Some experiences on using flashcards to teach english vocabulary for grade 3 students

Children love flashcards very much but using flashcards is also one ofdifficult teaching techniques for Vietnamese primary teachers to master andapply it into their teaching English effe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.2 Reality of teaching and learning vocabulary at

some primary schools in Tho Xuan district

4

2.3 Solution to the problem: using flashcards 6

1 Introduction

1.1Rationale for chosing the topic

It’s high time to identify that vocabulary learning is crucial for learningforeign languages According to French Allen (1983), if teachers use visualmaterials, students’ learning will be better than the time when they use othermaterials Of all the foreign language teaching visual aids, flashcards have beenproven to be an incredibly useful and flexible resource for teaching vocabulary Some researchers also discovered that teaching with flashcards help learners,especially young learners to acquire words more effectively This is completelytrue to children who always have great love for visual things and games.Therefore, flashcards are an effective tool for teaching primary studentsvocabulary Specifically speaking, flashcards are great for introducing newvocabulary, memorising, revising and consolidating vocabulary

We are all aware of both benefits and the way of using flashcards to teachchildren English vocabulary But there is a fact that flashcards are a simple,handy, versatile, valuable, yet often an underexploited resource Being aware ofthe essential role of flashcards in teaching children vocabulary is the first reasonwhy I do this study

Children love flashcards very much but using flashcards is also one ofdifficult teaching techniques for Vietnamese primary teachers to master andapply it into their teaching English effectively Besides, it’s not cheap at all forteachers to buy one set of flashcards And it’s not easy at all for teachers to findout their suitable flashcards that can meet their aims as well as the topic of aspecific lesson Therefore, in this study I provide teachers of English with steps

of using flashcards as well as some suggested activities and games usingflashcards to teach children English vocabulary In case the teachers are unable

to find suitable ready-made flashcards, I also suggest here the way of making uptheir own flashcards to teach with the hope that they can create more effectivelessons and help their children learn new words better through flashcards

Using flashcards to teach English is really a broad issue becauseflashcards can be used to teach not only vocabulary but also other aspects oflanguage Furthermore, flashcards can be used effectively for learners of all agesand language levels and they can be useful at every stage of the class Inaddition, “children” is also a broad object, so I just focus my study on grade 3students, who are mostly in the first year of learning English and find learningnew words difficult because their methods of learning vocabulary haven’t beenformed Under the limitation of time and for the main reasons as above, Idecided to carry out this study and present here “ Some experiences on usingflashcards to teach English vocabulary for grade 3 students”

1.2 Objectives of the study:

This study aims at clarifying the benefits of using flashcards to teach children English vocabulary and suggesting the way flashcards can be used to help children learn new words better.

1.3 Objects of the study:

Flashcards can be used to reinforce and practice vocabulary or grammarpatterns as well as giving students interesting and challenging speaking practicebased on the pictures shown in the flashcards And flashcards can be used forstudents of all ages and all levels However, the main focus of this study islooking at the reasons why and the ways how flashcards should be used to helpchildren in general and grade 3 students in particular learn new words better

1.4.Methodology of the study:

To attain the mentioned objectives, a number of techniques will be usedduring the process of carrying out the study Theoretical background of thestudy is based on reading, analyzing and synthesizing of the materials andrelevant books Investigating the reality and collecting the data of grade 3students learning new words before and after using flashcards to teachvocabulary are also applied And according to applicative approach, someactivities using flashcards for some units in the textbooks Tieng Anh 3 are alsoapplied in teaching practice

2 Development

2.1 Literature review:

2.1.1 What is a flashcard?

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, a flashcard or flash card is

a card bearing information, as words or numbers, on either or both sides, used inclassroom drills or in private study One writes a question on a card and ananswer overleaf Flashcards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas orany subject matter that can be learned via a question-and-answer format.Flashcards are widely used as a learning drill to aid memorization by way

of spaced repetition

2.1.2 Types of flashcards

Haycraft (1978: 102-106) states two types of flashcards They are wordflashcards and picture flashcards Word flashcards are cards on which wordshave been printed When practicing word order, the teacher can use a number ofcards representing all the words in a sentence The cards can be fixed to theboard, or given to a student, and arranged correctly either by the class a whole orindividual students The word flashcards also can be used to practice structure.Then, picture flashcards are useful for presenting, practicing and revisingvocabulary or as prompts for other activities – for example, to illustrate thecharacters in a dialogue, to help students improvise A picture flashcard is a cardwhich has a picture on one side and the word in the other side, or the picture andthe word in one side Picture flashcards are used for teaching and practisingbasic vocabulary through games They could be pictures of animals, householdobjects, places, people, story characters or action verbs

Thus, I strongly suggest we should focus on picture flashcards which canhelp teachers a lot with improving their students’ vocabulary You can use smallsets for individual or group activities or larger sets for display or for whole classactivities.

