How do my students respond to flashcards in my class?

My name is Hakima El Hansaly, and I am an ESL teacher from Morocco with 3 years of experience teaching learners of different levels, ages, and nationalities. Teaching, for me, is not just a job. It is a source of inspiration and truly a calling. I still remember the first moment I held a set of flashcards during my internship. I was completely unsure how my students would react. To my surprise, the opposite happened. My students showed a very high level of curiosity and excitement. Flashcards became more than just laminated paper with words and pictures—they turned into a gate to engagement, fun, and confidence. In this blog, I would like to share with you some of the unique and effective ways my students respond to flashcards and why they have such a powerful impact on their English learning journey.

I consider myself somewhat obsessed with flashcards, and let me explain why. 

First and foremost, I was introduced to this type of teaching tools during my second internship in a highly sophisticated Language Center, and flashcards instantly captured my interest. From the moment I started using them, I was amazed by the remarkable effect they had on my learners, especially beginner and Elementary levels. They became more motivated, focused, and receptive to new ideas.
To start with, flashcards provide space for repetition, mostly for visual learners. They create a sense of visual memory, alongside worksheets that help them practice what they have learned in the first place.

Second, well-structured flashcards create a space for both learning and fun. In other words, when my students are given topic-related flashcards with labels and pictures, it sparks a collaborative rivalry that's pushed them to do better, and become more willing to participate and engage with each other.

Some of the activities they enjoy with flashcards include matching words with pictures for memorization, practicing spelling, and picking a word to use in a sentence.

I truly believe in the magic of flashcards, and I hope to share this spark with you as well.

Hakima El Hansaly, ESL teacher.