missforeignlanguageteacher.com

Oh no! You waited too long to start studying for your vocab quiz, and now you have a huge list to learn and not much time. Two words: flash cards.

The typical foreign language textbook is organized into chapters with a theme: classes, food, occupations…and there are usually a lot of vocabulary words.

One way to practice is to use flash cards. The easiest way to make flash cards is to use index cards (big or small, lined or plain–your choice). Write one word or phrase in the target language on one side, and the English translation on the other side. Then, quiz yourself: look at the side in the target language first, and see how many of the words you recognize. Once you can give most of the meanings in English, try doing it the opposite way. Look at the English side, and try to give the word or phrase in the other language. A bundle of flash cards is easy to carry, and you can study in your ‘down’ time: between classes, on public transportation, during breaks at work…

Many foreign language instructors try to get students to ‘personalize’ the vocab by having them give their opinions and talk about their own activities and people who are important to them. That’s my go-to technique, too, but if the countdown is on, well…get flashing!