2.1.3 Where to get flash cards?

Buy them Some course books provide a supplementary pack of flashcards or they can be bought in sets

Make them yourself If you don't have access to professionally producedflashcards, don't worry, it's really easy to make your own even if you're not veryartistic You can use pictures from magazines, draw simple pictures or copyfrom the internet or clip art The most important thing is to make sure they areall of the same size, on card (different colours for different sets) so you can't seethrough them If possible you can laminate the sets as you make them and theywill last for years The advantage of making your own, apart from the fact thatthey're cheap and yours to keep, is that you can make sets for your specificneeds You may like to make a set to use in conjunction with a story book orgraded reader, or even to accompany project work

Students make them I have recently begun to incorporate the production

of flashcards into the classroom After introducing a new lexical set, using realia

or the course book, ask students to produce the flashcards for you Give eachone an item to draw They can be mounted on card to make the set By creatingflashcards, students began to set their own learning goals Students are offered alearning environment in which they are active participants rather than passiverecipients of information First, they clarify their objectives Then they selectwords relevant to those objectives, choosing not only the information best suited

to the flashcards, but also the level appropriate to their ability Second, theyexercise their responsibility for their own learning by developing their ownflashcards

2.1.4 The advantages of using flashcards to teach children vocabulary:

Generally speaking, flashcards are extremely benefical for teachers toteach English Flashcards are effective that can be used for all students withdifferent levels and learning styles Howard Gardener's multiple intelligencetheory reminds teachers that there are many types of learners within any oneclass Gardener's research indicates that teachers should aim to appeal to all thedifferent learner types at some point during the course It is particularlyimportant to appeal to visual learners, as a very high proportion of learners havethis type of intelligence Flashcards can be bright and colourful and make a realimpact on visual learners Many of the activities outlined below will also appeal

teach the students of elementary school Teacher can use it at any time and inany situation when he wants to teach.

One of the most important advantages of using flashcards is they are easyand fast to reproduce Thus, they’re inexpensive Making flashcards can be yourart project with kids, students and family members With just crayons, colormarkers, paper boards, and scissors you can produce your unique set offlashcards that friends, family, or students can enjoy and learn from Flashcardscan be one of the least expensive ways to study.You don't need to buy a set offancy illustrated cards Instead, create your own flashcards.Furthermore, flashcards provide students with a portable learning tool Rather than having to carryaround a book or notebook, flash cards allow students the opportunity totransport as many cards as they need The portability of flashcards can improveefficiency when learning new material By taking the cards everywhere, studentscan make effective use of their time such as using them while walking.Flashcards are useful because the teacher and children can pick them up, movethem and display them in different places and different sequences Since you canshuffle the order, flash cards prevent students from simply memorizing the order

of the answers in long-list items Reverse the flash cards so the answers can beseen first and students must surmise what the original questions were

In term of vocabulary mastery, flashcards are effective memory-aid toolsthat can help students learn new material quickly because children love pictures,posters and other visual aids They allow for repetition and proper scaffolding ofthe learning Learning with flashcards can be a fun and interactive educationalexperience for both children and adults because they have the advantage ofenabling you to turn a learning activity into a game Besides, they are quick andeasy to use Flashcards are simple media of instruction used commonly for thebasic education of children If the flashcards are particularly designed forguessing games, the information written on the reverse sides are answers orliteral references of the images on the front Most teachers, lecturers and parentsfind that learning with flashcards is quick and direct They let you avoid usingthe mother tongue to translate You show the image and the kids knowimmediately what the new word means Their diverse and colorful designsattract children and adults alike The images printed on the cards and themanners in which they are used to stimulate the mind to quickly look forreferences to identify the flashed images.The real difficulty of a certain subjectmatter or problem can also be lessened by choosing flashcards of varyingdifficulties, or it can be made more unpredictably challenging by employing arandom flash method This is why flashcards are ideal to use as educationalgames as well as ideal teaching aids to teach children vocabulary effectively

