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ESL forum >
Teaching material > Why are "matching ws" so popular?
Why are "matching ws" so popular?
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blunderbuster
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Why are "matching ws" so popular?
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Doesn �t it confuse students when memorizing the words if picture and word aren �t right next to each other? I have the feeling that uploading a "matching ws" is a pretty safe bet to get easy downloads.
Regina
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18 Apr 2010
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zailda
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Hi!
They might be so popular because after matching and correcting, the ss will have a pictionary with the words to study and memorize. It �s pretty easy for them to do it and intermediate / advanced ss get bored with this kind of activity, so it �s better for beginners.
Wss that can be used with a great variety of activities assure tons of downloads (if they are well prepared). Pictionaries are useful because we can use them together with other wss or activities (grammar, readings, writing, discussion, conversation, etc).
The activiites provided or suggested about a ws are just a guide, but we can use them for different tasks or purposes. I �ve used some matching exercises made by some great members here this way:
- first students match the words and images and I corrected them.
- students take home the pictionary they made and study.
- I bring a boardgame with the corresponding numbers in the squares and students have to describe the picture they have in their pictionaries.
- I promote a discussion about some topics related to the pictionary and give ss the opportunity to talk about their favorite topic: themselves and their habits / likes / dislikes.
- I ask them to write sentences using a grammar topic, related to each picture.
And so on.
The ss love to work with picture and they make them learn faster.
Have a nice day.
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18 Apr 2010
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jamiejules
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I never use matching Ws to get the students to memorize words but to "understand" them to introduce them.
Matching exercises are only one of the multiple steps towards memorization but in no way is it THE ws that is to be given to students to learn from.
after a matching ex you can show the flash cards related to the words seen and get the students to repeat the words with the matching ws visible or after a while hidden to get them start the memorizing process.
seeing a word does not mean knowing it.
I may not be too clear...
have a nice evening |
18 Apr 2010
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zailda
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Regina, please check your PM inbox.
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18 Apr 2010
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elderberrywine
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I never download or use matching exercises, neither with words nor with sentences.
Concerning words: Our students learn words from their books, not from photocopies.
Concerining sentences: not my cup of tea, too simple in my view... waste of space on worksheets.
Getting students to USE and to COMBINE words and to CREATE their own sentences is much more important in my view.
Sorry if this sounds blunt, I don �t mean it to be blunt. I �m just sooooo tired....
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18 Apr 2010
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eng789
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I see nothing wrong with matching exercises - but I usually save them for quizzes or tests for lower level kids who have trouble remembering.
I do some of the following:
a. Match the word to it �s meaning in (Hebrew) L1
b. Match the word to it �s meaning/definition in English
c. Make word pairs by matching a word from column a to a word in column b.
d. Match the beginning of the sentence to it �s ending in the bank.
Just to name a few. |
18 Apr 2010
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blunderbuster
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Thank you for all your messages!
Yes, I agree, Dorothea, so many terms all on one ws see to be overwhelming that is why I have never downloaded any of these ws or made one myself. I am curious to see what other answers we are going to get.
Regards
Regina
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18 Apr 2010
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lshorton99
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I �m not a fan of pictionaries or matching exercises with a lot of words. I basically follow Miller �s Law when introducing vocabulary - 7 +/- 2 words at a time so worksheets with lots of words aren �t much use to me. I �ll do a smaller matching to revise with younger students but that �s as far as I go! With little ones I present vocabulary through pictures and the oral form and later get them to unscramble the letters or write missing letters or race to write it on the board. Older students I do a lot more work with dictionaries - again, limiting the presentation of new vocabulary.
I think a lot of it is down to teaching styles - if one teacher finds that matching works with their students, I say go for it! Most of my students have the attention span of a gnat so that kind of exercise isn �t suitable!
As always, Regina, you know how to post interesting discussions on these forums!
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18 Apr 2010
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Lina Ladybird
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I do use matching exercises, but only with my very young students who like this kind of task very much. But I think there are more useful ways to teach new vocabulary like showing flashcards, playing memory games as well as games like "I pack my bag" or "What �s missing?", unscrambling words and lots of other writing and speaking activities. |
18 Apr 2010
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zailda
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"I pack my bag"... It sounds interesting.
Sorry for my ignorance, but could you send me the rules for this game? I �d like to try it with some students because nothing else seems to get results... LOL
Have a nice evening!
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18 Apr 2010
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Chilvis
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I usually use matching exercises to revise vocabulary, for example for homework for the students to remember the vocabulary seen in class or when I add new words to a vocabulary area students know from previous years.
In my opinion it �s great for young students (children or young teenagers) because they seem to remember words more easily when they associate them with the pictures.
As somebody said, matching is also an useful way to test vocabulary in written tests or quizzes, either matching with the picture or with other words like the definition in english, a synonym, the opposite or even in some cases the translation.
Now, what do you think about copying lists of vocabulary on the students � notebooks???
When I started working at a language school about 5 years ago the coordinator told me to do that. Students had to tell me the words they didn �t know from their students � books and we made a list with those words and the translation into L1.
During these years I �ve realised SS don �t like doing this and they don �t learn in this way...the only thing they can do is read the lists several times at home to memorize words (quite boring!).
The books I �m using now usually have charts in different colours with the key words or key expressions so I don �t make them write the words again. However, sometimes I feel they don �t remember to check this charts on the book when they are doing homework or studying, and the coordinator insists that copying words is the best way to learn them.
I don �t agree with her, I feel the best way to learn vocabulary is using the new words as much as possible, orally in class and then on written exercises for homework.
What can you tell me about this???
Sorry I started answering the original question and then I added my own question but it is very much related and I �ve wondering about this lately in order to decide how to work with my students.
I �d be grateful if you can share your knowledge, opinion and experiences with me!  |
19 Apr 2010
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