Keep checking back! I'm still adding stuff here.
The Three-sided Flashcard
One of my brilliant students (big thanks to 莫国盛!) came up with this simple but amazing idea, perfect for languages like Chinese and Japanese. (Probably everyone but me already knows about this ha ha-, but on the off-chance that it might be new to someone out there, here it is...)
1. Take whatever flashcard material you would normally use and fold it in half.
3. On the other, write the pinyin.
2. On one side write the character.
4. Open the folded card up. On the inside, write the definition.
Further important refinement: write usage examples, as well as the definition, to contextualize the vocab item and help with memory retention (shoutout to my brilliant student 郭爱丽!).
Roll the Dice
This activity can be used to either preview or review vocabulary. Students are given dice. They go down their vocab list in order, then, depending on the number they roll, they complete the task on the handout.