2.2 Reality of teaching and learning vocabulary at some primary schools in Tho Xuan district:

From preobservation, the situation of the class was not conductive for

teaching and learning activities Students did not focus on the learning process,they were busy doing something outside the learning activity (talking withfriends, drawing picture) Moreover, they tended to be passive and ignore theteacher’s instructions In addition, some students were not active when they didtasks in groups From the situation above, we know that the students just acquire

a few vocabularies This situation also found in some primary schools in ThoXuan district where the English teachers did not use the right media or methodthat can increase the interest and achievement from the students So it’s hightime to find out and implement a media that can improve the students’ interests

in learning English vocabulary

Most of the students in elementary schools get much difficulty withlearning English, especially with vocabulary mastery In my opinion, it is caused

by many reasons Firstly, the students do not have interest in the teaching andlearning process At school, the teachers often find that the students are notinterested in learning a subject matter It also happens in learning English,because the students do not have knowledge about the correlation between thesubject matter and themselves Secondly, the teachers are still having lesscreativity when teaching English Usually the teachers just explain the materialwithout any game, so it can make the students bored As teachers, they mustbuild the interest of students to learn English by using varieties of methods Forexample, the teachers use games in teaching learning process because thestudents like to play Finally, the uses of media and method are not appropriatewith the situation of students In order to use a right method or media, a teachermust make it suited to students’ hobbies

Flashcards are one of the teaching aids that can improve children’svocabulary mastery effectively as shown above Usually the students are able toremember English words easily if the teacher shows cards that consist of words

or pictures By using flashcards, the teachers are able to teach English byemploying many methods too, such as cards game, puzzle, roleplay, etc So thestudent can be more interested and enjoy in the English learning process

Here are some figures of adjusting how my grade 3 students learn new words at the beginning of the first term:

Number of students can pronounce the new words

correctly with its sounds

Number of students can pronounce the new words

correctly with its sounds and stress

- Only a half of my students can remember how to write any new word togetherwith its meaning.

- It’s even worse when 50% of my students can pronounce the new words withits sound but only 10% of them can do correctly with its stress This fact isreally worth worrying because we all know the importance of word stress indeveloping listening and speaking skills for children according tocommunicative teaching approach

Why not using flashcards to teach children vocabulary? For the mainbenefits of using flashcards as above, I tried on using flashcards to teachvocabulary and I have found that flashcards can be really useful, and the kidsenjoy them too

2.3 Solution to the problem: using flashcards

Remember to make flashcards large enough so students at the back of theclass can see what they are Store the flashcards so that they can be reused infuture lessons It will save you time in the long run Make your own library offlashcards and keep them in either a folder or within envelopes so that they areeasily accessible Create a magazine drop-off box in the staffroom so thatteachers have ready access to a range of magazines for pictures, text, etc forflashcard making Also, the key to success is: just involve the kids in the process

of learning So don't keep the flashcards to yourself! Let your students playwith them, touch them and look at them closely Apart from the flashcards, youcan add wordcards

2.3.1 The stages and procedure of using flashcards to teach vocabulary:

*Stages of using flashcards to teach vocabulary:

The first stage is introducing new vocabulary by showing the flashcards

to the kids and attach them to the board Then, put the corresponding wordcardnext to them Teachers may let the kids guess what the objects are by revealingthe picture slowly, uncovering it step by step You can also use this method forrevisions

The next stage is practice The teacher leaves the flashcards as they wereand mix up the wordcards (or you can do it the other way round) Individualstudents have to come to the board and match the words with the picturesagain Instead of moving the wordcards, they can also match them by drawing a

line Here are more ideas to break the routine Teachers can let students play a

''what's missing'' game by telling your pupils to close their eyes When they areready, remove one flashcard or wordcard (or both) The first person to guesswhat the missing word or picture is, wins After two or three times, you mayinvite one of the students to take off the word/picture they want I use thefollowing commands for this game:

one, two, three close your eyes!

one, two, three open your eyes! Look at the board What's missing?

