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How to Make Flashcards to Learn Spanish (& Other Tips)

January 22, 2021

How to Make Flashcards to Learn Spanish (& Other Tips)

Flashcards are one of the most useful tools for learning a new skill. Learning Spanish with flashcards is a great option to add to your learning toolkit, because it makes the process simple, easy, quick, fun, and helps speed your memorization of any information. 

You probably started learning with flashcards when you were a kid at the school. For many of us, teachers gave us flashcards with animals, letters, concepts, etc. The great part is, the benefits of flashcards continues throughout your life while whenever you need to learn and retain new information.

What Are Flashcards? 

Flashcards are cards made to improve and help the memorization of information. You can use flashcards to learn everything. And when learning Spanish, they are specifically helpful to memorize words, vocabulary, verbs, verb tenses, definitions, phrases, and more. This tool makes the learning process easy and fun, because it turns gaining new skills into a game.

When you study using these cards, your brain is retaining information in two basic ways:

  • By association between the information you use at the card’s front and the answer on the card’s back. 
  • By repetition as you repeat and reinforce new knowledge by learning all the cards backwards and forwards.

How Should I Make My Flashcards? 

You can find many flashcards ready to use in the market, on any subject, any level, age, etc. However, it is better when you create your flashcards; you can retain and recall the information you are using on the cards.

Just take a card (any material), on the front side write, for example, one word in Spanish, then in the back write the meaning in English. You can use any piece of information in Spanish instead of a word, like phrases, verbs, verb tenses, adjectives, pronouns, etc.

Your flashcard should be attractive, which is another way to help recall information. You can use different colors, images, illustrations, drawings, etc., related to the information on the front side of the card. All these details make them more attractive and easy to remember. The key point is easy learning, repetition, and memorization.

Learning Spanish With Flashcards Has Several Advantages:

  • Flashcards to learn Spanish helps your brain to recover information. When you look at the front of the flashcard and think what the answer is, your brain is trying or is forcing you to remember the information and the correct answer associated. 
  • You can evaluate the performance of your memorization. When you flip the flashcard to reveal the answer, you are reviewing if the information recalled is correct. In that way, you can focus more on the cards which you have trouble with, or repeat cards you’re having a difficult time memorizing.
  • You are learning based on repetition. When you study with Spanish flashcards, you can repeat the process with all the cards as long as you want. The best way to learn and not forget is to review at spaced intervals, starting a few hours later, a few days later, a few weeks later. 
  • You can take your flashcard with you and study at any time. You can take the cards out at any time, such as waiting for something or someone, waiting at the restaurant, in traffic, at the doctor, or any other place you find you have even five minutes of extra time.
  • Other Tips for Using Spanish Flashcards: 

    • Make Your Flashcards: when you create the flashcards that help you remember the information, you also know the information you need to memorize and study. This hands-on experience is essential to your learning journey.
    • One Concept per Card: the concept’s isolation is essential to help your brain remember it. As less information you have on the card, as more comfortable it will be to remember.
    • Say Your Answers Aloud: avoid cheating yourself. Say the answers aloud before flipping the card. This helps to improve your pronunciation. Do not fool yourself; the only person affected is you, so be honest with yourself. If you don’t remember some information, just continue studying.
    • Study Your Flashcards Forwards & Backwards: take your flashcards, shuffle them, and start again. Your brain must associate the words and definitions as interchangeable. It should go without saying that vocab learning goes both ways.
    • Use the Target Word in Sentences: this practice helps you to create multiple ways to use the word.
    • Keep Your Flashcards With You: this allows you to continue the learning process at any moment, at any time, when you want, when you can. So, put together all your flashcard inside any box or bag and take with you, in your purse, in your briefcase, in your car, etc.

    Now, you are ready to create your Spanish flashcards to learn this beautiful language. I hope this blog will be helpful to you and your Spanish learning process

    Mary Aaron

     

    author
    I am from Venezuela and have been living in Houston since 2013. I have a bachelor’s degree in business systems engineering, and 15+ years of work experience in different Business areas. However, my passion is being a teacher, tutor, advisor, and helping others. I started in the Education area as a tutor during my 5 years of studying in “Universidad Bicentenaria de Aragua”. After my graduation, I was hired as a University Professor. I worked there and at other universities for about 5 years in subjects related to Computer and Spanish. In 2015, I worked as a Spanish teacher with Coloquia Languages, in Commonwealth Elementary School, and Colony Meadows Elementary School, both located in Sugar Land. I now work as a Spanish tutor, and Word/Excel/PowerPoint tutor online 1 - 1 for students of all ages and levels

    Mary Aaron