Tag: English

Educational Flashcards | ESL

Flashcards are an excellent resource to use in the ESL or EFL classroom with younger students.

Learning Styles and Flashcards

Flashcards are a very important tool in the classroom. They are a great visual aid that helps with visual style learners.

There are several different styles of learning. Visual, auditory, physical, verbal, logical, social and solitary. .

Learning styles focus on how a student is best able to learn or their preferred method of attaining knowledge. This is usually influenced by their unique brain and experiences, and has a direct impact on the way they get information and learn.

For teachers it’s extremely important to understand learning styles and how they impact the students in your classroom. Each student will have their own preferred learning style, and teachers can help create activities that cater to different learning styles to help more students learn effectively..

The visual style is very effective especially with younger students. And flashcards are an effective tool for visual learners.

What are Flashcards?

Flashcards are normally A4 or A5 size pieces of cardboard that have pictures of the subject you are teaching. For example if you are teaching body parts your flashcards will have pictures of the nose, ears, arms etc. If you are teaching numbers they may have numbers from one to ten on them. There are a wide range of flashcards. Quite often they are used to teach a beginner level student..

Using Flashcards in an ESL classroom.

How we use flashcards is very important. If you just stand up in front of your class and show the card and say the name on the flashcard the students will be bored.

The first thing to think about is the age group of the students. With flashcards I generally target the younger student. Mainly because they adapt to a visual style of learning (with the use of flashcards)  better than older students. From four to eleven year old.

The older students will think you are being condescending if you use flashcards and treating them like children. However if I find an older student is having trouble understanding a word , I have used them. But very sparingly. And more in a one on one teaching environment.

So, how do the younger students like to learn. They like to have FUN. So the best way to use flashcards with younger students is to pre-teach the vocabulary, then use the flashcards in a game.

Flashcard games.

Many different games can be played with flashcards. You can make up your own or use the internet to discover how many there are. Here are some that work well.

Concentration: You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game.  Place both sets face down on the floor.  Students take turns in turning over 2 cards (saying the cards aloud).  If the cards match then the student keeps the cards.  If the cards are different the cards are turned back over again in their original places.  The student or team with the most pairs at the end of the game is the winner.

Charades: Have a student come to the front of the class and show a flashcard or whisper a word to that student.  The student then acts out that word to the rest of the class and the first student to guess what it is can be the next player.  This works very well with action verbs. Split the class up into teams – the first student to guess wins a point for his/her team..

Pictionary: Good for reviewing vocabulary. Choose a student and show them a flashcard picture or whisper a word into their ear.  The student then draws the picture on the board and the first student in the class to guess what the picture is gets to draw the next picture.  This can also be played in teams with a point system. Better in teams.

Trashball: Students take a shot at the trash can/box/etc. First show a flashcard to Student 1.  If he or she answers correctly then they can have a shot at the basket.  If the student gets the trash in the basket then they win 1 point. The person  who gets the most points is the winner.  This can also be played in teams. A good game at the end of class for cleaning up..

Fish: Before this game you need to have the students in pairs draw and cut out a picture of a fish for each pair.  While they are doing that put 2 parallel lines of tape on the floor a few meters apart.  Have students play in pairs – each student behind a different line, facing each other with the fish in the middle.  The teacher shows Student 1 a flashcard and asks what it is.  If the student answers it correctly they can blow once to move the fish forward.  Next, the teacher asks Student 2 who can blow the fish back towards Student 2.  The student who blows the fish over their opponents line is the winner.

Memory : Split your class into two teams. Boys verse girls always works well. Put your flashcards face down on the floor. Then say the name of one flashcard and choose a student to find that flashcard. They only have one turn each. No multiple pickups. Then choose another student, and another etc. It is surprisingly simple yet the students love it.

Over-under:  Line up your student in two teams. Give the two students at the front each a flash card. When you say go, the first in line says the word and passes the flashcard over their head, the next student says the word and passes the card under between their legs, the student kid over, then under, etc. The last student in the line races to the front to hand the flashcard to the teacher and says the word. The first team to finish gets a point.

