers to create effective presentation. In Davies' opinion, it does not matter where the presentation takes place and what it presents. The flashcards can help to present all kinds of materials more successfully by providing emphasis to whatever is being said or written (Davies, 2004:7-10).
G. Massaci claims that visual aids change one activity to another, for instance, hearing to seeing. Therefore “… increasing the audience's understanding and retention level. With pictures, the concepts or ideas you present are no longer simply words- but words plus images. People tend to eye- minded, and the impacts visual aids bring to a presentation are, indeed, significant.” 10
To sum up it should be stressed that there is not much literature about the practical using of visual aids. Teachers should be encouraged to work out their own proposals of flashcards and make some articles about using them in journals or in the Internet.
3.3 Techniques of using flashcards in the group of small children
Flashcards remain one of the best tools for memorising information. The most common way to create flashcards is to use index cards. Students can simply write the question on one side and the answer on the opposite side and test themselves repeatedly. However, there are several ways to modify this process to enhance the learning experience.
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The use of flashcards is flexible. Flashcards can be used in all levels of the class: as a presentations tool, as a practice exercise or as a free activity. It all depends on the teacher's ideas and imagination. The teacher decides what technique to be used in the lesson.
Most teachers use flashcards in their English lessons when they have to introduce new vocabulary. While using flashcards, students will able to understand new vocabulary without any kind of translation.
There are different ways to use flashcards. When the teacher starts to look for some information in the Internet he/ she will find a lot of ideas. G. Fleming gives some hints as to the usage of flashcards in language games: 11
1. “Make the alphabet”. The teacher gives out the alphabet flashcards in random order to different children. If there are fewer that 26 in the class, the teacher gives some children two flashcards showing consecutive letters. Children take turns to come to the front of the class and stick their flashcards in alphabetical order on the board. Alternatively, children stand up, hold up their flashcards and arrange themselves in alphabetical order in a line.
2. “Spell it right!” The teacher gives out the alphabet flashcards in random order to different children. The teacher says words from vocabulary children know one at a time. The children who think they have one of the letters from the word the teacher says, stand in a line at the front of the class and hold up their flashcards to spell the word. The rest of the class checks the spelling.
3. “Word race”. The teacher sticks a selection of alphabet flashcards in a jumbled order on the board. The teacher divides the class into pairs or groups and gives the children a time limit to make words of two or more letters from the flashcards on the board. She/he explains to the children that they can include words in their list where letters are repeated, e.g. “green”, “dinner”, etc. The teacher encourages the children to use their books and picture dictionaries to find words. In five minutes' time, she/he checks the words and finds out how many the class have collectively managed to make.
4. “Letter and picture match”. The teacher chooses between 6- 10 alphabet flashcards and sticks them in different places on the walls. He/ she has a ready selection of magazine pictures
or flashcards from showing the already known vocabulary. She/ he divides the class into two teams and gives the children in each team a number. She/he gives children with the same
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number from each team a picture or flashcard. The children race to stand up by the alphabet flashcards that shows the initial letter of the picture of flashcard they have been given.
5. “Flashcard hangman”. The teacher uses the alphabet flashcards to play this. She/ he thinks of a word the children know and draw dashes, of the same as the flashcards, for each letter on
the board. Children suggest letters to go in the word. If a letter is correct, the teacher sticks the corresponding flashcard in a correct place of the word. If the letter is not correct, the teacher sticks the flashcard on one side of the board and starts to draw a line to the hangman figure. Children win the game if they guess the word before the teacher completes the picture.
Shaun Waller offers more different ideas referring to the usage of flashcards:12
1. Adjective Action: The teacher writes on the board an activity like "bush your teeth." She/he picks one child, they come to the front of the class. The teacher then shows the child a card with an adjective written on it, such as "slowly". The chosen student then does the activity in the way of the adjective. (Small kids will have problems with reading. The teacher than can translate the word into Polish). The other child have to guess the adjective. The one who guesses right gets a point and mimes the next action which the teacher writes on the board. To help them teacher can give them a list of options.
2. “Flash!” The teacher sticks a plain card on the reverse side of the flashcards he/she is using so children cannot see both pictures. She/he shows each flashcard to the children very quickly by holding it at the sides between her/ his thumbs. Children look and guess what it is.
3. “Slowly, slowly!” The teacher chooses the flashcards and has a plain card of the same size. She/he holds up each flashcard in turn covered completely by the plain card at first. She/he pulls down the card to slowly reveal the picture and encourage children to guess what it is.
