Practical Uses of Post-It Notes in the Language Classroom

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.