Backs to the Board Game: This one is good for higher level kids.  Make two teams and stand one student from each team in front of the board, facing away from it.  Place a flashcard picture on the board (e.g. “hamburger”) and the students have to explain that word to their team member (e.g. It’s made of bread and has meat and lettuce and tomatoe in it, you can buy it at Lotteria , [ a Vietnamese  McDonalds ], it’s got cheese and tomatoe sauce on it).  The first student to guess the word wins a point for their team.

Back to back Game: This game is really good fun.  You need some  tape. Pair up students tape a card onto each student’s back.  Both students face each other with hands behind backs waiting for the teacher to shout “Go!”.  At this point they must try to discover his/her partner’s hidden flashcard without letting their partner see theirs.  When the student finally sees his/her partner’s card s/he has to shout it out to become the winner.  .

Chase the Flashcard: Put your flashcards in corners, then call out the name of one flashcard. The last student to the corner gets eliminated. Do this until you have one person left. Good for smaller class sizes as you do not want the eliminated students waiting too long.

Products.

Here are some Flashcards for toddlers and preschoolers that won’t break the bank and are professionally made. Buy from Amazon for less than $10.00 per set.

Conclusion.

There are many more games for flashcards that you can find online. Also talk to other teachers and ask what games they use. We are a helpful group of people

It is a good idea to have some reward for the student or team. It doesn’t have to be big. A sugar free lolly or an eraser or pencil works fine. I save the points until the end of the class and buy an iced lolly for each student on the team. Vietnam is hot.

Flashcards are a great tool but use them wisely. If you use them all the time the students will become bored and you have wasted a good resource. I use them for 20 minutes in a classroom at the most, and not everyday. There are lots of other resources for visual learners as well. And do not forget the other styles of learning.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me. I always reply.

Steve

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There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

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Tech Tools for the classroom

Teach Easy.

To make your life easier in the classroom (Public schools) it is advisable to have some tools available to help.

Why? 

Classroom sizes in Vietnam are pretty big. You can walk into a class of 50 students every day. If you are not prepared you will be exhausted by days end. You need help to project your voice.

What do I need?

First off a wireless headset with a blue tooth connection to a speaker will save your voice after a day in the classroom.

I currently use an “Aporo”  wireless headset and Sony 30 watt speaker (XB32). As well as this I run all my audio recordings through Google drive on my cell phone.

Any good wireless headset and speaker will work. I recommend you try before you teach.

My cell phone is also connected via blue tooth to the Sony speaker. I have pre-saved all my audio recordings to my cell phone and pre-program the tracks I need for the lessons ahead.

I also use a mini projector for any visual presentations and display it on a wall in the classroom. Or I use a whiteboard or a rollout screen. I also have the audio output of the projector connected to the Sony speaker.

If you want to make your classroom experience more exciting and easier for you, invest in your future.

Here are a couple of items that may help.

I hope this helps. Also, have a look at my other posts, they might even help you.

 How to teach English in Vietnam. – Teaching ESL in Vietnam 2021 (vietnamesl.com) 

Any comments are gratefully accepted and always answered.

Any or all affiliate links on this website may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something on these links I may make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Teaching English Abroad in Vietnam

There are certain ways that will make it easier for both the teacher to teach and the student to learn English as a second language. This will help you to understand more about teaching English in a foreign country.

How do students learn

Before we move into teaching styles and the methodology of teaching it is a good idea to reflect on how languages are learnt. If you can think when a baby is born it does not come forth into the world with a full range of vocabulary.

He or she spends the first years of life listening and absorbing the fundamentals of the language.

The first skill learnt is the Listening skill which is the foundation of all the other skills. ( I can quite often guess the nationality of the teacher because of the pronunciation of the student).

This is, arguably, the most important skill. The second skill in learning order is the speaking skill. Once the child has heard enough sounds, he or she will start putting together words and then phrases and sentences. The third and fourth skills are reading and writing and are higher learning skills.

And similarly to a baby learning a language this can be an effective guide in teaching English to an ESL (English as a second language) student. however, we do not have years to teach in the same way and time frame that a baby has to learn its native language.