Another activity to try is inviting some students to come to the front of theclassroom Ss form a circle Play some music and pass the flascards Students

have to keep passing the flashcards until the music stops Then, they have toname the objects on their flashcards If they don't know them, they have to leavethe circle Student who last leaves the circle, wins Or you can play a memorygame on the board Display the flashcards and the wordcards with their facesdown Children have to uncover the cards and they get a point if the uncoveredpicture matches the word.

The last stage is production Slowly, take off the wordcards and askchildren to name the pictures on the flashcards When you finish, ask the kids ifthey can name all the objects Help, if necessary For more ideas to break theroutine, kids can prepare their own flashcards Then, they play with them inpairs

*Procedure of using flashcards to teach vocabulary:

Step 1 : Sit comfortably facing your students.

Step 2: Arrange the flash cards in the order you would like to present them Step 3: Starting with the first flashcard, hold it up so your students can

clearly see the front Keep the back of the flash card toward you so your childcannot see it

Step 4: Shows the flashcard front to your students that consist of picture

Say in English and ask the students to repeat after several times tomake sure that they could say it in a correct pronunciation

Step 5: Give question to them by showing flashcards one by one randomly,

if your students give a correct answer, place the correctly answeredflash card in a pile on your left

Step 6: If your students give an incorrect response or no response, tell him

the correct answer, and place these flash cards in a pile on your rightside

Step 7: After you have finished showing your students all of the flashcards,

you may continue your flashcard teaching session by using the stack

of incorrectly answered cards Continue in the same manner, placingcorrectly answered flashcards on the left and incorrectly answeredflashcards on the right

Step 8: Once your students have mastered the full set of flash cards, practice

them periodically to ensure your child remembers them Based on theexplanations about the procedure of using flashcards above, the researcherconclude that the step in using flashcards in English learning process are show

of flashcards, sounds, repetition and practice The procedure of using flashcards

is simple, so the students or parents can practice it at home to improve theirvocabulary

2.3.2 Some fun and exciting games & activities to teach children vocabulary using flashcards

Flashcards are among the materials we use most often, especially withyoung learners They help visualize new vocabulary, and can be an excellent

source of activities and games Making your lesson fun and exciting gives youryoung learners a chance to enjoy themselves as they learn and they will alwayslook forward to their next lessons These following activities focus on addingfun and excitement to using flashcards to teach and review vocabulary Some ofthem take a bit of time to set up and explain, but it is well worth it and once yourstudents have learned the activity you can play it time and time again There arelots of ways to use flashcards in teaching children vocabulary Here are just afew of them.

*Alphabet Line Up:

This is a good way to teach the alphabet to your class Give each student

an alphabet flashcard with a different letter of the alphabet on it, starting at "A"(e.g if you have 7 Ss, give flashcards A through to G) Have them move aroundthe room to music When the music stops, they must line up in order You canalso play with missing letters (e.g Give a "c", then an "f", a "k", an "o", etc) That way they are really learning the order, not just memorizing

This game can be used to teach the vocabulary of Unit 2: What’s yourname?, Lesson 2 part 1,2,3 During this lesson, students are required to learnabout the English alphabet

*Charades:

Have a student come to the front of the class and show a flashcard orwhisper a word to that student The student then acts out that word to the rest ofthe class and the first student to guess what it is can be the next player Thisworks very well with action verbs Variation: divide the class up into teams –the first student to guess wins a point for his/her team

This game can be used to teach vocabulary of some actions in unit 6: Stand up!

open the book don't talk close the book

sit down come here stand up

We can also use this game to teach vocabulary of some continuous

actions in unit 18: What are you doing? or new words of some sports and games

in unit 10: What do you do at break time?

pencil pen pencil case pencil sharpener

school bag book ruler rubber

This game can be used to teach vocabulary of school things in unit 8: This

is my pen, things in the house in unit 13: Where’s my book? And unit 14: Are there any posters in the room? Or toys in unit 15: Do you have any toys? Or somes pets in unit 16: Do you have any pets?

*What is missing?

Place a number of flashcards in front of the Ss Give them a fewmoments to memorize the pictures and then tell them to close their eyes Takeaway one of the flashcards and then tell the Ss to open their eyes again The first