If you know how to use flashcards in ESL classrooms, they can be fantastic for memorizing irregular verbs. And they don’t have to be boring, either! Here are my favorite flashy ways to use irregular verb flashcards in ESL classrooms.
Who Benefits From Flashcards?
Flashcards are flexible because they meet the needs of all different age groups. Research in second language learning shows that adults need more repetition and review to move new language into long-term memory. Younger learners, on the other hand, often pick up new forms quickly but lose interest just as fast.
Flashcards solve both problems. They provide structured repetition for adults and engaging, game-based practice for children. No matter the age, flashcards offer repeated exposure to new material in a way that is both effective and motivating.
Do Flashcards Work in ESL?
According to Brainscape.com, ESL flashcards offer three key benefits:
- They encourage active recall.
- They build metacognitive awareness.
- They support confidence-based repetition.
In other words, flashcards are powerful tools for rote memory. But that doesn’t mean they need to feel mechanical or dull.
That’s why I designed my irregular verb flashcards with bright, colorful photos and color-coded verb forms. The goal is simple: make memorization less routine—and a little more memorable.
Ready to give it a try? You can grab a deck here (or create your own) and start flipping today.
Below are some engaging activities to make your flashcards truly unforgettable!
8 Fun Ways To Use Flashcards in ESL
1. Jazz it up!
Grab a metronome or use this drum loop to add a jazzy or hip hop dimension to the chant.
Take, took, taken.
Students need to get both the rhythm and the tenses correct. Start at about 100 bmp (beats per minute). Challenge students to see how fast they can go without making mistakes.
2. Actor’s Studio
Call out an emotion for each set of 5 verbs. For example, “Happy!” Students will read the next five verbs in a happy tone. Then try angry, scared, tired, and sad. Let students choose the next emotions, and pour all that emotion into the verb tenses.
3. Talk in Tones
Same as the idea above, but choose rising or falling tones for each set of verbs. For rising, start low and raise your voice for each word. Feeeeel, fellllllt. For falling, start high and let your voice fall for each word. Think of Dory from Finding Nemo speaking whale language if you need some inspiration.
4. Conversation Dice
You’ll need a pair of dice and a stack of random verb cards. For online classes, use these free virtual dice. Students roll the dice and must come up with the same number of collocations for that verb as shown on the dice.
So, if a student rolls a 6, they must say 6 words that collocate with that verb. If the verb is TAKE, for example, they can say: take a photo, take a shower, take a vacation, etc. Keep track of their phrases on the board.
To make the game more challenging, they must list all 6 collocations before the other student can roll doubles. The other student is rolling the dice repeatedly while the first student is trying to list all their collocations. If the student rolls doubles before they finish, they’ll get points for as many collocations as they came up with. If they beat the roller and list them all, they get double the points.
5. Stand, Stood, Stood
This is a great segue into break time or stretch your legs during class. Ask all students to stand. Flip through the cards, one per student. The student must give the correct past forms of the verb. If they can, they can take a seat. If they make a mistake, they must remain standing and wait their turn to try again. Continue asking each student in rounds until all students are seated.
6. Body Movin’
This is a fun way to use flashcards in ESL using kinesthetic learning.
Choose 3 body moves for each tense. So, for example, arms up, arms down, jump. Students do the motions while calling out each tense. TAKE (arms up), TOOK (arms down), TAKEN (jump). Once they have the hang of it, let them choose more actions for each set of cards.
7. Truth or Lie
Are your students good at lying? This game is always sure to be a big hit! Here’s how it works:
Choose a verb from the deck and ask a student a Have you ever… question. The student must always answer, Yes, I have. Then the class will ask follow-up questions to figure out whether the student is telling the truth or lying. After questioning the student, the truth is revealed.
Truth or Lie?: “Have You Ever” Poker Game for ESL
8. Storytelling
Use 5-15 cards depending on the size of your class. Flip the first card for student 1, who begins a story using that verb. For example,
Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to TAKE photos…
Student 2 gets the next random card and must continue the story using that verb.
…but one day, someone STOLE her camera!
Continue until all students have added to the story. The last student must give the story a good ending. When all the cards have been used, flip through the cards again, and have them try to re-create the story.
A Flashcard A Day
Regardless of the activities you decide to use, don’t stop flipping! I try to work in a few minutes of flashcard practice every day. Don’t feel like you need to do the whole deck in one sitting. Choose 10 cards per week and build from there, with twenty the next week, and so on.
The verbs might be related to your topic for that week. Or, they could be taught in groups, as in participles that end in -en (shaken, taken, fallen, etc.).
I’m sure there are many other ways to use flashcards in ESL that I haven’t thought of yet. Do you have any to add? I’d love to hear your flashy ideas in the comments!
About My Flashcards
My original deck of irregular verb flashcards wasn’t pretty, but they did the trick.
When the pandemic started, our school transitioned to online learning overnight. Many of my teaching resources and games had all been left back at school and were now covered in COVID-19. This included my trusty deck of irregular verb flashcards, which I had hand-printed on index cards with a permanent marker. They weren’t pretty, but they worked.
This time, I decided to up my game by designing them on Canva. What a game-changer!
My new deck of photo flashcards is bright, colorful, diverse, and positively conversational.
I’m kind of in love with them.
If you’re interested, I have two versions of these cards to offer up. One is a finished, printed deck of 3.5″ cards. The other is a PDF for those who want to print from home. You can check them both out in my Etsy shop here.
Who knew a stack of flashcards could be such a classroom superhero?
Whether you’re drilling verbs, playing games, or getting students talking, these ideas can turn simple cards into magic. Mix it up, keep it fun, and watch your students actually enjoy the practice. Got your own brilliant flashcard ways to use flashcards in ESL? Don’t keep us hanging—share the love!
And as always,
Happy Teaching!