Integrating the four skills can develop communicative competence because it focuses on the realistic communication, which is the main pursuit of teaching and learning in modern society

Teaching styles.   

You will ultimately find your own teaching style and classroom techniques as you develop as a teacher. some recognized styles of teaching T.P.R (Total physical response), The communicative approach, meaningful learning, and the old-fashioned rote learning. Most teachers will cherry-pick from the below teaching techniques to suit themselves.

You can find out more about teaching styles at the ” Australian Christian College“

Total Physical Response.

T.P.R is a language acquisition method developed by psychology expert, Professor James Asher. TPR uses a combination of language and physical actions to engage students in the language learning process.

Total Physical Response has a lot of benefits, particularly for beginners and young learners.

  • The pairing of movement with language is innately associated with effective learning
  • Students actively use both the left and right sides of their brains
  • It works with both small and large groups
  • It sharpens students’ listening skills
  • Students are not required to speak until they are ready to, therefore creating a “safe zone” that greatly lowers inhibitions and stress
  • Students will appreciate the change of pace and potential for humor.
  • Kinaesthetic learners (who respond well to physical activities) and visual learners (who learn best with visual cues) will get a lot out of TPR.

The Communicative approach.

Teaching through language. A strong concentration on listening. It emphasizes interaction as both the means and ultimate goal of the study.

The communicative approach is based on the idea that learning a language successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. When learners are involved in real communication, their natural strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use the language.

Example

Practicing question forms by asking learners to find out personal information about their colleagues is an example of the communicative approach, as it involves meaningful communication.

In the classroom

Classroom activities guided by the communicative approach are characterized by trying to produce meaningful and real communication, at all levels. As a result, there may be more emphasis on skills than systems, lessons are more learner-centered, and there may be some use of authentic materials.

Meaningful Learning

The concept or theory of meaningful learning is that learned information is completely understood and can now be used to make connections with other previously known knowledge, aiding in further understanding. Meaningful learning is often contrasted with rote learning, a method in which information is memorized sometimes without elements of understanding our relation to other objects or situations. Meaningful learning is to feel that all the pieces of a concept, idea, theory, formulae, or argument fit together.

ADVANTAGES OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING

Meaningful learning helps students achieve success in the classroom by:

  • Encouraging understanding, not memorization
  • Encouraging active learning techniques
  • Focusing on the outcome of the learning process
  • Relating new information to prior knowledge

DISADVANTAGES OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING

The challenges associated with meaningful learning include:

  • Takes longer to achieve
  • Should be tailored for different types of learners

Some students may face challenges with meaningful learning, as it requires building off previous knowledge. This is where dedicated teachers and tutors can help ensure students understand concepts so that meaningful learning can continue to happen.

Rote Learning

Rote learning is a more traditional form of teaching. It is based on repetition until the students remember the words and phrases. Rote learning is defined as the memorization of information based on repetition.

ADVANTAGES OF ROTE LEARNING

There are some benefits of Rote Learning, including:

  • Ability to quickly recall basic facts
  • Helps develop foundational knowledge

DISADVANTAGES OF ROTE LEARNING

The drawbacks of learning by memorization include:

  • Can be repetitive
  • Easy to lose focus
  • Doesn’t allow for a deeper understanding of a subject
  • Doesn’t encourage the use of social skills
  • No connection between new and previous knowledge
  • May result in a wrong impression or understanding a concept

While being able to quickly recall pieces of information is helpful, to understand information on a deeper level students must use a different method of learning.

It’s your move.

Students have different levels of interest and ability and learn in different ways. Auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc. But if students “laugh and learn” the subject matter is more easily absorbed and retained.

There are many different ways of teaching and you will find the way that is most suitable and effective for yourself. One of the best ways to test if you are being effective is the engagement of the students.

When you are doing your teacher training you should be introduced to these different styles and hopefully given the chance to practice them. Just like anything, your teaching style and techniques will be perfected with practice.

Teaching On-Line / Schools that want teachers

Look at this post about schools that are looking for online teachers. On-Line Schools.

I also do placement of ESL teachers across Vietnam.

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.