Word and definition matching cards
- Download the template for this here:ย Match words and definitions cards template
These are cards for matching up terms and definitions. Use the template for your own purposes by adding words from your programme (e.g. technical jargon or high-frequency words) on one side, and plain English explanations on the other side.
Here are some ideas for different activities that you could develop depending on your learning outcome:
- Match up the words with the definitions. This activity changes depending on whether a learner did the match-up on their own, with a partner, in a small group or as part of a whole class discussion activity.
- Use the cards to play a memory game in which all of the cards are laid face down on the table and two cards are flipped face up in each turn. The object of the game is to make matching pairs. Again, learners can play this alone (like Solitaire), or in pairs or groups depending on the number of cards and the level of difficulty.
- Create a third set of cards with either pictures that explain the words, or an example sentence showing how itโs used in context.
- Learners use the words and plain-English explanations to create crosswords, word finds and customised glossaries to practice using the words and develop their understanding.
How else could you use or build from this resource?
Thanks, Graeme! I like this simple idea you provided. I often use match cards to reinforce teaching content. Another successful activity I use to reinforce vocabulary is definition bingo. It follows the same format as any bingo game, except that I read out the definition of the word instead of the word itself. Cheers, many thanks for all the posts.
Hi Diane. Thanks for that…! In fact, if you had a generic bingo board you could drop in new words from your word bank as needed. What we need next is something like Pinterest but for sharing these kinds of practical teaching ideas. Cheers, G