Licungo University

Department of Letters and Humanities

Honour’s Degree in English Language Teaching Distance Education 2nd Year
Teaching Practices in English Language I, Assignment 2 – 2020

Student’s name: Quintino Soares Inácio

Visual aids are relevant because they stimulate and motivate people or students when they are in
certain study or event. Although, in Teaching Practices 1 we had studying about visual aids such
as:

Flashcards.

A flashcard is a card that bears information on both sides, which is intended to be used as an aid
in memorization.

It has advantages in ease and carrying around classroom or anywhere, makes studies simple and
interested; affordability and easy availability and lets students communicative. As
Disadvantages, some of flashcards made by others can have misspelled words or wrong
information on them, if the flashcards are not well planned can make confusion to the students.

Flipcharts.

A flip chart is a stationery item consisting of a pad of large paper sheets. It is typically fixed to
the upper edge of a whiteboard or blackboard, typically supported on a tripod or four-legged
easel. Advantages: as they don’t need electricity they can be hanged anywhere, flipcharts are
economical, the colour can be added very easily, and allow spontaneity. In term of
Disadvantages: the contents on flipcharts might not capable on the space because they have not
enough length, if students sit too far they might not see the words written on flipchart, if it is not
well mounted or hanged it can fall down.

Wall charts.

Wall charts are large printed drawing charts or posters which we can hung, stick or pin to a wall
showing information or teaching in a simple way. Wall charts have advantages in clarifying
educational subjects into comprehensive blocks of information. There are disadvantages, in our
community wall charts can become dirty depending on the place where it is hanged.

Using pictures from magazines and newspapers.

Newspapers are ´real´ authentic material while magazines consist of adapted texts that are
created for a certain student’s level. They are used in the classroom for improving reading skills
and enhancing students' knowledge of current affairs. We find some advantages, newspapers
and magazines can help students to develop reading skills and writing, grammar, vocabulary, and
speaking skills. Disadvantages: as they are used in a non-English environment, students might
not understand the general meaning of the content.

Worksheets.

Worksheets are exercises written or typed on sheets of paper and given out to the class to be used
either for oral practice or for reading and writing. As advantages, students work hardly
developing its grammar. Disadvantages: Worksheet can take more time if are not well planned
specially for the learners of English language.

Jumbled words or exercises.

Jumble word or exercise is a kind of games that divide a sentence to be some words randomly
and students are asked to arrange correctly. It has advantages such as most suitable technique in
teaching vocabulary to improve student’s vocabulary. We can find some disadvantages;
students might take more time to conclude the exercise depending on the type of students and
exercises.

Considering that flipcharts have not large space and seeing how to get it, I would never use them
during my classes because they are not large to write full contents even the kind of our students
in Zambézia province especially at country side they might dirty it on the time that teacher asks
students to write something.

I have to say that during my classes I have used flashcards when I was teaching about colours. I
made two sets of cards, one I painted them with different colours; another set I wrote the names
of the colour to match them.

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We cannot say that visual aids above mentioned are these only. We have other visual aids which
we would consider suitable to be used for the classes for example puzzle words games we can
practice in the classroom with the students. The objective of this game is to develop the mind
about grammar, relationship, vocabulary and so many others skills. Other visual aids that we can
find are, poster presentations, overhead projector slides, white or black board, videos like DVD
or VHS, talking room and paper hand-outs. We use these visual aids to display complex
information clearly or to motivate students during the classes.