Enhancing Teaching Vocabulary Through Posters and Flashcards made from used Magazines.

outline
The teaching of vocabulary. Teaching vocabulary through posters. Poster based activities. Teaching vocabulary through flashcards. Flashcards based activities. Where can you get flashcards? How to make your own flashcards? Choosing the best pictures for your posters and flashcards.

The teaching of vocabulary

Traditionally, the teaching of vocabulary above elementary levels was mostly incidental, limited to presenting new items as they appeared in reading or sometimes listening texts. This indirect teaching of vocabulary assumes that vocabulary expansion will happen through the practice of other language skills, which has been proved not enough to ensure vocabulary expansion. Nowadays it is widely accepted that vocabulary teaching should be part of the syllabus, and taught in a well-planned and regular basis. Some authors, led by Lewis (1993) argue that vocabulary should be at the centre of language teaching.

Teaching vocabulary through posters

Classroom posters are a great tool to teach vocabulary items. They help students learn new words, practice and daily revise them. Posters also attract the attention of students and enrich their vocabulary repertoire. Posters present vocabulary items in a thematic arrangement that develops students logical reasoning.

Poster based activities

Describe: Hang a poster of a person, an object or a place ( bedroom as an example) on the board and ask students to describe it . Label: To teach body parts, for example, you may show a poster of a person and have your students label the body parts. Matching: Hang a poster with different pictures on the board and write the words in the other flap of the board then ask students to match the words to the appropriate picture

Poster based activities Examples

Match
Label the colours
brown green

Good afternoon

black white

red
blue orange yellow

Good night
Good morning

Good evening

Teaching vocabulary through flashcards

Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory reminds teachers that there are many types of learners within any one class. Gardner's research indicates that teachers should aim to appeal to all the different 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. Flash cards can be bright and colourful and make a real impact on visual learners.
Flashcards can motivate students and help them associate the vocabulary item learned with an image

Teaching vocabulary through flashcards

Flashcards can cue responses to questions. Flashcards help the teacher bring the world to the classroom.

A Chinese proverb says: a picture is worth a thousand words But I think that a picture is worth a thousand miles or a thousand years.

Flashcards based activities

The most common use of flashcards is presenting new vocabulary items; however, with flashcards teachers can: teach, practice, or review new vocabulary. Do missing word activities. Do guided practice (drills). Present and practice grammatical structures and functions. Do writing activities. Play flashcard games.

Flashcards based activities. Example

Hello! My name is Ahmad. I am _____________. I am sixteen years old. I always go to __________ by _________, but my friends go by __________. In weekends we play __________. My dad goes to work by__________. My mother watches _________ and often reads ___________ but my dad reads _____________

Where can you get flashcards?

You can buy them.
Or, simply, make them yourself - If you don't have access to professionally produced flash cards, or you just cant afford to buy them because they are expensive don't worry, it's really easy to make your own even if you're not very artistic. You can use pictures from magazines, newspapers and brochures. You can also involve your students to make them.

How??

How to make your own flashcards

First, you need some magazines, newspaper or any book that has pictures, scissors, card stock, glue and markers. Cut the pictures you like and glue them on paper sets. Finally, write the name of the picture on the backside.

oranges

Choosing the best pictures for your posters and flashcards.

The most important thing is to make sure the pictures are all of the same size. If possible you can laminate the sets as you make them and they will last for years. Choose pictures that are simple and clear enough to be seen and recognized by students sitting in the back seats.
Try to avoid pictures that may attract students attention more than the activity. Try to avoid using any picture that may conflict with the culture of the students.

Thanks for your time

A workshop by: Mr. Larbi ARBAOUI Tinghir April 23rd, 2011.