Teachers lead busy lives. You may have
used post-it notes before to jot down important reminders, such as appointment
times, upcoming test dates, and a last minute shopping list. But these little
sticky notes that come in a variety of colors and cute designs are not only
meant to be reminder pads… they can also be used as a simple yet effective
teaching/learning tool. I would like to share three practical ways to liven up
the language learning experience for your students by using post-it notes.
1. Vocabulary Review
The process of learning and reviewing vocabulary
words can be dry and mundane. Repeating the same activity over and over can
just become a boring task for the students, so adding some variety when
teaching vocabulary can make students energized and excited to apply their new
knowledge. As much as possible, it is important to have students get involved
in the learning process.
Activity: Vocabulary Challenge (High
Beginner +)
Each post-it note has a vocabulary
word that had been taught in the unit. The students will choose a note, and write
the definition and a sentence for the word they receive. Then, they get into
small groups and create some “test questions” together using the information.
For example, they can make a crossword puzzle out of the words (with the
definitions as hints), or fill-in-the-blank sentences (using contextual clues).
At the end of class, every student solves the questions and check answers together.
2. Facilitate Questions
Another way to use post-it notes is to
practice asking questions. Asking and answering questions is perhaps one of the
most important skills L2 learners should acquire, as it keeps a conversation
going in a meaningful direction. However,
it is also one of the more difficult aspects of language learning due to
sentence structure, word placement, and intonation.
Activity: The WH- Questions (Beginner +)
Each post-it note has one of the WH
words: Who, What, When, Where, Why. The student
chooses one note at random, and he or she is prompted to ask a question
relating to the content of the academic unit being taught. One of the other
students will volunteer to answer the question.
Activity: Open/Closed Questions (High Beginner +)
Each post-it note has a vocabulary word
relating to the particular theme of the unit. The student chooses one note, and
asks an open question (informative) or closed question (Yes/No) to the person
sitting next to him or her. The student will answer the question, and the
activity continues until everyone has had a turn.
3. Games
Activity: Who am I / What am I (Low
Intermediate +)
Students tend to enjoy guessing games,
which are great ways to learn question formation and review what they already know
or just learned.
One game is called “Who am I?“ Each post-it note has the
name of a famous person on it. Students will go around the room and ask each
other Yes/No questions (“Am I…”) to figure out who they are. For example, they
can ask about gender, age, occupation, height, and so on. Similar to this game
is “What am I?” Each post-it note has
the name of something that is non-human, such as names of vegetables, objects,
or animals. Students will go around the room and ask each other Yes/No questions
(“Am I…”) to figure out what they are. For example, they can ask about size,
color, taste, and so on.
Before you head out to your next class,
make sure to pick up the post-it notes that are lying around your house and
take advantage of a great teaching tool.