4. “Point to…!” The teacher sticks a set of flashcards on the walls. The teacher holds up each one and children say the names as the teacher does this. She/he gives instructions e.g. “Point to the supermarket!”. Children listen and point to the correct flashcard as fast as they can.
5. “Mime the flashcard”. The teacher holds up flashcards in turn and says the words or phrases which correspond to the pictures. Children mime in response e.g. they can pretend to do some activity or sport, respond to the weather or act out daily routines. She/he does mimes of different flashcards herself/ himself to the children. Children call out the corresponding words or phrases.
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6. “What's missing?” The teacher sticks set of flashcards on the board getting the children to say the names as he/she does this, and says: “Close your eyes”. She/he quickly removes one of the flashcards from the board. Children open their eyes and call out the name of the missing flashcard.
7. “Magic eyes”. The teacher sticks a set of six flashcards in a row on the board. She/he says the names and gets the children to repeat. She/he removes one by one and points to where they were and children repeat the names as if they were still here.
Grand Haven (from the School Zone Publishing Company) additionally describes some more techniques of how to use flashcards at the lesson: 13
1. “Alphabet order ”. The teacher shuffles and spreads out one set of cards letter- side up. The student has to put the cards in alphabetical order.
2. “Match the letter ”. The teacher spreads out all 52 Alphabet Cards letter- side up. She/ he chooses a letter, then the child must find the corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter. For example, if the teacher chooses a lowercase w, the child must find the uppercase W.
3. “Match the letter and picture game”. The teacher spreads out one set of cards letter- side up and the other set picture- side up. She/ he asks the child to match each letter to a picture that begins with that letter.
4. “Find the missing letter”. The teacher asks the child to arrange one set of cards in alphabetical order. While the child's eyes are closed, the teacher removes one card. The child should open his or her eyes and identify which card is missing.
5. “Odd or even”. The teacher chooses two children for this game. He/she shuffles all of the cards blue-side up and deals twenty- five cards to each child. Each child must sort his or her cards into two piles: one of even numbers and one of odd numbers. The first player to finish the piles correctly wins. With smaller children the number of cards for each child can be lower.
Alan Wilding offers the following ways of using flashcards:14
1. “Flashcard charade”. The teacher divides the class into groups of three or four. Teacher gives each group a flashcard, making sure that other groups don't see. Children think of a way to mime their flashcard. Teacher gives them a minute or two to prepare. Each group takes turns to mime to the rest of the class and guess each other's flashcards.
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2. “Be quick!” The teacher puts all the flashcards in the different places of the classroom. Then she/he asks two students to stand up. She or he says a word, for example “giraffe” and both students will try to take it in first place. Then the teacher goes on with other words. At the end, the student that has taken more flashcards, is the winner.
3. “The parrots”. The teacher chooses one student. She or he will have to get out of the classroom. Then the teacher hides one of the flashcards in any place. The key is that the students will say the name of a thing which is on that flashcard in a low voice when the player is far from it, and in a high voice when the player is close to it.
4. “Whispers”. The teacher divides students in two groups. She/he puts all the flashcards on the blackboard. Then she/ he asks the students to stay in two rows (one row for each group).
Then he/she whispers the word to the following one in their rows. When the last students hear the word, they have to run and take it from the blackboard. The group that takes the card first gets one point.
5. “Upside down”. The teacher puts all the cards upside down. Then she /he points to one of the cards and asks a student 'What is this?' and the student tries to guess. If she/ he is right, teacher points to another card and so on. When she/he fails, teacher turns the card upside down and starts the series again with another student.
Using flashcards can be a great tool for the English teacher and for children learning at home. It is easy to learn from flash cards. They are designed to make the process of language acquisition easier—learning phonics, sounding out words, practising identifying letters, grammar etc. It is a great method to take out those flashcards to evaluate what a child being taught is actually learning from his or her lessons. This will help the teacher or parent assess what the next step will be in teaching their child or student.
To sump up it can be said that flashcards are a really handy resource to have and can be useful at every stage of the lesson. They are a great way to present, practise and recycle vocabulary and when students become familiar with the activities used in class, they can be given out to early-finishers to use in small groups. They create some kind of novelty and help those who have a visual memory. They can be used at the first stage of a new lesson or as a means of revision. It makes the lesson unusual and much more interesting.
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7 http://pagesperso-orange.fr/htm
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9 www.teachingenglish.org.uk/talk/questions/flash-cards
12 http://www.flashcards4kids.com/Flashcard%20Games.htm
13 www.schooldzone.com
14 http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/manual/tutors/ETTechniques.html